The United Arab Emirates has launched a Teaching License Certificate (TLS) which is mandatory for all educators in the country. Once you join your school you will have up to 3 months to apply and obtain this license based on your position.
Teachers may be required to complete additional professional development courses or certifications specific to the UAE's educational standards and curriculum.
Step by Step Guide to Getting your TLS
Document Attestation (Pre-Step 1 & Step 3): Your degree and transcripts and teaching license (if you have it) must be notarised and fully attested by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and UAE Embassy, where the document originally comes from. This is a MANDATORY part of the process and the cost for this must be borne by the employee.
Please Note: Attested documents is not required to start Step 1 below. It is required for Step 3, but as this process takes time, we HIGHLY advise to start this process ASAP to avoid delays in the UAE Teacher License process.
Step 1 - Can be done Inside or Outside of the UAE
UAE Pass: Download the
UAE Pass (
android |
iPhone) app and make an account. This will speed up registering on other UAE government portals and services.
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If you are in the UAE and have your Emirates ID, use your EID to register.
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If you are outside of the UAE and do not hold the Emirates ID, you can still register.
Step 2 - Can be done Inside or Outside of the UAE
Degree Verification Process: As part of the requirement to teach in the United Arab Emirates, you will be required to verify your qualification(s). to start the process you need to register an account on
https://moe.dfgateway.com.
Once you successfully register and apply for degree verification, you have to wait for 30 days to get verified depending on the process, so you have to check the status from time to time as they might require additional documents. You can check the status here
Important: Attested documents are NOT needed for this stage.
Step 3 - Can be done Inside or Outside of the UAE
Document Equalisation - After getting verified by dataflow, you have to proceed to “Stage 2” in the Dataflow platform.
Step 4 - Inside the UAE only
Teacher Licensing System (TLS) Registration - You can only do this stage when you have your Emirates ID. Please note that all teaching staff members and administration are required to register for a Professional Teaching License. If you were registered in a previous school in UAE, kindly check and update your profile. New staff members who have their Emirates ID must proceed with the registration process below.
Important: The deadline to complete this process is within 3 (three) months of your joining date with the employer (Mandatory MoE requirement)
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Registration Link >> Click TLS Registration to start the registration (check the registration video guide that shows the steps on how to use the registration system)
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TLS Pin Code: Your Employer should issue you a TLS pin code to register. If you do not have this, please ask your Employer/Future Employer.
Step 5
Equivalency Evaluation:
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The UAE MOE will evaluate the submitted documents to determine their equivalency to UAE standards.
Step 6
Additional Requirements:
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If the Moe is unsure and requires further information you may be asked for additional documents, such as language proficiency tests, medical examinations, and background checks.
Step 7
Receive Equivalency Certificate:
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Once the evaluation process is complete, you will receive an UAE Equivalency Certificate that confirms your qualifications are recognised in the UAE.
Conclusion
Obtaining UAE MOE teacher equivalency is essential for foreign teachers seeking to work in the UAE's educational system. It ensures that their qualifications meet the required UAE education standards, thereby maintaining the quality of education in the country. The process involves thorough verification and attestation of academic and professional credentials, as well as meeting specific health, language, and background criteria.
