Attestation, visas, medicines, pets, schools, money and housing — in the order you need to do them. Checked against official UAE sources for Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates. Plan your move with our free Pre-Arrival Planner. When you land, follow our First 30 Days in the UAE guide.
Last checked against official sources: 27 September 2026. Next scheduled review: 1 January 2027. Every figure carries a tag so you know how much weight it can bear.
Our free Pre-Arrival Planner turns this checklist into a dated plan for your move date, your emirate and your household, and estimates the cash you need to land. It works on your phone and prints as a one-page checklist.
Most of the problems people hit in their first month in the UAE were created before they got on the plane. A marriage certificate that was never attested. A child's transfer certificate without the right stamps. A prescription medicine that needed a permit. A pet booked on the wrong kind of flight. A landing budget built on a figure from a forum post.
This checklist covers what you need to do from your home country, in the order you need to do it. It is written for people moving on an employment visa, families joining a sponsor, remote workers and investors, whether you are heading to Dubai, Abu Dhabi or one of the Northern Emirates.
| Tag | What it means |
|---|---|
| LAW | Set by UAE federal or emirate law or regulation |
| OFFICIAL | Published on a UAE government website or by a government authority |
| REPORTED | Reported by established UAE media or professional advisers, not yet confirmed on a government page |
| MARKET | Common market practice. Varies by provider, landlord or school |
| ESTIMATE | Our own worked estimate. Use it for planning, not as a quote |
| VERIFY | Official sources disagree or are silent. Check before you rely on it |
And the fix for each one. Most of these are avoidable if you start early enough.
Personal documents such as marriage and birth certificates and degrees must be legalised in the country that issued them before the UAE will accept them. It is slow and sometimes impossible to do from Dubai. Start at least three months out.
The UAE uses its own attestation chain. An apostille can replace one step in some countries, but never the UAE embassy and UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs steps.
The published threshold is a salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. OFFICIAL Offers get turned down over outdated numbers.
Some common medicines, including codeine-based painkillers, some ADHD medication, sleeping tablets and some antidepressants, are controlled in the UAE. Check the list and apply for the free MOHAP permit before you fly.
CBD oils and other cannabis-derived products remain prohibited, even where they are legal at home. REPORTED
Pets entering the UAE travel as manifest cargo, need a MOCCAE import permit, and from many countries need a rabies antibody test that adds months to the timeline.
Dubai schools need one for pupils entering Year 3 / Grade 2 and above, and certificates from many countries need attesting before you leave.
You cannot register the lease or connect utilities in your own name until your residency and Emirates ID are in place. Book furnished accommodation for your first four to eight weeks.
A family renting in Dubai can need well over AED 100,000 before the first salary lands, because the first rent payment, deposit and agency fee fall due together. See the worked example below.
Your home bank, tax authority and email all send security codes to it. Keep it active, at least on a cheap plan, until every account has moved.
If you have read other pre-arrival guides, including an earlier version of this one, these are the corrections that matter.
| Older claim | Position on 27 September 2026 | Tag |
|---|---|---|
| Family sponsorship needs a salary of AED 4,000 to 10,000 | AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. Job title is no longer a test | OFFICIAL |
| Remote work visa needs AED 300,000+ income | USD 3,500 a month (about AED 12,850) from employment outside the UAE | OFFICIAL |
| Your residence visa is stamped in your passport | Stickers stopped in 2022. Your Emirates ID and the ICP app are your proof of residency | OFFICIAL |
| An apostille replaces UAE attestation | The UAE is not in the Hague Apostille Convention. UAE embassy and MoFA attestation are still required | MARKET |
| Health insurance is mandatory in Dubai only | Employer health cover became mandatory for private sector staff in every emirate from 1 January 2025 | REPORTED |
| Bring 3 to 6 months of medicines with a doctor's letter | Controlled medicines: up to 3 months, with a MOHAP permit or declaration. Other prescription medicines: up to 6 months with the prescription | OFFICIAL |
| Birth certificates must be attested for school admission | Dubai registration runs on Emirates ID and the transfer certificate. The transfer certificate is what usually needs attesting | OFFICIAL |
| Bring AED 30,000 to 50,000 | Fine for a single person with employer housing. Far too low for a family renting on four cheques | ESTIMATE |
| DEWA is your utility provider | Only in Dubai. Abu Dhabi uses TAQA Distribution, Sharjah uses SEWA, and the other Northern Emirates use Etihad Water and Electricity | REPORTED |
Work backwards from your flight. If you have less time than this, do the items in the first two rows now, in parallel.
Check every passport's expiry. Shortlist schools and register interest. Confirm your visa route and who sponsors whom. Start pet preparation if your pet comes from a high-risk rabies country.
Start attestation of marriage, birth and degree certificates. Request school transfer certificates and records. Get shipping quotes. Review your offer: salary, housing allowance, school fees, flights, medical cover for dependants.
Apply to schools formally. Book furnished accommodation for your first four to eight weeks. Apply for the MOCCAE pet import permit (timed to its validity). Check controlled medicines and apply for the MOHAP permit.
Confirm the entry permit or visa with your employer or sponsor. Build your landing fund. Tell your home bank. Sort home-country tax, pension and mail. Ship heavy items by sea.
Assemble your hand-luggage document folder. Scan everything to secure cloud storage. Check your phone is unlocked. Declare cash over AED 60,000 if carrying it.
Local SIM, employer onboarding, medical fitness test booking. Then follow our First 30 Days guide.
This is the step people most often leave too late. Attestation runs through the country that issued the document, not where you live now.
Every family member's passport has at least six months' validity from your arrival date. OFFICIAL Renew now if it will expire within your first year: renewing through an embassy from the UAE is possible but slower.
Passport photos: keep digital copies on a white background. Most UAE applications are online and ask for a colour photo on white. OFFICIAL
Names match across passports, certificates and your offer letter. A spelling difference between a marriage certificate and a passport is one of the most common reasons for a rejected family visa. MARKET
| Document | Needed for | Who in the family |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage certificate | Sponsoring your spouse. Also used for some insurance and school steps | The sponsoring spouse |
| Children's birth certificates | Sponsoring children. Some schools and insurers also ask for them | Each child |
| Degree certificate (and sometimes transcripts) | Work permits for skilled roles, and professional licensing in education, health and engineering | The employee |
| School transfer certificate | School registration for Year 3 / Grade 2 and above in Dubai, and for most years in Abu Dhabi | Each school-age child |
| Police clearance certificate | Some employers and licensing bodies, especially in education and healthcare | The employee, if asked |
| Divorce, custody or death certificates | Sponsoring children where a parent is absent, or proving marital status | As applicable |
Your employer or school will tell you exactly which documents it needs. Ask for that list in writing before you start, because attesting a document nobody needs costs time and money.
The UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a foreign document needs a chain of legalisation before a UAE authority will accept it. MARKET The general sequence is:
The document is issued or certified in your home country. Degrees may need verification by the university or an education ministry first.
Your government authenticates the signature. In countries that are Hague members, an apostille usually covers this step. MARKET
The UAE mission legalises the document. Many missions now take applications online. OFFICIAL
The final step, applied for online through the MoFA website or app using UAE PASS. AED 150 per personal document. Non-residents can create a UAE PASS account. OFFICIAL
Some documents also need a legal translation into Arabic by a translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice, typically if the original is not in English or Arabic. MARKET
Timing and cost. Allow three to six weeks per document for the overseas steps if you do them yourself, longer if documents travel by post. Agents charge on top of government fees and can save weeks. MARKET Get two attested copies of anything you will need more than once, and never hand over an attested original.
The first authentication step differs by country. This is a starting point only: always confirm on the website of the UAE embassy or consulate that covers the place your document was issued. VERIFY with the relevant UAE mission.
| Where the document was issued | Usual first authentication step | Then |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | FCDO Legalisation Office (apostille) | UAE Embassy London, then MoFA |
| Ireland | Department of Foreign Affairs (apostille) | UAE Embassy Dublin, then MoFA |
| United States | State Secretary of State (state documents) or US Department of State (federal documents) | UAE Embassy Washington DC or consulate, then MoFA |
| Canada | Global Affairs Canada or provincial authority | UAE Embassy Ottawa, then MoFA |
| Australia | Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | UAE Embassy Canberra, then MoFA |
| India | State verification (for example HRD for degrees), then MEA | UAE Embassy New Delhi or consulate, then MoFA |
| Pakistan | Relevant ministry or board, then MOFA Pakistan | UAE Embassy Islamabad or consulate, then MoFA |
| Philippines | DFA (apostille) | UAE Embassy Manila, then MoFA |
| South Africa | DIRCO legalisation | UAE Embassy Pretoria, then MoFA |
If a document was issued in a country where you no longer live, the chain usually runs through that country, not where you live now. This catches many people who married or studied abroad.
Your visa route decides who applies, what documents you need and when your family can follow. Confirm it in writing before you give notice or book flights.
| Route | Who arranges it | Key test | Check on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment visa (mainland or free zone) | Your employer: work permit, entry permit, then residency after you arrive | A job offer and contract | UAE Visa Requirements Guide |
| Family residence (joining a sponsor) | The resident sponsor | Salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation OFFICIAL | u.ae, ICP, GDRFA |
| Virtual work (remote work) visa | You, self-sponsored, one year, renewable | USD 3,500 a month from work for an employer outside the UAE, plus UAE-valid health insurance OFFICIAL | u.ae, GDRFA, ICP |
| Golden Visa (property, investment, talent) | You, through ICP or GDRFA | For property: AED 2 million OFFICIAL | UAE Visa Requirements Guide |
The cash you need in your first month is driven by housing. Rent in the UAE is paid in advance in one to four (sometimes more) cheques, and the first cheque, deposit and agency fee all fall due when you sign.
Assumptions: unfurnished three-bedroom apartment at AED 150,000 a year, paid in four cheques, through an agent charging 5% plus VAT; four weeks in furnished short-stay accommodation first; two school-age children. These are illustrations, not quotes.
| Item | AED | Tag |
|---|---|---|
| Furnished short-stay, 4 weeks | 12,000 | ESTIMATE |
| First rent cheque (one quarter) | 37,500 | ESTIMATE |
| Security deposit (5% unfurnished) | 7,500 | MARKET |
| Agency fee (5% plus 5% VAT) | 7,875 | MARKET |
| Ejari registration | about 220 | MARKET |
| DEWA security deposit (apartment) | 2,000 | OFFICIAL |
| School registration and seat deposits, two children | 6,000 | ESTIMATE |
| Furniture, appliances and set-up | 15,000 | ESTIMATE |
| Car hire deposit and first month | 3,500 | ESTIMATE |
| One month's living costs before salary | 15,000 | ESTIMATE |
| Total landing fund | about 106,600 | ESTIMATE |
About AED 9,500 of that (the rent and DEWA deposits) comes back when you leave. The remaining three rent cheques are handed over post-dated at signing, so you also need a UAE chequebook, which in practice means a UAE bank account and your residency first. MARKET
A single person whose employer provides housing might need AED 20,000 to 30,000. A family whose employer pays rent upfront and provides a car might need less than half the figure above. Run your own numbers in the Pre-Arrival Planner.
Figures for Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates differ. Abu Dhabi landlords often ask for one or two cheques, which raises the first payment, and since 2 June 2026 Abu Dhabi residential rents have been frozen at the unit's last registered rent. OFFICIAL See our UAE Housing Guide for the full move-in costs by emirate.
The UAE does not levy personal income tax on employment income. OFFICIAL That does not mean you stop being taxable at home. Your home country's residence rules decide that, and some countries tax citizens wherever they live (the United States is the best known).
Take advice from a tax adviser in your home country before you leave, not after your first tax year has closed. UK movers should read our Moving From the UK to the UAE guide.
The single best pre-arrival housing decision is to book furnished accommodation for your first four to eight weeks, and to sign a long lease only once you are in the country.
This is where families get caught out, because it is hard to fix once you have left your home country. Start early and confirm the requirements in writing.
Start six months out if you can. Popular schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have waiting lists for some year groups, and admissions teams often ask for reports, an assessment and references. MARKET
Know the calendar. Most private schools run from late August to early July in three terms. Moving mid-year is possible, but places are scarcer.
Budget for the whole bill, not just tuition: registration fees, seat deposits, uniforms, transport and activities. Dubai private schools are not permitted to raise fees for 2026/27. OFFICIAL
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Transfer certificate (TC) from the current school | Dubai: required for Year 3 / Grade 2 and above, or an official end-of-year certificate if no TC is available KHDA. Abu Dhabi schools commonly ask for one from Grade 1 MARKET |
| Latest school reports | The report must show the year completed MARKET |
| Passport and, later, Emirates ID and residence details | Dubai registration uses the child's Emirates ID KHDA |
| Immunisation record | Bring the full record, translated if needed MARKET |
| Birth certificate | Some schools ask for a copy. Attest it anyway if you are sponsoring the child MARKET |
KHDA's current registration page says academic certificates issued outside the UAE must be attested by the relevant education authority and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country of issue. OFFICIAL
Older KHDA guidance, still circulated by many Dubai schools, required only the principal's signature and school stamp for transfer certificates from North America, Western Europe and Australia, with full attestation for most other regions. VERIFY
Abu Dhabi school admissions pages commonly ask for attestation by the education ministry and foreign ministry in the country of study, then MoFA in the UAE. VERIFY with ADEK and your school.
What to do: ask your new school's registrar, in writing, exactly which stamps it needs on your child's transfer certificate. Request the TC on school letterhead, in English, signed by the head and stamped, showing the child's name, date of birth, year completed and year promoted to. If there is any doubt, attest it before you leave.
UAE rules on medicines are stricter than in most of Europe and North America. The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) sets them.
| Type of medicine | What you can bring | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Narcotic and controlled medicines | Up to a three-month supply for personal use OFFICIAL | A MOHAP import permit applied for online before travel, or a declaration at the airport on arrival with the prescription and medical report OFFICIAL |
| Prescription-only medicines that are not controlled | Up to a six-month supply OFFICIAL | The prescription. No prior permit needed OFFICIAL |
| Everyday non-prescription medicines | Reasonable personal quantities | Original packaging MARKET |
Bringing a cat or dog is very achievable, but it runs on a fixed timetable set by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE). Start early.
Pets must be identified with a microchip. OFFICIAL The rabies vaccination should be given on or after the date the chip is implanted, or it may not count. MARKET
At least 21 days before travel, and core vaccinations up to date. MARKET
If you are coming from a country MOCCAE classifies as high risk for rabies. OFFICIAL Many countries, including the United States, are classed high risk; many, including the UK, are low risk and exempt. Allow three to four months if a titre test applies.
Before the pet travels. MOCCAE's service page gives the permit a 90-day validity, but US government guidance says 30 days. VERIFY. Reported fee AED 200 per animal. MARKET
Pets travel to the UAE as manifest cargo, not in the cabin or as checked baggage. OFFICIAL No more than two cats, two dogs, or one of each per person per year. At least 15 weeks old on arrival. A specialist pet relocation company handles this.
Some dog breeds cannot be imported. Check the current list before you commit. OFFICIAL Also get a health certificate from a government vet in the export country close to departure, plus parasite treatment shortly before travel. MARKET
Narcotics (including poppy seeds), gambling equipment and material considered offensive to public morals are banned. Medicines, e-cigarettes, drones, alcohol above allowances and wireless devices are restricted and may need approval. REPORTED
Check the customs lists at u.ae before you pack.
Check whether your licence can be exchanged. Dubai's RTA recognises licences from 57 countries for direct exchange, including five GCC states and 38 European countries. OFFICIAL If yours is not on the list, you will need driving lessons and tests.
Bring your original licence, not just a copy. Some licences also need a legal translation or an embassy letter. MARKET
Ask your home insurer for a no-claims letter on company letterhead. Some UAE insurers take it into account. MARKET
Plan the first weeks. Visitors from some countries can drive a hire car on their home licence or an International Driving Permit, but once you are a resident you need a UAE licence. REPORTED
The full detail, including a licence exchange checker, is in our UAE Driving and Vehicle Guide.
The pre-arrival work hands over to the arrival work. In your first three days: get a local SIM, report to your employer or sponsor, book the medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics, and start the bank account process once your residency application is underway.
Our First 30 Days guide takes it from thereGovernment and authority sources used for this guide, accessed between 21 and 27 September 2026:
Written by the Relocate2UAE team, who relocated to Abu Dhabi as a family and built this platform to make the process easier for others. Every figure was checked against the sources above on the date shown. If you spot something that has changed, tell us on WhatsApp and we will check it.
This guide is general information, not legal, immigration, tax, medical or financial advice. UAE rules change, sometimes without notice, and individual cases differ. Confirm anything important with the relevant authority, your employer or sponsor, or a licensed adviser before you act. Relocate2UAE is independent: partners do not pay for placement, and a partner mention is an introduction, not a guarantee of any outcome.
Tell us your move date and who is coming. You get a dated checklist built from this guide, flags for anything already late, and an estimate of the cash you need to land. Nothing you enter leaves your device.
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