Your trusted relocation companion

Your Complete Guide to Moving to Dubai

Everything UK and US expats need to relocate to the UAE — visas, housing, schools, removals and more. Practical, up‑to‑date advice written for families and professionals.

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Free, independent guidance for UK & US citizens

What you'll find inside

Step‑by‑step visa and residency guidance for UK & US passport holders.
Neighbourhood overviews, rental expectations and hidden costs of housing in Dubai.
How schools, banking, healthcare and everyday life differ from the UK and US.

Tailored to UK expats

HMRC, pensions, and keeping ties with home.

Tailored to US expats

FATCA, US taxes and banking overseas.

Explore the relocation guides

Six focused sections that walk you through your move from planning and paperwork through to feeling at home in Dubai.

Visa & Residency

Understand work, family, investor and golden visas, plus how to sponsor dependants and domestic staff.

Visa routes · Sponsorship · Timelines

Finding a Home

Compare popular areas, typical rental prices, contracts, agents' fees and what's different vs the UK and US.

Neighbourhoods · Renting · Buying

Schools & Education

British, American and IB curriculum options, fees, waiting lists and how applications work for new arrivals.

Curricula · Admissions · Fees

Removals & Shipping

How to move your belongings, typical costs from the UK and US, customs rules and what's better to buy in Dubai.

Movers · Timelines · Customs

Banking & Finance

Opening bank accounts, getting paid, managing UK/US obligations and understanding tax in a zero‑tax environment.

Banking · Tax · Currency

Community & Life

Day‑to‑day life, expat communities, healthcare, driving and practical tips to help you settle quickly.

Lifestyle · Healthcare · Driving

Meet Patrick

Patrick

Founding Editor

A London-trained lawyer who relocated to Dubai in 2019, Patrick created Dubai Expat after experiencing firsthand how fragmented relocation information was. Every guide on this site is written to the standard he'd want as a lawyer — accurate, current, and free of agenda.