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: Plan Before You Book Anything

The order of events determines your tax outcome. When in the UK tax year you leave, what happens to any UK company, and when your UAE income starts all interact with HMRC's Statutory Residence Test. Decide the structure first, then book flights. A move planned a few months out nearly always beats one improvised in a fortnight.

Step 2: Scout on the Visitor Visa

British citizens get a free visitor visa on arrival, valid up to 90 days in any 180 day period. Use a week of it: view apartments in two or three districts, test the commute, meet your adviser, price schools if you have children. If you travel on a non British passport, arrange your visit visa first: the rules are in our guide for UK residents on other passports.

Step 3: Choose Free Zone or Mainland

Free zones give 100 percent foreign ownership, fast setup and, for businesses meeting the qualifying conditions, favourable corporate tax treatment. Mainland licences suit businesses trading directly inside the UAE market. Most UK service businesses, consultancies and online businesses start in a free zone.

Step 4: Form the Company

Pick the licence activity that matches what you actually do, submit passport copies and the application, receive the licence. With documents ready this takes a few working days; we have done it in 48 hours. The licence is the foundation of everything that follows because the company sponsors your visa.

Step 5: Residence Visa and Emirates ID

The company applies for its establishment card, then your entry permit and residence visa. In the UAE you complete a medical test and biometrics, and the Emirates ID follows. Allow two to three weeks end to end. Note the medical is mandatory for residence visas and includes a blood test; UK government guidance is explicit that testing positive for certain communicable diseases can mean detention and deportation, so take advice first if that could affect you.

Step 6: Open the Bank Account

The step that stalls DIY moves. UAE banks want your licence, Emirates ID, proof of address and a clear story about where your money comes from. A clean, complete file opens in days. A vague one sits in compliance for months. Prepare the file like it is an application, because it is.

Step 7: Exit the UK Properly

Tell HMRC you are leaving, typically via form P85 or your self assessment return. Start counting UK days from day one and understand your remaining ties: family, accommodation and work ties all feed the Statutory Residence Test. This step is where the financial benefit of the move is won or lost. Full detail in our Dubai tax guide.

Step 8: Housing and Insurance

Rent in Dubai is paid annually or in a small number of cheques, so you need most of a year of rent available at signing. Health insurance is mandatory for residence visa holders in Dubai. Line both up before the family lands, not after.

Step 9: Land and Register

Utilities, phone, driving licence conversion, school enrolment. Most of it needs your Emirates ID, which is why the sequence above matters: each step unlocks the next.

How Long Does the Whole Thing Take?

Company formation: days. Visa and Emirates ID: two to three weeks. Bank: days to weeks depending on your file. A decisive, well prepared move runs about a month from instruction to fully resident. The planning phase before it, especially the tax structuring, deserves longer. One timing note: the FCDO currently advises against all but essential travel to the UAE due to regional tensions, so check the live advice and your insurance before booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first step to moving to Dubai?

Planning the structure and timing, not booking flights. Your leave date, your UK company arrangements and your UAE income start date all affect your tax position under the UK Statutory Residence Test, and they are much easier to set correctly in advance.

Can I do the whole move myself?

Legally yes. In practice the free zone choice, licence activity selection, visa sequencing and bank file are where DIY moves lose weeks and money. The UK tax exit is where they lose the most.

How long does it take to move to Dubai from the UK?

About a month for a well prepared move: days for the company, two to three weeks for the residence visa and Emirates ID, then banking and housing. We have completed the licence stage in 48 hours.

Do I need to be in Dubai for the process?

You need to be in the UAE for the medical test and biometrics during the visa stage. Much of the company formation can be handled remotely before you fly.

What documents do I need to move to Dubai?

A passport valid for at least 6 months, passport photos, and for the bank a proof of address and evidence of where your funds come from. Specific licence activities can require extra documents.

When should I tell HMRC I am leaving?

Around your departure, typically via form P85 or through your self assessment return. Keep records of your UK days from the day you leave, because the Statutory Residence Test counts them.

Want it done in the right order first time? Book a free call with Landed. Formation, visa, bank and the UK exit checklist, handled as one sequence.

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References and Further Reading