Required Documentation for Ministry of Education /Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) Certification and Residency Status

To qualify for Ministry of Education/KHDA certification to teach school-aged children in the United Arab Emirates, prospective Primary classroom teachers must hold a university degree with teaching qualification from a formally accredited and internationally recognized institution with at least 2 years primary stage teaching experience. Other than Primary classroom teachers, the subject area or field in which you have been hired to teach must be clearly evident on the degree/certificate or in the transcript of courses studied (that is, specialty must match the teaching subject). In line with international best practice, we at Taaleem also require specialist teachers to hold a teaching qualification, such as an education/teaching degree or a post-graduate certificate in education.

Well before you arrive to work at any of our schools, the key documents listed below will have to undergo a verification process that requires documents to be notarized by a lawyer, authenticated by the Foreign Office and attested by the UAE Embassy in your country of origin. This verification procedure constitutes the first steps in gaining residence status and Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) certification in the UAE. Please consider that this can be a very time consuming and sometimes costly process depending on the origin of the documents.

Key Documents Needed

Please note that all the below documentation should be either in English or Arabic.

1.  A copy of 'A' Level, Grade 12 or senior high school certificate or diploma equal to grade 12 graduation issued by the Ministry/Department of Education or School where you graduated from. If your certificate/diploma was issued prior to 1983, an official letter from the Ministry/Department of Education or school will suffice.

2.  The verified (notarized, authenticated and attested) original teaching/education degree or a degree and post-graduate certificate in education. Please note that we can not employ teachers who only have a teaching/education diploma without a university degree.

3.  The verified (notarized, authenticated and attested) original of the highest degree certificate (if different than above).

4. The verified (notarized, authenticated and attested) original score sheet/grades/transcripts for each degree and/or certificate.

5.  Letter(s) of experience from previous or current schools worked at proving 5 years of experience for the positions of Head of Department, Key Stage Leader, IB Coordinator or Supervisor, and 2 years of experience for teachers. The letter(s) should be on school or school district letterhead and must state the years of employment and the grade(s) and or subject(s) the teacher has taught.

6.  The verified (notarized, authenticated and attested) original marriage certificate to sponsor spouse and birth certificate(s) to sponsor child(ren).

7.  A teacher with a Masters or Ph.D. must also hold a Bachelors degree. Teachers with Ph.D. should bring their Thesis/Dissertation abstract or précis.

8. A legal translation of any non-Arabic/non-English degrees or certificates into either Arabic or English.

9. Birth/adoption certificates (if applicable) - only need to be attested if not in English or Arabic.

Note: Please bring the original documentation with you as these may need to be presented to relevant authorities.

The following documentation is also necessary, but does not require attestation:

1. Medical certificate or letter of good health from your Doctor or Family Physician.

2. If currently employed in UAE: No Objection Letter from current employer (including trade license copy, immigration card, authorized signatory card from the Labour Department), original Labour Card from previous employer, plus a copy of the current visa page from their passport. A No Objection Letter from father, husband, mother or brother if under their sponsorship and copy of the passport of said sponsor.

3. Only for teaching staff from Indian or Pakistan: a letter from the embassy of the country where the teaching degree/certificate was issued, indicating where the study was conducted to prove authenticity.

Important Notes

1. You are required to bring with you your official, original documents in hard copy as well as the copies that have been notarized, authenticated and attested. Any document that originates via the Internet will not be accepted by the UAE's Ministry of Education.
2. All degrees and certificates must originate from a formally accredited and internationally recognized institution to be acceptable to the Ministry of Education.
3. Distance learning certificates are not acceptable.
4. Depending on your nationality, there are slight differences with regard to the documents requiring notarization, authentication, and attestation, which will be explained in detail upon having accepted a position at one of our schools.