German-Language Schools in Dubai

A child may speak German with a grandparent every week and still find it hard to explain a calculation or write a history answer in German. Another child may have spent their whole school life in Germany and want to keep the same curriculum after a move to Dubai. Both families are looking for German at school. The choice depends on whether they need German as the main language of instruction, as one of two classroom languages, or as a subject within another curriculum.

German International School Dubai, usually called DISD, offers the Thuringian curriculum and the German International Abitur in Dubai Academic City. Swiss International Scientific School Dubai, or SISD, offers an English–German pathway within the International Baccalaureate at its Al Jaddaf campus. The distinction matters most in secondary school. At that point a family needs to know which subjects a child will study in German, what the school expects at entry and which certificate the child can earn.

Compare the German routes

KHDA gave both schools a Very Good overall judgement in its published 2023–24 cycle. Compare the two schools by the curriculum and language of instruction first. The inspection rating and the qualification answer different questions. KHDA inspection results

German International School Dubai for the Thuringian curriculum and Abitur

DISD teaches from kindergarten through Grade 12 in Dubai Academic City. It follows the curriculum of Thuringia, with German as the main classroom language. Germany’s Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, known as the KMK, lists DISD among its recognised German schools abroad. The school lists Hauptschulabschluss, Realschulabschluss and the German International Abitur among its qualifications. If your child is transferring from a German school and already has a particular track, ask how DISD places a student with that report and what the route to the intended certificate would look like. DISD registration overview · DISD school FAQ · KMK list of German schools abroad · KHDA inspection report

For a child who has learned German mostly at home, the placement assessment matters. The school’s FAQ says a kindergarten applicant generally does not take an entrance test, although a language check may be requested from age four. It describes an assessment for Grade 1 and a placement test for Grades 2–10. The placement page explains that the school tests German and maths at the student’s current grade level. Bring a recent school report and ask what the child should expect at the assessment, especially if they have learned the same maths in English or have never taken a school test in German. DISD placement assessment · DISD admissions FAQ

There are different forms of language support. DISD’s primary programme describes free German-as-a-foreign-language support in class and in small groups. Its secondary teaching page describes building German vocabulary and expression through subject lessons. The admissions FAQ separately says an assessment can lead to compulsory paid remedial teaching. Ask the school which provision your child would receive, which sessions happen during the normal timetable and whether a charge is written into the offer. The distinction matters if the child follows spoken German easily but needs help reading or writing at their grade level. DISD primary language support · DISD German in secondary subject teaching · DISD admissions FAQ

For a younger child, ask what support looks like in an ordinary lesson. DISD describes kindergarten language development through activities such as play, singing and storytelling, alongside targeted support where needed. In primary, the school describes the language team working with class teachers on words and tasks children already meet in lessons. On a visit, ask how a child learning to read in German would work through a new story, or how a teacher helps a pupil make sense of the vocabulary in a word problem. Those examples tell you more about the transition than a general description of immersion. DISD kindergarten language development · DISD primary language support

The last two years require particular planning. DISD says it considers Grade 11 admission only when the student’s subject combination matches what it teaches. The FAQ describes an interview with the head of upper school for that entry. It also says the school does not take new students in Grade 12, when its students sit the Abitur. If a relocation could happen in either year, send the subjects and anticipated start date as early as possible. A student whose family is still deciding when to move should find out whether arriving earlier gives them a workable path. DISD admissions FAQ · DISD German International Abitur

The 2026–27 table gives AED 45,730 for Grades 1–4, AED 57,854 for Grade 5, AED 62,656 for Grades 6–10 and AED 73,227 for Grades 11–12. It lists AED 525 for a new application and an enrolment deposit credited to tuition. The Grade 6 KHDA sheet lists optional transport at AED 8,500–11,900 and gives separate ranges for uniform and digital devices. The same dated school schedule lists AED 4,800 for its kindergarten German-as-a-foreign-or-second-language provision. Ask whether the kindergarten fee, included primary support or separately charged remedial teaching applies to the child’s actual grade and offer. DISD 2026–27 school fee table · DISD grade-by-grade KHDA fee sheets

DISD’s Instagram shared a post about Grade 4 pupils taking part in Poetry for All. If your child enjoys reading aloud or performing, ask which similar activities run in their grade and what languages students use in them.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai for English–German bilingual IB

SISD is in Dubai Healthcare City Phase 2 in Al Jaddaf. In early years and primary, it describes an English–German bilingual option alongside its other pathways. In the Middle Years Programme, the published English–German pathway includes language and literature in both languages, with German used to teach two additional subjects. Ask what those subjects are in your child’s year and whether the same mix continues the following year. A student who wants to keep German for literature and learn science in English needs a more specific answer than the name of the pathway. SISD campus location · SISD bilingual education · SISD Middle Years pathways

The early-years and primary choice is also about how much of the day you want your child to spend learning in German. The school’s primary page describes co-teaching in the bilingual streams. Its English route teaches through English and offers German or French as an additional language. Ask to see the difference using a topic your child enjoys. For example, a child interested in plants might learn to describe observations in German as part of a bilingual class. On the English route, the same child would use English for the main lesson and encounter German in language learning. Ask what the school expects a pupil to be able to do in German by the end of the year. SISD primary pathways

The school describes age-appropriate admissions assessments and says in-year admission depends on availability in the chosen pathway and grade. Its published admissions policy, dated May 2025, gives indicative German requirements by age. It describes entry without a specific German requirement for Pre-KG and KG1, basic understanding and speaking for KG2 and Grade 1, and stronger German for later bilingual entry. The same policy describes English requirements for older pupils. Confirm the current assessment with admissions for the intended year, particularly if your child is fluent in German but has had little schooling in English. SISD entry requirements · SISD published admissions policy

At Diploma Programme level, the IB’s own listing includes German language and literature, German B and beginner German among subjects in which pupils are registered. SISD also describes a route to the IB bilingual diploma. Ask the school which German options run for the cohort and what subject combination would qualify for the bilingual diploma. The IB explains that one way to earn the bilingual diploma is to take two courses in studies in language and literature in different languages and meet the relevant grade requirements. Its other route involves qualifying results in a language and literature course and in an eligible subject taken in a different language. For a teenager planning German A alongside English A, ask which levels the school offers and whether both courses fit with the other subjects. There is a big difference between studying literature in German and taking German as an additional language, even if both choices allow the student to keep using German at school. A family choosing a final subject list should also ask which courses are taught in English. IB school and subject listing · SISD Diploma Programme · IB bilingual diploma criteria

SISD’s 2026–27 day-school fee table lists AED 91,823 for bilingual Grades 1–4 and AED 104,247 for Grades 6–8. Its detailed schedule shows the Grade 6 figure after a community discount of AED 4,795 on approved tuition of AED 109,042. Grades 11–12 are listed at AED 118,400 per year on the day schedule. Books and internal after-school activities are listed as included. Transport, uniforms and IB or BTEC registration fees appear separately. Ask for the day-school quote with your child’s pathway named on it, especially if you have another schedule that shows the approved fee before the discount. SISD 2026–27 fees · Detailed SISD fee schedule

SISD’s Instagram shared a KG1 visit from a beekeeper at the start of a unit of inquiry. If you are comparing bilingual early years, ask the teacher how the children would discuss that kind of topic in both languages and how a newcomer would join the conversation.

Decide which route your child needs

If you expect to return to Germany while your child is still in school, give the current and prospective schools the child’s most recent report and the return date you are working towards. Ask about the grade, subjects and track they would rejoin. That helps separate language continuity from curriculum continuity. A child may keep using German in an IB programme and still be covering a different sequence of topics from a class in Germany. If the return date is uncertain, ask what records the Dubai school can provide after one or two terms.

If your teenager wants to study in Germany after graduation, start with the qualification and work back to the subject choices. The KMK describes the German International Abitur as conferring the general higher education entrance qualification. It treats recognition of the IB Diploma under a separate agreement with conditions, including subject requirements. When discussing the IB, bring the proposed Higher Level and Standard Level courses to the counsellor and check them against the current rules and the institution’s requirements. Speaking German and choosing a bilingual diploma are useful parts of that discussion. The actual course list determines what options you can check. KMK on German schools abroad · KMK IB Diploma recognition agreement

Ask each campus for a proposed week if your child could realistically enter either route. Look at which languages they will read in, where they will write longer answers and when any extra support happens. Then compare the same grade and start date. For Grade 6, the two published tuition amounts differ by AED 41,591 before transport, personal supplies or any extra support. Test the actual school run as well. Academic City and Al Jaddaf can mean very different mornings for two households with the same tuition budget.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child apply if they speak German but have studied in English?

Yes, they can enquire. At DISD, prepare for the school to assess German and maths at the relevant stage. At SISD, ask for the requirements of the English–German route in that grade. Give admissions examples of what your child can already read, write and explain in German so the discussion starts with how they will learn in class.

Is the German International Abitur the same as a bilingual IB Diploma?

They are separate qualifications. DISD’s German International Abitur belongs to the German school system. At SISD, the bilingual diploma is an award within the IB Diploma Programme. If university in Germany is a possibility, ask a counsellor to look at the exact qualification and course combination before the student commits to their final subjects. KMK qualification guidance

Can we transfer in the last year?

Check before setting a move date. DISD says Grade 12 admission is unavailable, and it checks subject combinations for Grade 11. For a student already in an IB programme who wants to move to SISD, share the exact subjects, levels and work completed so the school can assess whether there is a workable place. DISD admissions FAQ · SISD entry requirements