The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) is willing to
consider teachers with spouses and dependent children for their
posts. However, teachers must be fully aware of the significant
personal and financial implications of these posts before
proceeding.
Timing and location
Teachers with families must be prepared to have their
families arrive 6 weeks after their own arrival for two very
important reasons. Firstly, residency visas for teachers'
dependents can only be processed once the teacher is in Abu
Dhabi, and these visas can take up to 6 weeks to obtain.
Secondly, because all teachers in the programme are not
allocated to specific schools until arrival, it will not be
possible to arrange international school places ahead of time
and therefore the 6 week delay in arrival will enable the
teacher to find the most suitable nearby school for their
children. Whilst in the past, most teachers with dependent
children have been allocated to Al Ain schools where
accommodation is more spacious and the lifestyle more family
friendly than Abu Dhabi city or rural locations, teachers will
not know for certain where they are placed and housed until
arrival.
1. Unmarried partners
Because it is illegal for unmarried couples to live together
in the UAE, teachers with unmarried partners will not be
considered for these posts.
2. Married partners
ADEC will consider teachers who have married partners.
Married partners will be entitled to flights and to live in the
housing provided by ADEC for their teachers.
3. Dependent children
ADEC will consider teachers with dependent children under
the age of 18. Up to 2 accompanying dependent children will be
entitled to flights and to live in the housing provided by ADEC
for their teachers. Expatriate children are not eligible to
attend state schools in Abu Dhabi, so teachers with dependent
children must put their children into international schools.
The cost of these schools varies but most teachers should
expect to pay between 40,000 - 55,000 AED/annum per child. ADEC
is not responsible to help teachers find schooling for their
dependent children; therefore the teacher must take full
responsibility for research, selection, payment and enrolment
of their children into a school of their choice.
4. Pets
The Middle East is not a "pet friendly" location, and the
Licensed teacher programme is no exception. ADEC will not
consider teachers who have pets.
5. Medical issues
Medical coverage is provided to teachers working in the
Licensed teacher programme and this medical coverage includes
regular healthcare within the Gulf States as well as emergency
coverage worldwide. However, teachers with pre-existing medical
conditions may not be covered and so should notify their
recruiter for more specific information. In addition, as a
condition of residency for all UAE residency visas, tests for
Hepatitis, HIV and tuberculosis will be undertaken and
individuals with these conditions will be deported.