Moving to the UAE: A Checklist

Step by step

• Choose your residence route with the residency pathfinder.
• Enter the UAE on the entry permit for your route, or on a visit visa where allowed.
• Take the medical test and give biometrics: see medical tests and Emirates ID.
• Get health insurance: employers insure their staff, and Golden Visa holders insure themselves.
• Rent a home and register the contract: in Dubai, through Ejari.
• Exchange your driving licence: see driving licence.
• Sponsor your family once your own residence is issued: see family sponsorship.

Source: UAE Government Portal: General provisions for the residence visa; ICP: Issue a new ID card; MOHRE: The basic health insurance scheme; Dubai Land Department: Campaign for Ejari services^1,2,3,4

In Dubai, a registered tenancy runs for at least one year, and registering it online through Ejari costs AED 177.75.^4,7

Keep your residence valid

An ordinary residence permit is cancelled after more than six months outside the UAE; Golden Visa holders are exempt. After a permit expires or is cancelled there is a grace period: 60 days for the retirement and remote work visas, and 180 days for the Green Visa.^5,6,8