Why Move to Dubai

A golden visa is a form of grant given to wealthy people who want to put in substantial investment in a country for the opportunity to live there. Governments use the golden visa to expand their tax base.

Owing to its business-friendly and tax-free climate, the UAE has emerged as an attractive destination for investors and entrepreneurs.

The UAE has expanded the type of individuals who can get a golden visa. The 10-year golden visa will now be issued to engineers, physicians, Ph.Ds. who are from UAE accredited universities who have scored Grade Point Average or GPA of 3.8 and above.

• Must make a deposit of up to 10 million dirhams in an investment fund in the UAE.
• Must be an owner of a company with 10 million dirhams as capital investment or must be a partner in a company with a share of up to 10 million dirhams.
• Investment funds should be fully owned rather than be funded through a loan and adequate proof must be given
• The applicant must have held the investment for at least three years
• The applicant must have an insurance document for themselves and their family members

• They can be a professor from any one of the top 500 international universities that is approved by the ministry of education
• They must have an award or certificate of appreciation for their area of specialization
• They can be scientists who have made major contributions to an area of study
• They can be Ph.Ds. with 20 years of practical experience in their field of expertise
• They can also be specialists in fields significant to the UAE

If you wish to move to UAE, you can choose between a residence or work visa. Remember that you can only be employed in the UAE if you have a work visa. However, you can look for work while staying in the UAE as a tourist. For a work visa, the employer sends documents of an employee set to join to the UAE Immigration Service. These include the original passport, certified diploma, photographs, and contract.

A residence visa is valid for 2 years if you work in the private sector and 3 years if you work in the public sector. You can renew it indefinitely, based on your necessities. Using your residence visa, you can open a UAE bank account, get a UAE driver's licence, and sponsor visa applications for your family.

Generally, visa processing to the UAE from the UK takes around 1 month. The employee gets a plastic ID card OR identity card alongside the resident visa. Remember, your resident visa can be canceled upon dissolution of your work contract, but you can still legally stay in the UAE for another 29 calendar days to search for a new job. If you get it, your resident visa will automatically be renewed, thanks to your new job.

You shouldn't live and work in the UAE illegally, as it is risky. The minimum punishment for the employer is a 2-month prison sentence and a fine of up to USD 82,000. The employee may have to suffer harsher punishment. This includes a 2-3 months prison sentence, followed by deportation. But, before that, a fine of USD 27 for each day of illegal stay in the UAE is extracted from the employee.

Dubai offers high salaries and plenty of opportunities to save money for you, thanks to its tax-free income, which is paid mainly in UAE Dirham. The cost of moving to Dubai varies depending on the area you are relocating to.

Note that Dubai offers a very high standard of living and is one of the most expensive cities in the region, yet around 30% cheaper than London or New York. The cost of moving to Dubai for you as a single person can be at least AED 3700 or USD 1000 per month without rent.

The cost multiplies 3 times if you move to Dubai with a family of 4 to up to AED 13000 or USD 3500+ per month, excluding rent. The most significant cost of moving to Dubai you pay for is rent paid for accommodation. Areas preferred by immigrants, like Dubai Marina or Jumeirah Beach, are expensive, while Al Qusais or Mirdif are cheap.

Dubai is reasonably expensive for food, entertainment, and activities. A UAE government-sponsored health card providing free healthcare can help you save money. It is mandatory to have private medical insurance; otherwise, you will have to pay an AED 500 fine every month without it. You must pay up to AED 550 or around USD 150 annually for medical insurance.

There is a list of what is permitted and forbidden in the UAE. You need to know about them if you are immigrating from the UK or anywhere. As an immigrant to the UAE, you can only bring two pets into the country.

UAE follows Islam, so anything that challenges Islam's teachings may not be brought into the UAE. If you want to bring any religious text like the ''Bible' into UAE, you may do so, but discretion is advised. Though UAE follows Islam, it is tolerant towards alcohol, but there are restrictions on the quantity of alcohol you can buy. Note that alcohol is not sold in supermarkets.

Also, only a few specialists in certain zones are allowed to sell alcohol, but with a 30% tax. Also, only restaurants and bars can serve alcohol with special licenses. You also need an alcohol licence if you want to drink alcohol, which will be issued only if you are a non-Muslim immigrant. If you purchase wine, spirits, and beer from an illegal booze den, you will get into trouble if caught.

Only licensed nightclubs, restaurants, and bars attached to a hotel can serve alcohol. Drunken behavior is taken very seriously and can land you in jail. As the UAE is a country that follows Islam, it observes Ramadan each year. During Ramadan, many food outlets don't serve food or drinks at all from sunrise to sunset.

As an immigrant from the UK, remember those observing Ramadan won't eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. They will only have an Iftar feast after sunset, so you must be aware and respectful of their sentiments during this period. As an immigrant, you are advised not to eat and drink in public during this period.

Also prohibited are swearing, sharing a bed with someone not your legal spouse, having sex outside marriage, cross-dressing, taking photos of government buildings or people without permission, homosexuality, and criticizing the UAE government online.

If you are going by the real estate purchase route, these documents are needed:-  

1. Real estate ownership document 

2. Dubai Land Department letter confirming property value 

3. Marriage certificate 

4. Purchase and sale agreement 

5. Certificate of absence of marriage for adult children 

6. Police certificate 

7. Colour photo with white background 

8. Passport copy 

9. Mortgage documents, if the property purchased via mortgage 

If you are going by the work visa route, you need to have the following documents:- 

1. Commercial license and company card from an employer 

2. Your original passport and copy 

3. Your passport-sized photos as per requirements 

4. Emirates ID card 

5. Ministry of Labor (MoL) Entry permit 

6. Medical certificate from UAE-based government-approved health center 

The working hours in the UAE are an average of 8 hours. In the tourism and service industry, the working day may extend up to 9 hours. The work week starts on Sunday with weekends on Friday and Saturday.

After your probationary period is over, and you are successfully hired, both you and your employer have the right to terminate your work contract by notifying the other party at least 1 month in advance. As an employee, you can terminate the contract agreement after not working for the company for 1 year after signing the contract. In that case, the company may seek a legal route to demand reimbursement of the costs incurred towards your employment, including paperwork, air tickets, etc.

There are no official minimum wages for an immigrant in the UAE. The average salary in UAE in 2021 was about USD 4,000-5,000 per month. While a maid or nurse can earn USD 200 to 800, an airline pilot can take home anywhere between USD 8,000 to 13,000.

You can also avail of the 'remote work' visa programme recently started in the UAE. Under this programme, as an immigrant, you can travel to UAE and stay for up to 1 year working as a self-employed businessperson with an average monthly income of UKP 3500.