Moving a family to Dubai is not a single decision but dozens: visas, schools for the children, housing, documents, insurance, banking. Below is a calm, step-by-step plan that turns the chaos into a clear sequence.
Step 1. Decide on your basis for residency
In the UAE almost everything begins with a visa — it is what gives you the right to rent a home, open a bank account and arrange insurance. The main routes are:
- Golden Visa — valid for 5 or 10 years and renewable. Through real estate from AED 2,000,000 you qualify for the 10-year visa; for skilled professionals the requirement is a minimum basic salary of AED 30,000 per month (a rule in force since October 2025, excluding allowances). The Golden Visa has no annual-stay requirement.
- Digital Nomad (Virtual Work) visa — valid for 1 year and renewable. For remote employees it requires income from USD 3,500 per month, along with 6 months of bank statements (changed from the previous three on 27 January 2026).
- Work or investor visas, as well as family visas for a spouse and children.
Which route fits you best depends on your income, assets and plans. We assess the options honestly in the Immigration section.
Step 2. Choose a school before you move
If you have children, the school often dictates the neighbourhood and the timing of your move. Dubai offers 17 curricula, with the British and IB programmes the most common, and there is also a Russian-curriculum option. Places at strong schools are limited, so the search is best started 3–6 months ahead. More in the Education section.
Step 3. Settle the question of housing
You can rent or buy. Foreigners purchase property in designated freehold zones; the Dubai Land Department (DLD) fee is 4%, and total transaction costs usually come to around 7–10%. For tenancies, registering the contract in the Ejari system is mandatory. How to choose and verify a property is covered in the Real Estate section.
Step 4. Arrange documents and insurance
Health insurance is mandatory for the residence visa, and since 1 January 2025 this requirement applies across all emirates. A Basic plan costs from AED 320 per year. In parallel you will arrange your Emirates ID, the medical check and visa registration. What exactly is needed is set out in the Insurance section.
Step 5. Protect your assets and your family
Without a will, a non-Muslim estate may be distributed under Sharia rules, and accounts can be frozen. To avoid this, families register a will — for example, a DIFC Will, which covers worldwide assets under English common law. Details are in the Wills section.
Step 6. The first weeks on the ground
Opening a bank account, helping children settle into school, finding doctors, sorting out connectivity, transport and everyday matters. This is where time and energy are most often lost — which is why many families stay with us for annual accompaniment: one person handles every question, while you focus on your family.
UAE rules change often. The figures above are accurate as of the publication date — before making decisions, please verify the details with official sources or during a consultation.
Ready to take the first step? Tell us about your situation and we will propose a calm, clear plan. Book a consultation.