EnglishEN
Moving to the Emirates
Enjoy Life In The Emirates
Why Welcome To Emirates
A move here is a sequence, and most of the difficulty is doing it out of order
The residence permit is what lets you stay. The Emirates ID and a tenancy are what let you open a bank account. The bank account is what lets you sign for a school place, a car or a lease of your own. Done in the wrong order, each of those waits on the one behind it.
We set the sequence out at the start against your own dates, and take each step as it becomes possible — so nothing stalls on a document nobody told you to apply for.
- The residence file, the family, the home and the first weeks, run as one plan rather than four.
- Timed around the school term, not around the paperwork.
- A home, a doctor, a phone number and a bank arranged before the plane lands rather than after.
What we arrange
The six things that decide whether a move works
Take the whole move, or hand us the part you have no time for.
Moving and relocation
The order the whole thing happens in, mapped against your dates, with each step taken as it becomes possible.
- Sequencing
- Documents
- Arrival
- The first weeks
Family relocation
A family moves on a different clock from a founder. School places open and close by term; a spouse may want to work; grandparents may be part of the plan.
- Spouse sponsorship
- Children
- Timed to the school year
- A working spouse
Housing
Rent first or buy straight away is the question that decides the shape of the first year. We show you both, in the same districts and at the same budget.
- Renting
- Buying
- How a tenancy is paid here
- What a service charge covers
Schools
International and private schools offer British, American, French and international curricula, so a family can carry on in the system it already knows.
- British
- American
- French
- International Baccalaureate
Healthcare
Health is treated as a priority here. Modern hospitals and clinics, prevention programmes and wellness provision, and the registrations that have to be in place before you need any of it.
- Hospitals and clinics
- Insurance
- Registration
- Prevention
Residence and documents
The permit everything else hangs on, and the Emirates ID that follows it. Handled with the move rather than as a separate job.
- Residence visa
- Emirates ID
- Family sponsorship
- Renewals
Tell us the date you want to land
We work backwards from it: the residence file, the school term, somewhere to live and the first weeks on the ground.
Book a consultationThe order it happens in
From the first conversation to the first school run
Each step exists because the one after it cannot be done without it. This is the sequence we set out at the start and work to.
The dates, and who is coming
When you want to land, who is coming with you, and what has to be true when you arrive — a school place, a job start, a lease ending somewhere else. Everything else is planned backwards from this.
The residence file
Yours first, because a spouse and children are sponsored on the back of it. Documents, attestations and translations assembled and checked before submission rather than corrected after.
Emirates ID and a tenancy
The two things a bank will ask for. They are also what a landlord and a school will ask for, which is why they are done together rather than one at a time.
The bank account, and what it unlocks
A school place, a car, a lease of your own, a phone contract. None of them can be signed before this, and all of them are usually wanted in the same week.
The first weeks on the ground
A home, a doctor, a phone number, a driving licence, the school run. Arranged in advance so the first month is spent living here rather than queueing.
Where people settle
Eight districts, and what each one is actually like
These are the ones we are asked about most often, described as somewhere to live rather than as somewhere to photograph. Which suits you depends on the school run, the commute and whether you want a garden or a view — we go through that with you rather than sending a list.
A cosmopolitan lifestyle
Jumeirah Village Circle
Developed by Nakheel Properties, a neighbourhood that draws locals and expatriates alike — urban, central, and close to everything.
A residential oasis
Jumeirah Village Triangle
Modern villas, spacious townhouses and bright apartments among gardens, with well-regarded schools nearby. The one families ask about most.
Glamour and grandeur
Downtown Dubai
Views of the Burj Khalifa, ultra-chic residences and penthouses, with The Dubai Mall and Dubai Opera on the doorstep.
The economic heart
Business Bay
Towers, panoramic residences and modern offices along the Dubai Canal. Where people live because their work is there.
Architectural masterpiece
Dubai Marina
Skyscrapers and a waterfront promenade, with high-end apartments and penthouses looking over the Arabian Gulf.
The eighth wonder
Palm Jumeirah
A man-made island shaped like a palm: low-rise apartments, villas, and a wide choice of hotels and resorts.
Prestige and greenery
Damac Hills
Built around the Trump International Golf Club — villas, apartments and the amenities families and golfers come for.
Tourism and lifestyle
Dubailand
A freehold district of more than three million square metres, planned around shops, dining, entertainment and leisure.
Every photograph here is of the district it names. Rents, service charges and availability move constantly and are quoted for a specific building rather than published for a district.
Life in the Emirates
What the city is like once the paperwork is behind you
The part nobody arranges for you, and the part everybody asks about.
A place that is used to arrivals
Cultural diversity and a long habit of hospitality make this one of the easier places in the world to arrive as a family and not feel like a visitor.
Souks and modern trade
Souks such as Souk Naif still sell textiles, perfumes, spices and gold at market prices, while Dragon Mart moves wholesale goods across the Emirates. Both are ordinary parts of the week here.
A working economy, not a resort
Port access, air connectivity and free zones such as Jebel Ali are why the multinationals are here — and why a move can be a career rather than a posting.
Questions
What families ask before they commit
How far ahead should we start?
Earlier than most people think, and the reason is the school year rather than the paperwork. Places at the schools families want go by term, and a place usually cannot be confirmed until the residence and the Emirates ID are done. Tell us the term you are aiming at and we will work backwards from it.
Should we rent first or buy straight away?
Renting buys you time to learn the city, and most people are glad of it. Buying makes sense where you already know the district and intend to stay. We show you both, in the same districts and at the same budget, and we are candid about the differences a brochure leaves out.
Can my spouse work?
It depends on the sponsorship and the role, and it is one of the things worth settling before the file is opened rather than after — because it can change which route we would take for the family. We go through it in the first conversation.
Which district should we live in?
It is decided by the school run and the commute more than by the view. The eight above are the ones we are asked about most; once we know where the children will be and where you will work, the list gets short quickly.
What happens in the first week?
A home to go to, a doctor registered, a phone number, a bank appointment and the school confirmed. We arrange those in advance precisely so the first week is not spent finding out which of them blocks the others.