How to Get a Transfer Certificate for UAE Schools

What is a Transfer Certificate?

A Transfer Certificate (TC) — also called a School Leaving Certificate — is an official document issued by your child's current school confirming that the student has been formally released from that school's roll and is free to enrol elsewhere. In the UAE (and across the Indian subcontinent, from which the convention largely originates), no school is permitted to admit a student at secondary level without sighting a Transfer Certificate from the previous school.

The requirement for a TC applies to all curriculum types in the UAE, though it is most strictly enforced in CBSE and other Indian curriculum schools and in KHDA-regulated Dubai schools. British and American curriculum schools are generally more flexible but still require documentation of previous schooling.

When Is a Transfer Certificate Required?

When moving between schools in the same country (UAE to UAE transfer)
When moving from a school abroad to a UAE school (international transfer)
When changing from one curriculum to another (e.g., CBSE to British)
When a child takes a break from schooling of more than one term and re-enrols

For moves within the same school group (e.g., from one GEMS school to another GEMS campus), the TC requirement may be waived or handled internally by the school group. Confirm this with the admissions office.

How to Request a Transfer Certificate

Step 1: Notify the School in Writing

Inform the school's admissions or registrar office in writing — email is typically sufficient — that you intend to withdraw your child. Provide the anticipated last day of attendance and the reason for leaving (not always required, but courteous). Schools generally require a notice period of two to four weeks.

Step 2: Clear Any Outstanding Fees

Critically important: schools in the UAE are legally permitted to withhold a Transfer Certificate until all outstanding fees are settled. This includes:

Any unpaid tuition fees
Bus fees for the full contracted period (many bus contracts are annual and non-refundable)
Library fines or equipment charges
Any returned cheque charges

Check your account balance before requesting the TC and resolve any disputes with the school's finance office before your departure date. Do not leave outstanding amounts — the TC will not be released until they are cleared.

Step 3: Return School Property

Most schools require the return of school-issued property before releasing the TC:

Library books
School-owned devices (tablets, laptops)
Sports equipment
ID cards

Step 4: Request the Transfer Certificate

Submit a formal written request for the TC to the registrar or admissions office. Most schools have a standard form for this. The TC is typically processed within 5–10 working days of the request being approved.

What Does a Transfer Certificate Contain?

A standard UAE Transfer Certificate includes:

Student's full name (as per passport)
Date of birth
Passport number / Emirates ID number
Nationality
School name and address
Academic year of enrolment and withdrawal
Year group / class / grade at time of withdrawal
Reason for leaving (e.g., "Transfer to another school" / "Leaving UAE")
Behaviour / conduct record (Good / Satisfactory — usually standard phrasing)
School stamp and signature of principal or registrar

Some schools include the student's most recent academic grades on the TC; others issue this as a separate school report document.

International Transfer: When Moving from Abroad

For families moving to the UAE from another country, the TC from the previous school should be:

Original (not a photocopy) where possible — or a certified copy
Translated into English or Arabic if issued in another language
Attested if required (some schools request Ministry attestation for documents from certain countries)

If your previous school is in a country where TCs are not standard (e.g., some European countries), a detailed end-of-year report, official transcript, or letter from the school on headed paper confirming the student's grades and final date of attendance will generally be accepted as an equivalent.

What If Your Previous School Refuses to Issue the TC?

If a school in the UAE refuses to issue a TC — most commonly because of a fee dispute — you can:

File a complaint with KHDA (for Dubai schools) or the relevant emirate education authority
Seek legal advice if the fee dispute is genuinely contested and significant

If a school outside the UAE refuses (e.g., the overseas school has closed), contact the new UAE school's admissions office. Most schools have a pragmatic process for handling cases where standard documentation is genuinely unavailable — a statutory declaration or affidavit confirming previous schooling may be acceptable.

Summary

The Transfer Certificate is a non-negotiable step in the UAE school transfer process. Plan ahead: notify the school in writing at least four weeks before your last day, clear all outstanding fees, return school property, and allow 10 working days for the TC to be processed. For international transfers, have your documents translated and ready before arriving in Dubai to avoid delays to your child's school enrolment.