Moving to Dubai from the UK: The Complete Checklist

Moving from the UK to Dubai involves five workstreams running in parallel: your residence route (through a company, employer or long-term visa), documents and attestation, housing and schools, money and banking, and UK loose ends including tax advice. The checklist below organises them by timeframe. Use it as a working document and download it as a PDF to share with your partner or adviser.

This is the planning window. Decide your residence route, get your UK documents moving, and speak to your UK adviser about tax residence and any company restructuring. If children are moving, begin school research and applications—good schools can have waiting lists.

Confirm your company or employment, book shipping quotes, arrange temporary accommodation for arrival, and prepare health insurance. Notify UK providers of your planned move date and consider which UK accounts to keep.

On arrival you will complete immigration steps—medical, biometrics, Emirates ID—and start banking. Get a local SIM, register a tenancy through Ejari once you sign a lease, and set up utilities with DEWA. Family visas follow once your own residence is in place.

Exchange your UK driving licence, finalise school enrolment, open or add bank accounts, and settle into routines. Review your UK position with your adviser once you know your actual travel pattern.

Your UK tax residence is determined by the Statutory Residence Test, which looks at days in the UK and ties such as family, accommodation and work. Split-year treatment has its own conditions. If you own a UK company, where it is managed and controlled matters. We coordinate with your adviser but do not give UK tax advice.

Use this as a planning backbone alongside the printable checklist. Start with advice and documents; finish with the practical settling-in tasks.

A couple from Manchester with one child planned a September move. They booked a UK tax adviser in May, legalised their marriage and birth certificates in June, and set up a free zone company in July. The founder flew out in August for medical and biometrics, signed a villa tenancy and registered the Ejari, then sponsored his family, who arrived in time for the school term. The driving licence exchange and corporate bank account were completed in the following weeks.

What made it work was starting the document chain early: attested certificates were ready the moment the Emirates ID was issued.

These small tasks cause surprisingly big delays.

Your UK tax position after moving is determined by the Statutory Residence Test, which looks at days spent in the UK and your ties—family, accommodation, work and previous residence. Split-year treatment may apply in the year you leave. If you own a UK company, where it is managed and controlled matters, and the choice between keeping, closing or restructuring it has tax consequences.

We coordinate with your UK accountant but do not give UK tax advice. Book that advice early—ideally three months or more before you move—so your UAE steps support rather than undermine the UK plan.

Start with your daily routine: office or co-working location, school runs and lifestyle. Families often look at villa communities near schools; singles and couples often prefer apartments near the Marina, Downtown or business districts. Visit at different times of day, check commute times in traffic and understand service charges and cooling costs before signing.

Once you sign, register the tenancy on Ejari. You will need it for family sponsorship, utilities and sometimes banking.

The first three months are about turning a visa into a working life. Complete Emirates ID and personal banking, register utilities (DEWA in Dubai), exchange your driving licence, sponsor family members, arrange health insurance, and set up your corporate bank account. Put renewal dates—licence, visas, Emirates ID, tenancy, insurance—into one calendar so nothing lapses.

We turn this checklist into a personal roadmap. After a free consultation during UK working hours, you receive a written plan covering your company, your visa and Emirates ID, family sponsorship, the corporate bank account and practical settling-in steps, with the order and rough timing of each. We coordinate with your UK accountant on residence and exit steps, handle government submissions in the UAE through our local representative team, and keep a single calendar of renewals. Government fees are charged at cost, and most steps can be done before you fly in.

Health insurance is mandatory in Dubai. If you are employed, your employer usually provides cover; as a founder, you arrange it yourself through your company or personally, and sponsors cover their dependants. Register with a local GP or clinic once you are insured, and bring prescriptions and medical records from the UK—some medicines have import restrictions, so check before you pack them.

Private schools in Dubai are regulated by KHDA, which publishes inspection reports that help you compare options. Many schools follow the British curriculum, alongside IB, American and other systems. Admissions often need school reports, attested birth certificates, passport copies and sometimes an assessment. Apply early and keep in mind that the academic year and entry ages may differ from the UK.

Every move is different. Remove items that do not apply, and add your own. The PDF version is generated in your browser, so nothing is uploaded. If you would like us to turn it into a personalised written roadmap, book a free consultation.