Before you fly

• Passports valid for at least 6 months for every family member.
• Attest your documents: degree certificates, marriage certificate and children’s birth certificates, first in your home country and then at the UAE embassy there. You need them for your work permit, family visas and school admission.
• School records: the last two years of reports, a transfer certificate and vaccination records. Apply to schools early.
• Check your offer letter: salary, housing allowance, flights, medical cover and who pays for family visas.
• Prepare cash for month one: first rent cheque, deposit, agency fee, DEWA deposit and furniture. For a 2-bedroom flat this can pass AED 50,000 before school fees.
• Check your driving licence. Licences from many countries cannot be converted, so you may need lessons and a test.

Your first week

• Get a local SIM from du or e& with your passport.
• Medical fitness test at an approved centre, usually booked by your employer.
• Emirates ID biometrics at an ICP or Amer centre.
• Residence visa issued after the medical and Emirates ID. Check every detail.
• Book 2 to 4 weeks of temporary stay so you are not rushed into a bad tenancy.
• Open a salary account and install UAE Pass, your bank app and the RTA app.

Your first month

• Find a home. View at least five places and ask about the number of cheques, chiller fees, parking and maintenance.
• Register the lease on Ejari. You need it for DEWA and family visas.
• Open your DEWA account (AED 2,000 deposit for a flat, AED 4,000 for a villa) and book internet.
• Sponsor your family. You usually need a salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.
• Buy health insurance for your spouse and children. It is mandatory in Dubai.
• Confirm school admission, pay registration and the first term, and order uniforms.
• Sort your car and register for Salik.

Download the checklist

We have turned this list into a two-page PDF you can print and tick off as you go. It works for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman.

Download the free checklist (PDF)