Refund Policy

Key principles of UAE refund law:

If a service is not delivered, is delivered incorrectly, or does not meet the agreed standard, the consumer has a legal right for a refund and may be entitled to:

• Re-performance of the service;
• Partial refund, where some benefit was received; or
• Full refund, where the service was not performed or was materially deficient.

The provider shall return the price to the consumer in the event that the defect or fault is discovered within a period of thirty (30) days from the date that the defect or fault appears, whether it is apparent or hidden. See Article 25.

UAE law does not require businesses to accept refunds merely because the customer changed their mind.

The invoice must be in Arabic, and the provider may add any other language at their discretion. See Federal Law No. (15) of 2020 on Consumer Protection, Article 8.

The data, advertising, and contracts related to the consumer must be in Arabic, and other languages may be used alongside Arabic. See Federal Law No. (15) of 2020 on Consumer Protection, Article 26.

1.1 Definitions

For the purposes of this Refund and Cancellation Policy:

• "Course.Tours" means the Course.Tours platform acting as a marketplace and intermediary between users and independent service providers.
• "Service Provider" means any third-party provider offering services through the Platform, including educational institutions, accommodation providers, visa support partners, transport companies, activity organizers, and other suppliers.
• "Booking" means a reservation, application, purchase, or enrollment made through the Platform for any service offered by a Service Provider.
• "Course Start Date" means the first scheduled day of the booked educational program, regardless of whether the user attends.
• "Refund" means the return of all or part of the amount paid for a service, subject to the terms of this Policy.
• "Force Majeure" means any event beyond the reasonable control of Course.Tours or the relevant Service Provider, including those described in Section 7 of this Policy.
• "Supporting Documentation" means any documents reasonably required to assess a refund request, including proof of payment, identification documents, medical certificates, travel documents, or other relevant evidence.

1.2 General Refund and Cancellation Policy

Course.Tours acts as a marketplace and intermediary between users and independent service providers, including schools, accommodation providers, visa support partners, transport companies, and activity organizers.

By making a booking, the user acknowledges and agrees that:

• Refund eligibility is subject to this Policy and, where applicable, the terms of the relevant Service Provider.
• Certain fees and charges are non-refundable, as specified in the relevant sections of this Policy.
• All refund requests should be submitted directly through Course.Tours via the available support channels listed in this Policy.
• The Platform reserves the right to request supporting documentation before processing any refund request.

2.1 Before School Confirmation

If a booking has not yet been confirmed by the school or educational provider, the user may request cancellation and receive a refund of the amount paid, less any payment processing fees, bank charges, currency conversion fees, and applicable service charges already incurred.

2.2 After School Confirmation and Before Course Start Date

Refund requests must be submitted at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the Course Start Date.

The following amounts are non-refundable:

• Registration fees;
• Enrollment fees;
• Administrative fees;
• Service fees;
• Payment processing fees;
• Bank transfer charges;
• Currency conversion fees;
• Visa fees;
• Insurance fees;
• Courier fees;
• Accommodation placement fees.

Refund requests submitted less than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the Course Start Date are not eligible for a refund, unless otherwise approved at the sole discretion of the educational provider and/or Course.Tours.

2.3 After Course Start Date

Once a course has started, no refund shall be provided.

This applies regardless of:

• Non-attendance;
• Change of personal circumstances;
• Travel disruptions;
• Dissatisfaction not amounting to material non-performance;
• Relocation;
• Visa delays or refusals unrelated to the provider;
• Force majeure events where an alternative delivery method is available.

In exceptional circumstances, the provider may, at its sole discretion:

• Transfer the student to another intake;
• Freeze the course for a future study period;
• Provide a credit voucher;
• Approve a partial refund after deducting completed lessons and incurred costs.

Such decisions remain entirely discretionary.

Accommodation bookings are considered confirmed once accepted by the accommodation provider.

Refunds, amendments, cancellations, no-shows, and early departures are subject to the accommodation provider's policies.

The following may result in partial or full forfeiture of payments:

• Late cancellation;
• Failure to arrive (no-show);
• Early check-out;
• Breach of accommodation rules.

Accommodation deposits, placement fees, booking fees, and costs already committed to third-party suppliers are generally non-refundable.

Course.Tours does not guarantee the issuance or approval of any visa.

Once the visa application process has commenced, the following amounts are strictly non-refundable:

• Government fees;
• Embassy or immigration fees;
• Application processing fees;
• Courier fees;
• Administrative fees.

If a visa application is refused, any refund shall be limited to amounts recoverable from the relevant partner and only where permitted by the provider's policy.

Transfer services may be cancelled subject to the provider's cancellation policy.

Unless otherwise stated by the provider:

• Cancellations made less than seventy-two (72) hours before the scheduled transfer may incur cancellation charges of up to 100%.
• Failure to appear at the designated meeting point (no-show) is non-refundable.

Refund eligibility depends on the organizer's policy.

Unless otherwise specified:

• Cancellations made at least seventy-two (72) hours before the scheduled activity may qualify for a partial refund.
• Cancellations made within seventy-two (72) hours of the activity may be non-refundable.
• No refunds are available after the activity has commenced.

Force majeure includes, but is not limited to:

• War;
• Political unrest;
• Terrorist acts;
• Natural disasters;
• Pandemics;
• Public health emergencies;
• Government restrictions;
• Closure of educational institutions;
• Transportation disruptions;
• Utility failures;
• Any circumstance beyond the reasonable control of Course.Tours or its partners.

Where a force majeure event occurs, Course.Tours and its partners may:

• Move classes online;
• Modify schedules;
• Change instructors;
• Change locations;
• Postpone services;
• Offer alternative delivery methods.

A transition from in-person to online delivery shall not constitute grounds for cancellation, compensation, or refund.

Where educational services continue through an alternative format, the user remains responsible for all fees.

Refunds due to force majeure shall only be considered if the service cannot reasonably be delivered in any form.

If a service is not provided or does not meet the agreed standard, the user may submit a complaint and request a refund within thirty (30) calendar days from the Course Start Date.

Course.Tours will investigate the matter with the relevant provider and may request supporting evidence.

If the claim is validated, one of the following remedies may be offered:

• A replacement service;
• A partial refund, where the service was only partially delivered or where the user has already received and benefited from a portion of the service;
• A full refund, where the service was not provided or the issue cannot be resolved.

Refund requests must be submitted:

• Through the user's account on the Platform via the Support page;
• Through the Contact Us page available on the Platform; or
• Through the official support email at [email protected].

The request must include:

• Booking reference number;
• Service details;
• Date of payment;
• Reason for the request;
• Supporting documentation, where applicable.

Course.Tours reserves the right to reject incomplete requests.

The review and decision process may take up to sixty (60) calendar days.

Once approved:

• Local UAE bank transfers are generally initiated within one to two (1–2) business days;
• International transfers are generally initiated within one to two (1–2) business days.

However, the actual receipt of funds depends on the receiving financial institution and intermediary banks.

Refunds shall be issued:

• To the original payment method; or
• By bank transfer to the original payer if the original payment method is unavailable.

Refunds shall be processed in the same currency used for the original payment.

Course.Tours shall not be responsible for exchange rate fluctuations, intermediary bank fees, payment processor deductions, currency conversion costs, or other charges imposed by financial institutions or third parties and beyond its reasonable control.