Hyderabad: The UAE has announced a new official age cut-off for admissions in schools. It is applicable for kindergarten and Grade 1 admissions.
It will come into effect from the academic year 2026–2027. The Education, Human Development, and Community Development Council approved the change.
Cut-off age for admissions in UAE schools
The new regulation sets December 31 of the academic year as the cut-off. It replaces the previous deadline of August 31.
For Pre-K and KG1, the cutoffs are 3 years and 4 years, respectively, as of December 31 of the admission year. On the other hand, the cutoffs for KG2 and Grade 1 are 5 years and 6 years, respectively, as of December 31 of the academic year.
The adjustment will standardize the entry age across the majority of educational institutions in the UAE.
For the smaller set of schools in the UAE that follow an April start date for admission, the existing cut-off of March 31 will remain unchanged.
Comprehensive research
The decision by the UAE is grounded in comprehensive research.
The research assessed key developmental domains critical for a successful start in formal education, including cognitive abilities, socio-emotional growth, language skills, and motor development.
The policy applies exclusively to new admissions and will not affect any students already enrolled in schools.
