Moving to Dubai

Leaving the UK Permanently: The Complete Checklist for 2026
In 30 Seconds Leaving the UK permanently is two projects, not one. Project one is the destination: the visa, the home, the school, the bank. Project two is the exit: telling HMRC properly, keeping your National Insurance story straight, handling the house, the loans and the licences. Most people obsess over project one and botch project two, then spend their first year abroad untangling it. This is the full ordered checklist, from six months out to the year after you land. It works for any destination. Where Dubai is different,... Read more...
Best Countries to Move to From the UK in 2026: The Honest List
In 30 Seconds There is no single best country to move to from the UK. There is a best country for your situation. If you want the easiest move on earth, it is Ireland: no visa, no permission, no paperwork to exist there. If you want sunshine inside Europe, Spain still wins on lifestyle but the tax picture needs real planning. If you are a business owner moving for financial reasons, the comparison keeps ending in Dubai: 0% personal income tax on salaries, a seven hour flight home, and everything... Read more...
Adam Condliffe of Landed Dubai, who ran the 72 hour landing process on the ground
Moving from the UK to Dubai: The First 72 Hours, Hour by Hour
In 30 seconds: Our founder Sam ran the full Landed landing process himself this week, as a client. He took off from London at 2pm on Monday 27 July 2026... Read more...
How to Move to Dubai Without a Job: The Four Routes
In 30 seconds: You do not need a job to move to Dubai, because the UAE residency system runs on sponsorship, not employment. The standard route is to become your own sponsor: form a UAE company for around £7,000 including your residence visa, and the company sponsors you whether it earns £1 or £1 million in year one. The other routes are a freelance permit, the golden visa for investors, and family sponsorship if your spouse holds a visa. What you do need is income or savings, because Dubai without... Read more...
Moving to Dubai from the UK: Requirements and the Full Checklist
In 30 seconds: The requirements for moving to Dubai from the UK come down to four categories. Documents: a passport with at least 6 months validity, photos, and clean copies of everything for the licence and bank. Legal: a UAE residence visa, obtained for most founders through their own company, plus a passed medical test and Emirates ID. Financial: enough accessible cash for setup, first year costs and up front rent, and evidence of where your funds come from for the bank. UK exit: notifying HMRC and managing your days... Read more...
Cost of Moving to Dubai from the UK: The Three Layers
In 30 seconds: The full cost of moving to Dubai from the UK breaks into three layers. One off setup: around £7,000 for a free zone company with one residence visa, plus £1,000 to £1,500 per additional family visa. First year establishment: £15,000 to £25,000 covering relocation, deposits, furnishings, insurance and the admin of landing, before rent. Housing: AED 70,000 to 120,000 a year for a one bed, roughly £15,000 to £25,000, paid up front in one or a few cheques. Then the recurring layer: licence and visa renewals, health... Read more...
How Much Money Do You Need to Move to Dubai?
In 30 seconds: As a working minimum, a solo founder needs around £30,000 to £40,000 of accessible cash to move to Dubai comfortably: roughly £7,000 for the company and residence visa, £15,000 to £25,000 of first year setup and relocation costs, and most of a year's rent up front because Dubai landlords are paid annually or in a few cheques. A couple should plan £45,000 to £60,000 and a family with school age children £70,000 or more once school fees enter the picture. On the income side, our rule of... Read more...
How Easy Is It to Move to Dubai? An Honest Difficulty Rating
In 30 seconds: Easier than almost any comparable move, with two hard parts. The immigration side is genuinely simple: no points system, no job offer needed, a company formed in days sponsors your residence visa, and the visa and Emirates ID follow inside two to three weeks. The hard parts are the bank account, which punishes sloppy paperwork, and the UK tax exit, which quietly decides whether the move was worth doing. Rate the whole thing honestly: immigration easy, admin medium, tax exit hard if you wing it, straightforward if... Read more...
Why Do People Move to Dubai? The Five Real Reasons
In 30 seconds: People move to Dubai for five reasons that compound: no personal income tax on salaries, a business environment where a company can be formed in days with 100 percent foreign ownership, high safety, an international lifestyle with year round sun, and a location that puts Europe, Asia and Africa within a day's reach. For British founders the tax and business case leads, but the honest picture includes real costs: rent paid up front, school fees, summer heat, and a UK tax exit that has to be done... Read more...
How to Move to Dubai: The Nine Steps in the Right Order
In 30 seconds: Moving to Dubai comes down to nine steps: plan the structure and timing, take a scouting trip on the 90 day visitor visa, choose free zone or mainland, form the company, get your residence visa and Emirates ID, open the bank account, complete the UK exit with HMRC, sort housing and insurance, then land and register your life admin. Done in the right order the whole sequence fits inside a month. Done in the wrong order it costs you money, mostly on the tax side. Step 1:... Read more...
Can I Move to Dubai from the UK?
In 30 seconds: Yes, you can move to Dubai from the UK, and it is more accessible than most people assume. There is no points system, no job offer requirement and no years long queue. You need a UAE residence visa, and the most common route for British founders and professionals is forming a UAE company that sponsors you. Entry itself is easy: British citizens get 90 days visa free on arrival. The real qualifying test is not immigration, it is financial: whether your income justifies the costs of the... Read more...