Relocating to Dubai, from wherever you start

Start here for the whole move, then open the guide for the country you are leaving.

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At a glance

Relocating to Dubai comes down to two questions: what your home country still claims after you leave, and which UAE residence route covers your family. Answer those first and the company, bank account, tax residency certificate and school place follow in order. DM Consultancy handles the UAE side, in that order.

Why the home-country exit comes first

The Dubai side of a move works much the same for every passport, but the home side differs from country to country. It sets the day your old tax residence ends, how your money leaves, and what still gets taxed after you land. Find your departure city; each guide covers that exit, then the Dubai steps in order.

Arrivals DXB · Dubai International

Dubai local time · GMT+4

Country move guides by departure city, with great-circle distance and typical non-stop flight time to Dubai, and the home-country issue behind each move
From	Code	Distance	Flight	The home-country issue	Guide
KarachiPakistan	KHI	1,190 km	about 2 h	SBP rules for moving moneyFBR sets your residence each July to June tax year, and SBP permission stops short of funding a private UAE company.	Read the guide on moving to Dubai from Pakistan
MumbaiIndia	BOM	1,925 km	about 3 h	NRI status and FEMANRI status runs on your days in India each tax year, and FEMA sets how your savings and company funding move.	Read the guide on moving to Dubai from India
MoscowRussia and CIS	SVO	3,710 km	about 5 h	Banking that works abroadRussian cards stopped working abroad in 2022, so the UAE account depends on a documented source of funds.	Read the guide on moving to Dubai from Russia and the CIS
FrankfurtGermany	FRA	4,840 km	about 6 h	Exit tax on shareholdingsLeaving with 1% or more of a company triggers Wegzugsteuer on the unrealised gain.	Read the guide on moving to Dubai from Germany
LondonUnited Kingdom	LHR	5,470 km	about 7½ h	HMRC residence test and the 5-year return ruleThe Statutory Residence Test sets when UK tax stops, and some gains come back if you return within five years.	Read the guide on moving to Dubai from the UK
JohannesburgSouth Africa	JNB	6,410 km	about 8 h	SARS exit and SARB limitsCeasing residence triggers a deemed sale of most assets, and money leaves within SARB allowances.	Read the guide on moving to Dubai from South Africa
LagosNigeria	LOS	5,900 km	about 8 h	Getting naira out cleanlyMoney that left through official channels, with its origin on paper, makes the strongest UAE bank file.	Read the guide on moving to Dubai from Nigeria
New YorkUnited States	JFK	11,000 km	about 13 h	The IRS still taxes youUS citizens stay taxable on worldwide income wherever they live; the real saving is usually state income tax.	Read the guide on moving to Dubai from the USA

If you are moving from somewhere else, the four tracks below apply to every nationality. Bring your home-country tax adviser in early; on a call we give you the questions to put to them. For the UAE end of the residence question, see does a UAE visa make me a tax resident?

Your move in four tracks

Residence, company, bank and tax, and family all run side by side. The order between them costs more time than any single step.

01

Your residence route

Your residence route is the base the rest stands on. Employment, your own company, the Golden Visa, a Green Visa, the remote work visa and the retirement visa from 55 all work. Each one sets who you can sponsor and how long you may stay away.
A standard residence visa can be cancelled after more than 180 continuous days outside the UAE; Golden Visa holders are exempt. We prepare the residence file and track each stage.
02

Your UAE company

You need a company if you will work for yourself or hold your visa through it. Choose by where your customers are. A free zone suits international clients, the mainland lets you trade anywhere in the UAE, and DIFC or ADGM suit regulated finance and holding structures.
An offshore company can own assets and hold shares, but it cannot sponsor a residence visa. Set up the company once the residence route is clear, so the two fit.
03

Bank and tax

UAE banks look first at source of funds and a clean residence file, and a full personal account expects an Emirates ID. We build the bank file while the visa runs and put it to a bank that fits your profile.
There is no personal income tax. Companies pay corporate tax at 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above, and VAT is 5%. Small Business Relief is available by election for revenue of AED 3M or less, for tax periods ending by 31 December 2029. A UAE Tax Residency Certificate is what proves your residence to your home country, once you meet a UAE residence test.
04

Family and first months

Each dependant is a separate visa file with its own Emirates ID. The UAE does not accept apostilles, so marriage and birth certificates need attestation before the family files can go in, and it is the step that most often delays them. A registered tenancy (Ejari) and health insurance complete the file.
KHDA regulates and rates private schools.

How the move runs

Paperwork runs ahead of the flight, while banking and the driving licence come later by design, since both expect an Emirates ID.

We run each family member's residence file, from the entry permit and medical to the Emirates ID. Bank applications go in after the IDs.

On timing: the residence core takes a few weeks once papers are in order, varying by route and authority. A settled family move, paced by schools, tenancy and banks, takes a few months.

Where unplanned family moves lose months

None of them is hard to fix, but each one costs weeks when it is spotted late.

A professional in a headscarf reading through a printed file at a bright desk beside her laptop

A residence route picked for speed that cannot sponsor the family you are bringing.
The route is checked against everyone you sponsor before the first application.
A rushed bank application with a thin source-of-funds file, declined.
The bank file is built with the visa, source of funds on paper, and put to a bank that fits your profile. We make the case clean before the bank sees it.
The home-country exit left to chance, so the old tax residence continues and the saving you moved for shrinks.
The exit date is planned with your home adviser, using the country guide on this page.

What families say about the move

In their own words, each linked to the original.

5.0Read the reviews on Google

Everything was perfect, very fast, easy and super professional. You helped me and my family get our Golden Visas without any stress.

Vladimir VlasovGolden Visa clientRead on Google

From the initial assessment to final implementation, the team demonstrated strong expertise, structured methodology, and clear communication.
Graphic IndustryBusiness setup clientGoogle
They delivered what they promised without any hidden agenda and informed me of better and less costly ways to achieve what I need.
D JamilResidency and corporate clientGoogle
Thanks to Manish Kumar, we were finally able to speed up the process of getting our visa after months of struggling with other agents.
Sali AbdolahVisa clientGoogle
He was super quick to reply, very efficient and honestly the best I have worked with. He made the whole process so much easier.
Abdolah KeriaVisa clientGoogle

Questions people ask about relocating to Dubai

A question about your own move? Send it on WhatsApp and an advisor answers it directly.

Ask on WhatsApp

Can I move to Dubai without a job?

Yes. Your own UAE company, the Golden Visa, a Green Visa, the remote work visa or the retirement visa from 55 can all carry you. A resident spouse or parent can also sponsor you.

Which visa should I use to move to Dubai?

The one that matches how you will earn and who you will sponsor. A job offer suits an employment visa and founders use a company visa, while the ten-year Golden Visa has no 180-day absence limit.

What does relocating to Dubai cost?

It depends on your choices. Housing is usually the largest line, then school fees for families, then visas, insurance, attestation and any company, with family size and area moving the total most.

How long does it take to relocate to Dubai?

A few weeks for the residence core once papers are in order, and a few months for a settled family move, because schools, tenancy, attestation and banks set the pace. Attest certificates at home before you fly.

How do I become UAE tax resident and get a tax residency certificate?

Spend 183 days here in 12 months, or 90 days as a resident with a home, job or business here. Having your centre of life here also counts, and a Tax Residency Certificate then evidences your status.

Can I bring my family to Dubai?

Yes, once you hold a residence visa and meet the income and housing conditions. Marriage and birth certificates from abroad need attestation first, and it is the step that most often delays family visas.

Can I move to Dubai permanently?

Long-term, yes, though the UAE grants residence permits that renew rather than permanent status. The 10-year Golden Visa renews while you keep the investment or status it rests on, and company, property or family visas renew too.

What should I sort out before moving to Dubai?

Your residence route for the whole family, attested degree, marriage and birth certificates, and an exit agreed with your home tax adviser. School applications go in early too, since attested documents often take longer than the visas themselves.

Can I exchange my foreign driving licence in Dubai?

Yes, if your country is on RTA's list of about 60, which includes Britain, Germany, the United States, Canada and Australia. Holders from India, Pakistan, Russia and Nigeria are not listed, so they train and test.

Plan the order of your move

Fifteen minutes with a senior advisor. We confirm the residence route that fits, map the order for the family, and tell you where the real waits are.

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On the call

The residence route that fits the whole family
The order for your move, and where the real waits are

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