Support you can get in the UAE
Some of what your family needs is already paid for by the government. Most parents are never told. Here is what exists, who it is for, and the first step.
Read the “Who this is for” line on each one carefully. A lot of government support in the UAE is for Emirati families only, and most people raising children here are not Emirati. Every entry below says what the official page says about that, including when the page does not say. You should know before you go, not after.
This page covers federal programmes, the ones run from the national ministries. Each emirate also runs its own, and those are often the bigger piece. It is worth checking what your own emirate offers too.
We do not run any of these programmes and we cannot get you a place on one. Who qualifies and what is available does change, so each one below shows when we last checked it and links to the official page.
Getting recognised
People of Determination Card
Also called POD Card
- What it gives you
- A free ID card that confirms your child's disability status to government bodies. The UAE calls this group "people of determination" rather than "people with disabilities," and the card is described as the key that unlocks the rights and services set out for them under Federal Law No. 29 of 2006.
- Who it is for
- The ministry's page says the applicant must be an Emirati citizen or a legal resident of the UAE — so a residency visa is enough; you don't need citizenship. Your child also needs a medical report (for a physical or sensory disability) or a psychological report (for something like autism, ADHD, an intellectual disability, or a learning difficulty), issued by an accredited official authority.
- What it costs
- Free.
- How to start
- Apply through the ministry's online e-services portal, linked from the page below. The ministry says the form takes about 5 minutes to fill in, and the card itself is delivered within 7 working days.
- What to take with you
- A medical or psychological report from an accredited official authority confirming the disability, and a passport-sized photo on a white background.
- Who runs it
- Ministry of Family, under Federal Law No. 29 of 2006
Read the official page
Checked 7 September 2026.
Getting therapy and early support
Registration in People of Determination care and rehabilitation centres and early intervention units
- What it gives you
- A place for your child in a government Early Intervention Unit in early childhood. The ministry describes this as educational, therapeutic and rehabilitation support. From age 5, a child can register at a rehabilitation centre instead, which the ministry says also runs guidance and support programmes for the family.
- Who it is for
- The page sets out who this is for by the child’s needs, not by nationality: children with developmental delays, and children at risk of disability. It states no citizenship or residency rule, and it does not say residents are excluded. One document requirement does turn on nationality. If your child’s Emirati nationality comes through their mother, you are asked for their birth certificate and the mother’s passport or ID. Beyond that the page is silent, so we cannot tell you how it is applied in practice.
- What it costs
- Free.
- How to start
- Apply through the ministry’s online portal, linked from the page below. The ministry says the form takes about 5 minutes, and a place is delivered within 15 working days.
- What to take with you
- A copy of a medical report, if you have one. A personal photo. Your child’s People of Determination Card, unless you are only registering for an Early Intervention Unit, which does not need the card. And if your child’s Emirati nationality comes through their mother, their birth certificate and the mother’s passport or ID.
- Who runs it
- Ministry of Family (Al Usra), under Federal Law No. 29 of 2006
Read the official page
Checked 11 September 2026.
Money and equipment
Social Welfare Programme — assistance for people of determination
- What it gives you
- Monthly financial assistance for a family raising a child of determination, alongside broader family support like housing assistance. If your child has a disability and is under 21, the ministry waives the usual age and employment conditions applied to other applicants, so a low family income on its own can be enough.
- Who it is for
- This one is for UAE citizens only. The ministry's page requires the applicant to be a UAE citizen with permanent residency, with family income and assets below limits it sets. It doesn't mention residents or expatriate families at all — if that's your family, this particular programme doesn't offer a path in.
- What it costs
- Free — it's a payment to your family, not something you pay for.
- How to start
- Apply through UAE Pass, or by creating an account on the Ministry of Community Empowerment website, and submit the application with the required documents. The ministry says it aims to process applications within 21 working days.
- What to take with you
- Emirates ID, salary certificates for the household head and any spouse, a medical report no older than 6 months if you're applying on the grounds of disability, and proof of your housing situation.
- Who runs it
- Ministry of Community Empowerment (MOCE), under Cabinet Resolution No. 23 of 2024 on Social Support and Empowerment
Read the official page
Checked 7 September 2026.
School
Inclusive Education Policy for People of Determination
Also called School for All
- What it gives you
- A set of things schools are required to provide for a child of determination: physical access such as ramps and accessible toilets and transport; specialist staff including special education teachers, sign language interpreters, speech specialists and psychologists; an individual assessment by a multi-specialist team; a personal education plan; support like speech therapy, Braille instruction and help managing behaviour; and equipment like magnifiers, listening systems and communication devices. In government schools, the ministry says all of this is provided free.
- Who it is for
- The ministry's own page on this policy doesn't mention citizenship or residency at all. What it does say plainly is that a child's disability isn't by itself a reason to be turned away from enrolling in any school, government or private.
- What it costs
- The ministry says these support services are provided free in government schools. It doesn't say whether a private school can charge extra for them.
- How to start
- The ministry's page doesn't lay out a step-by-step enrolment process. What it does point to is enrolling your child directly at a government or private school, and asking that school to connect you with its support centre — the ministry says these centres handle assessment and follow-up for students of determination, both before and after they join.
- Who runs it
- Ministry of Education (MoE), under Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 and Ministerial Resolution No. 647 of 2020
Read the official page
Checked 7 September 2026.
If you're told no
We looked for a federal way to complain and could not find one we could verify. Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 sets out the rights of people of determination, but the official pages about it do not give you a way to complain when those rights are not met. Each emirate runs its own community development authority, and that is the more likely place to ask.
