Undersecretary of Ministry of Education and Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi and Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Affairs Omar Abdulaziz Al Naama with other officials during the launch of new admission guideline.
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has launched the second edition of the 2026 guidance document regulating student admission and registration procedures in private schools and kindergartens.
Issued by the Private Schools Licensing Department, the updated document introduces a comprehensive set of regulatory frameworks governing admissions, transfers, and student records across all private educational institutions in Qatar.
The new edition incorporates several key updates, most notably the adoption of a unified timeline for registration and student transfers, the expansion of exceptions to ensure greater flexibility and fairness, the regulation of student withdrawal procedures, and strengthened controls for admitting students with disabilities and learning difficulties.
It also allows, under specific conditions, students to transfer between certain curricula without grade demotion, addressing the needs of students and parents while maintaining academic standards.
The announcement was made during a press conference held at the Ministry’s headquarters, attended by Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; Omar Abdulaziz Al Naama, Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Affairs; and Dr. Rania Mohammed, Director of the Private Schools and Kindergartens Department and Acting Director of Private Schools Licensing Department, along with ministry officials, school license holders, and administrators.
In his remarks, Dr. Al Nuaimi emphasised that Qatar’s education sector continues to witness steady development, reflected in the quality of educational services and the efficiency of systems and procedures aligned with international best practices. He noted the consistent increase in student enrollment across schools, universities, and educational institutions nationwide.
Dr. Al Nuaimi highlighted the critical importance of accurate and reliable data in supporting effective decision-making, managing school capacity, facilitating admissions and transfers, and ensuring that students receive appropriate educational support based on their needs.
Dr. Rania Mohammed presented an overview of the updated guide, describing it as a comprehensive regulatory framework and an official reference for all private schools in Qatar. She stressed that the guide represents a strategic step toward unifying and clarifying procedures, ensuring equal opportunities for students, and streamlining registration and transfer processes in line with approved laws and regulations.
Dr. Mohammed said that the guide clearly defines admission age requirements for each educational stage, outlines required documentation, and details procedures for registration, transfer, and student withdrawal. It also addresses exceptional cases under clearly defined criteria and includes approved equivalency tables for grade placement across different curricula.
She said that its scope covers all private schools and kindergartens in Qatar, including those following the Qatari curriculum, international schools, embassy schools, and institutions offering special education and learning support programs.
Dr. Mohammed said that the guide is built on core principles such as equal opportunity, adherence to school capacity limits, accurate student data documentation within the national system, and institutional accountability in implementing procedures.
Regarding embassy schools, she said that the document takes into account their unique nature while ensuring compliance with the national regulatory framework, balancing the preservation of educational identity with adherence to quality and discipline standards, and safeguarding students’ rights and academic continuity.
The updated guide introduces a range of facilitations and exceptions, including students transferring from outside Qatar under the same or equivalent curriculum, who may be admitted based on their last academic certificate, regardless of age, provided they pass the school’s admission test and receive approval.
Similarly, students transferring within Qatar under the same or equivalent curriculum may also be enrolled based on their latest academic record, regardless of age, subject to passing admission requirements.
Students arriving without certified academic certificates are granted a two-month grace period to complete attestation procedures. If certification is not possible, decisions are referred exclusively to the Private Schools Licensing Department after evaluating the academic program.
Students on a visit visa are given two months to obtain residency, extendable by an additional two months. In cases where a student’s ID card has expired, parents are granted a two-month grace period to renew it upon signing a formal commitment.
For students holding online education certificates, enrollment is subject to approval by the Licensing Department after verifying the accreditation of the learning program.
Additionally, students transitioning at the kindergarten or preparatory level from the British curriculum to the American system (or equivalent) may be enrolled without grade demotion, provided their age aligns with the required level. This applies from the start of the academic year until the end of September.
According to the current guidance document, the Ministry has outlined a unified timeline for student registration and transfers in private schools and kindergartens:
The registration mechanism is announced to parents in the second week of December, followed by the start of application submissions in the first week of March.
Registration remains open throughout the academic year, subject to available vacancies, while enrollment for students arriving from outside the country continues until the end of the last week of May. Requests for grade repetition are accepted until the end of September of the academic year.
Transfers between different curricula are permitted until the end of January, whereas transfers within the same curriculum are allowed until the end of February.
The updated guide also strengthens regulations governing the admission of students with disabilities and learning difficulties, including adjustments to the maximum age limits for admission across all educational stages to better accommodate their needs.
Ali Jassim Al Kuwari, Academic Advisor at the Office of the Undersecretary, presented the Compulsory Education Enrollment Platform. The platform aims to streamline student registration across all educational stages through an integrated digital system.
He explained that the platform aligns with Law No. (25) of 2001 on compulsory education, guaranteeing every child’s right to education for both citizens and residents. It is designed to simplify and unify registration procedures while accommodating the needs of diverse student groups.
