UAE legalises private tuition; authorities announced a new permit to offer lessons outside educational institutions

The UAE has legalised private tuition, and new permits to provide instruction outside of schools have been announced by the government. Those eligible to apply for the permission include registered teachers, people with employment, jobless people, students in school between the ages of 15 and 18, and university students.

Applicants are not charged for the two-year permit. If someone is discovered giving private lessons without permission, they risk fines and other consequences. In the past, private tutoring was prohibited in the United Arab Emirates, and offenders faced steep fines.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) and the MoHRE together launched the permit to reduce unlicensed private tuition. All the information on the private tutor license is provided here. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization's (MoHRE) web channels are where qualified candidates may submit a request for permission. Applicants can locate the "Private Teacher Work Permit" under the "Services" option on the ministry's website.

The two-year permission is given out without charge. "As long as they sign a 'code of conduct' document approved by the ministry, this allows qualified individuals... who are granted the permit to offer private lessons and generate direct income," the MoHRE stated. "Fines and penalties" will be imposed on those who provide private instruction without government permission. The ministry did not outline the punishments or the amounts of the fines.

Documents needed to get a private tutor licence:

Depending on who is applying, different conditions apply. These are some of the essential documents:

• Valid UAE residency (passport/Emirates ID)
• Photo with white background
• Signed declaration
• Experience certificate (if any)
• Certificate of good conduct
• No-objection certificate from the employer
• No-objection certificate from the guardian (for students looking to offer private tuitions)
• Certificate of good conduct

Beneficial features of the new license:

• As per the new law, licensed tutors can work from their home countries, if they have a valid residency.
• A single license covers both - online and in-person tutoring.
• There is no cap on the number of students a private tutor can teach.
• According to the ministry, it takes one to five working days for the permit to be issued.
• The applicant can submit another request after six months in case the application gets denied.