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Parent guide · UAE MOE curriculum

UAE school certificate equivalency explained

Students who finish school on a foreign curriculum, in the UAE or abroad, need a Ministry of Education equivalency certificate to enter UAE universities and for many jobs. It is applied for online with UAE Pass, costs AED 50 and takes about 5 working days for UAE schools when everything is in order. The rules depend on the curriculum: British students need one A-Level or two AS Levels plus five IGCSEs; IB students need the Diploma or six subject certificates totalling 21; American students need the diploma plus English and maths test scores. Distance-learning, open-school and GED certificates are not equalised.

Facts checked:

At a glance

Who issues it
UAE Ministry of Education
Fee
AED 50 per application
Time (UAE schools)
About 5 working days when complete
How
Online with UAE Pass
Not equalised
Distance learning, open school, GED

Which equivalency service you need

SituationServiceFee and time
Grade 12 finished at a foreign-curriculum school in the UAEEquivalency of a general education certificate within the UAEAED 50; 5 working days
Grade 12 finished abroadEquivalency of a general education certificate from abroadAED 50; 3 to 5 working days if complete, longer if a committee review is needed
Moving between schools in the UAE, Grades 9 to 11, foreign curriculumEquivalency for transfer classes within the UAEAED 50; up to 5 working days
Arriving from abroad into Grades 2 to 11Equivalency for a class transfer from outside the UAEAED 50; 30 working days
Checking an issued equivalencyConfirming the authenticity of equivalencyFree; instant

Grade 12 requirements by curriculum

From the Ministry's service rules for certificates from UAE schools, updated July 2026.

CurriculumWhat the Ministry asks for
British (A-Level)One A-Level or two AS Levels at grade E or above, plus five IGCSE or GCSE subjects at E or 3 or above; Arabic and Islamic Studies do not count
British (BTEC Level 3)BTEC Level 3 Diploma (120 credits, PP or above) plus five IGCSEs, IB MYP or an International BTEC Level 2 Diploma; equivalent to a technical high school certificate
IB DiplomaThe IB Diploma and transcript; or six IB subject certificates at grade 3 or above totalling at least 21, including English, maths and a science
AmericanDiploma, Grade 10 to 12 transcripts, five approved subjects, English (EmSAT 1100, IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL iBT 61) and maths (EmSAT 500 or SAT Math 450)
Indian, Pakistani, BangladeshiGrade 12 board certificate, Grade 11 transcripts and Grade 10 board certificate
All curricula at UAE schoolsTranscripts for the last three years; Islamic Studies for Muslim students and Arabic for Arab students in those years

For certificates from abroad, the American English requirement also accepts SAT Reading and Writing 450, and the maths requirement is SAT Math 450. The Ministry exempted 2024-25 graduates of UAE American schools from the English and maths tests; otherwise a limited equivalency is issued when the tests are not met.

What will not be equalised

The Ministry is explicit that general education certificates issued by schools following distance learning or the open school mode are not equalised, and neither are certificates from level-determination systems such as the GED or any study not aligned with the UAE education system. This catches families who use online international schools: check before enrolling, not in Grade 12.

For certificates from abroad, the Ministry also checks the authenticity of the certificate and the recognition of the issuing school. Exceptional cases can be referred to the Ministry's equivalency committee, which takes longer.

How to apply

  1. Get the documents attested. For UAE schools, the local regulator attests transcripts: ADEK in Abu Dhabi, KHDA in Dubai, SPEA in Sharjah, the Department of Knowledge in Ras Al Khaimah, and the Ministry elsewhere. For certificates from abroad, attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs is needed.
  2. Arrange legal translation for anything not in Arabic or English.
  3. Prepare PDFs (up to 5 MB each, one file per requirement): graduation certificate, three years of transcripts, and the curriculum-specific documents above.
  4. Log in to the Ministry's services with UAE Pass, complete the form, upload and pay AED 50.
  5. Receive the outcome by email. Missing documents must be supplied within 7 days or the application is closed.

Plan the tests early for American-curriculum students

American-curriculum students are the group most likely to be caught late, because the equivalency depends on test scores as well as the diploma. The English requirement is EmSAT English 1100, IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL iBT 61, and the maths requirement EmSAT Math 500 or SAT Math 450. EmSAT no longer features in admission at the main federal universities, so check whether it is still available before relying on it; most students plan around IELTS or TOEFL for English and the SAT for maths.

For British students, the trap is the count: five approved IGCSE or GCSE subjects at grade E or 3, not counting Arabic or Islamic Studies, plus at least one full A-Level or two AS Levels. A student who drops to two AS Levels must pass both.

How one-to-one lessons help

The tests in the equivalency rules are coachable. A tutor can prepare an American-curriculum student for SAT Math, where 450 is the Ministry's bar and most university applicants aim much higher, or for IELTS and TOEFL, working on the exact task types. For British-route students, lessons can secure the IGCSE or A-Level grades that the rules and universities need.

LiveTutor lessons are one to one, 60 minutes, online, after school in UAE time, with tutors who teach SAT, IELTS and TOEFL preparation and the British, American and IB curricula.

Common questions

Who needs a UAE equivalency certificate?

Students who completed school on a foreign curriculum, whether at a UAE private school or abroad, usually need one to enter UAE universities and for many employment purposes. The Ministry of Education issues it.

How much does equivalency cost and how long does it take?

AED 50. For Grade 12 certificates from UAE schools the Ministry states 5 working days; from abroad, 3 to 5 working days when everything is complete, and longer if the case goes to the equivalency committee.

Are online school certificates accepted?

No. The Ministry does not equalise general education certificates from distance learning or open schools, or level-determination systems such as the GED.

What do American curriculum students need?

The diploma, Grade 10 to 12 transcripts, five approved subjects, an English score (EmSAT 1100, IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL iBT 61) and a maths score (EmSAT 500 or SAT Math 450). For certificates from abroad, SAT Reading and Writing 450 is also accepted for English.

How much do LiveTutor lessons cost for SAT or IELTS preparation?

$15 a lesson, the same for every subject and level, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial.

Sources

Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.

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