Three lists, three different answers
If you search for IELTS in Dubai you will find several lists, and they do not match. IDP lists its own venues on its UAE site. The ielts.org finder lists venues of both test providers. The UK government publishes a separate list of venues approved for IELTS for UKVI. This page reads the three together so you know what each one can tell you.
The official pages below were read on 1 November 2026. Venue lists and session lists change, so open the linked finder before you plan a journey. This page gives no exam fee amounts and no test dates; the providers set and change them.
What IDP lists
IDP's UAE test dates page said "Showing 55 test centres in UAE" for the whole country. It has a city filter (Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Sharjah) and a box to show only One Skill Retake centres.
- IDP IELTS Dubai is on the 7th floor of The One Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, Tecom, at Dubai Internet City Metro Station. IDP marks it "One Skill Retake available". IDP's Dubai page also says the centre is directly connected to that station (Red Line).
- Other Dubai-named entries sit in areas such as Academic City, Knowledge Park, Deira, Al Rigga, Al Barsha, Al Qusais and near Burjuman Metro Station. Many carry no label; several carry the One Skill Retake label.
- A name is not an address. One entry named for Dubai has an address in Dibba, in the emirate of Fujairah.
On the Dubai session list, sessions for the main IDP location carry the label "Accessible IELTS test centre". The page does not explain what that covers, so ask IDP what you need. The sessions showed IELTS on computer, Writing on paper for some sessions at the main IDP location, and IELTS for UKVI (Academic and General Training). The page showed no online format.
What the ielts.org finder lists
The ielts.org test centre finder for the UAE showed dozens of listings with Dubai as the city. Most are British Council venues, labelled Computer and One Skill Retake, and several appear more than once. They are spread across:
- Oud Metha: the Dubai British Council office, Tariq Bin Ziad Street, behind Dubai TV;
- Academic City and Knowledge Village;
- Business Bay and Al Twar;
- Deira, Al Garhoud and Al Nahda;
- Sheikh Zayed Road.
The finder also shows IDP IELTS Dubai (Main Location) with Computer, Computer (Writing on Paper), One Skill Retake and UKVI Approved. The Dubai British Council office has a listing tagged Computer (Writing on Paper). Some listings called "IDP IELTS Dubai - ..." have addresses in Sharjah, Ajman or Fujairah, so read the address, not the title.
The UKVI list
The UK government's October 2026 list of approved test centres outside the UK names three IELTS venues in Dubai: the British Council office on Tariq Bin Ziyad Street, a British Council venue in Dubai International Academic City, and IDP IELTS Dubai. Other providers' centres in Dubai also appear on that list, but they are not IELTS. For the rules on UKVI tests see IELTS for UKVI in the UAE.
| Source | What it is good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| IDP UAE page | IDP venues, addresses, sessions | Venue names that do not match their address |
| ielts.org finder | Both providers' venues and labels | Repeated listings for one venue |
| UK government list | Which venues are approved for UKVI | Not a list of all IELTS venues |
How to read a venue listing
- Find the provider that runs the session, IDP or British Council. You book and pay through that provider.
- Read the street address and the nearest metro station, not just the venue name.
- Check the format on the session itself: computer, Writing on paper or UKVI. ielts.org says Writing on Paper will be available in selected countries from mid-2026 and is not available for IELTS for UKVI; check the provider's session page for whether your venue offers it.
- If you need a One Skill Retake, filter for it; see IELTS One Skill Retake in the UAE.
- Keep the same ID you booked with for the test day; see Emirates ID or passport.
The lists disagree on purpose or by accident: they are kept by different bodies. When two sources differ, trust the booking page of the provider you are paying, and ask them before travelling.
Other pages on this
For the computer format see computer-delivered IELTS in Dubai and the UAE. For Al Ain venues see IELTS in Al Ain. To move or cancel a booking see moving or cancelling your test.
How lessons with Mike can help with this
Band Booster IELTS does not run a test centre, register candidates or set fees. What it offers is preparation: one-to-one lessons with Mike, a CELTA-certified teacher in Hanoi with 8.5 in Speaking, live on Google Meet, in English. Mike marks Writing Task 1 and Task 2 against the public band descriptors and runs Speaking Parts 1 to 3 in the real format. The booking calendar shows each slot in your own time. Details are on the Dubai tutor page, and you can book a lesson when you are ready. Under-18 students need a parent or guardian to agree to a short consent letter before the booking is made.
