The Ultimate Guide to Moving to United Arab Emirates

Some Facts to Remember Before Moving to United Arab Emirates

As if preparing to live overseas isn’t hard enough with all the packing and booking the perfect overseas moving company, there’s also the tiny responsibility of learning anything and everything about the destination (or, as many would say – “doing your homework.”)

Is UAE one of the friendliest countries in the world? Do they speak English? Is it worth moving to Dubai? It’s normal to have questions, so let’s start with the most basic facts:

• The country is located on the Arabian peninsula, in the southwestern region of Asia,
• It’s a monarchy system formed from a federation of seven emirates. They are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain. An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a monarch or high official of the Muslim world,
• The nation has 9,8 million residents,
• The capital is Abu Dhabi, while Dubai is the largest city,
• The country gained independence from the British in 1971,
• Abu Dhabi holds 95% of the country’s oil reserves and 92% of the gas reserves,
• The official language is Arabic, but English is frequently used in tourist areas,
• The official currency is the Emirati dirham, which is labeled as AED ($1 = 3,67 AED)
• The official religion is Islam, and 76% of the population practice it, while 12% is Christian (the reason might be the many expats in the country)
• The country has a dominant desert climate. The summer temperatures can reach 113 °F while the winters are mild, with an average of 50 to 57 °F.

What’s It Like to Live in the UAE?

While many people wonder is the United Arab Emirates safe to live in, others worry about what to pack when moving internationally to one of the hottest places on Earth. Don’t even think about the possible ways to break the language barrier, or you’ll panic. However, these things are all solvable. Some aspects of the UAE might baffle you, while others are simply traditions you have to follow no matter where you’re from.

While you can see the influence of Islam on the people’s lifestyle, there are also differences between each emirate, and some are more intertwined with modernity than others. Dubai’s police force patrols areas in Lamborghinis and has a major fleet of exotic and luxury vehicles in their garages. On the other side, modesty when celebrating an Islamic holiday is vital.

For example, Abu Dhabi is the political powerhouse of the nation but pretty quiet and conservative. On the other hand, Dubai is a wealth-flaunting party central. Still, it doesn’t mean the former wouldn’t be fun to live in or that the latter wouldn’t be conservative from time to time.

Helpful Tips for Surviving the First Few Weeks in the United Arab Emirates

The most important thing, wherever you decide to move, is to respect the locals and their customs. Since Islam heavily influences Emirati culture, dress codes and alcohol consumption are things to look out for the most. In Sharjah, alcohol is completely outlawed, while in the areas with more expats, you can get boozed up in only certain clubs and restaurants; even then, being evidently under the influence could get you in trouble on the streets.

If you enter mosques, make sure you’re not wearing any revealing clothing – long sleeves and pants are most recommended. If you’re moving abroad for love, then you and your partner would have to be married before being able to live together. The policy on unwed opposite-sex couples is quite strict. If you’re a fan of PDA, it’s best to curb that habit while residing here.

There are numerous expat communities in the country, so you may be able to get away from the duties of learning a language abroad. However, if you show the locals you’re willing to accept their culture and customs, learning vital phrases will put you on their good side. While the more glamorous places show evident progress (sometimes overtly,) they’re still guided by traditional values that shouldn’t be tested.

Visa Requirements for Moving to UAE

Moving to UAE from the USA requires preparation, which means you’ll need documents for traveling abroad that are vital for any international trip. If you’ve never learned how to move overseas and be an expat, now is the time. The most important thing you need is a valid passport.

To obtain a visa, you’ll need to have employment secured first. There are possibilities to apply for a self-employment or freelancer visa, too, but the processes are much more complicated than for a straightforward work permit. Before getting that taken care of, you’ll need to obtain an entry permit called a pink card. The pink card can be sponsored by your work, hotel, or a resident family member.

The work permits last anywhere between one and ten years. To get the work visa going, it’s required to obtain an entry visa, Emirate ID card, and residence visa. The work card, or labor card, will be listed in your residence permit once it’s issued.

If you wish to travel with family, you’ll be happy to hear most employers are willing to secure entry permits for the employees’ immediate family members as well. However, before you rely on that information, you must ask the employers some questions about relocating.

How to Become a Permanent Resident as an Expat in the UAE

Until as recently as 2019, people were only able to wonder, “can I move to the United Arab Emirates” but now, they can actually do it, too. However, it’s only the select few that can get into it long-term. Long-term stay visas are issued for periods between five and ten years and exclusively to investors and entrepreneurs. The good part is that you can become one of them while relocating overseas if you apply for a self-employment permit.

You can get sponsored by your company on the territory, and they usually also take care of all the paperwork. The fastest and easiest ways to be eligible for permanent residency are:

• Having secure and permanent employment,
• To have purchased real estate valued at at least 1 million AED (around $275,000)
• Registering a company within an emirate or a free zone.

One requirement is a mandatory health checkup upon applying for permanent residency, and it has to be done within the territory. Some specific parts of the health check process are blood tests and x-rays.

High-Quality Health and Education Are Available at Every Step

Living in a new home doesn’t just mean renting a place and going to work. It’s always so much more than that because, to have a good quality of life, there should be good services available. Suppose you’re traveling with kids and wondering is the United Arab Emirates a good place to live with children. Considering the fantastic quality of the health and education services, we could say that it might be one of the best countries to live in.

When the time comes to keep in touch with friends, you can brag all about how great the medical services are in your new home.

You Can Be Very Healthy – For a Fee

The Emirati nation boasts one of the ten most efficient healthcare systems in the world, according to research from 2018. Modern hospitals and medical facilities are available for every expat and local, which seems more important now when we’re relocating during the coronavirus.

However, when you want to live in another country like the Emirati nation, you should remember that none of it actually comes for free. Locals can enjoy the brand new medical facilities, but to maintain good health as an expat, you’d have to pay a bit extra on top of the treatment.

An interesting fact is that expats flock to Dubai’s hospitals for so-called “medical tourism,” and private clinics usually have foreign employees and speak fluent English. This is why most expats prefer to pay for private health insurance while living in the UAE.

Kids Can (and Should) Attend Any School They Like

An important point on the checklist for moving overseas is your children’s education. Besides an excellent medical system, the UAE is one of the best places to live abroad because of its education system. However, it might not surprise you at all to hear that, while local children reap the benefits of education for free, expat children can attend any school available for a fee.

Because of the imposed incentives on all expats, most pick to enroll their kids into private or international schools. That isn’t always a bad thing, though, as the Emirati nation always gives as much as is paid for, meaning there won’t be a lack of quality education or qualified teachers to provide only the best for your little ones.

Each Emirate Offers Very Different Living Experiences

Making one of the cities in this exciting nation your home will be one of the harder tasks for relocation day preparations. All of them offer different experiences, and a lot depends on your lifestyle and needs.

Settling in Dubai will very often mean glamorous shopping trips, but also – no taxes. Working there has its perks, as you’ll get to keep everything you make. Because it provides new opportunities to glam up and live rich at every step, it attracts an array of expats and tourists alike; this makes it less conservative than other places in the Middle East. However, because everything’s so glam, the housing prices are, too.

Similarly, Abu Dhabi offers great opportunities for expats, digital nomads, and professionals from various cultures to settle and become new citizens without getting taxed. It’s the political and economic center of the nation, but with fewer Western-style entertainment areas and slightly more conservative. This city seems to be an actual test of how to live abroad and slightly out of the comfort zone.

An emirate that shouldn’t be excluded from your list of possible international destinations to call home is Sharjah. It’s pretty affordable and very safe, and the ratio of income and expenses is quite good. The only thing people complain about there is the poor air quality and not having much to do during free time.

The Costs of Living In Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah

The girl in the video below presents a detailed overview of the costs of living in Emirati cities and areas. It may provide more information and insight into how much to invest when relocating.

How to Move to the UAE Efficiently? With the Help of an International Moving Company, Of Course

Shipping overseas for the purpose of relocating across the world is tough to do on your own. That’s why we feel that international relocation services of an overseas shipping company aren’t only a surefire way to reduce stress during relocation, but also to save up. With professional international movers, you don’t have to worry about packing or shipping too much or too little – they will pack everything you write down on a list as part of their packing services.

Since it’s likely cheaper to drive around Emirati cities, why not consider overseas car shipping, too? It’s better to drive your car than to have to purchase one unless you’re interested in getting into Dubai’s exotic car scene (we don’t blame you at all.)

If you misjudge the climate of the emirate you plan on living in (which could easily happen,) you can leave some things in the international movers’ storage units until you need them or figure out what to do with them. Since a culture shock is bound to happen, we don’t see why you should be doing it alone. It’s important to ask for help where you can, and for the rest, to just enjoy yourself at the new home.