The UAE has expanded beyond an oil economy and a skyline built for tourists. With finance, technology, logistics, and renewable energy sectors expanding and growing, the country has turned into one of the most established options for international assignments in the world.
For HR teams and global mobility managers, moving talent to the UAE is a permanent fixture on the planning calendar — one of the busiest corridors for corporate relocation globally. For employees, it’s a posting that combines tax-free earning potential with a fast-paced, multicultural living experience.
This guide covers what both sides need to know before moving to the UAE. Read on to learn about the immigration process, the cost of living, the day-to-day of settling in, and more.
Everything You Need to Know about Moving to the UAE as an Expat
Work Visas and Residence Permits
The UAE’s immigration process is employer-driven, runs through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), and moves considerably faster than in most other relocation markets:
1. Work permit: Once an offer is signed, the employer applies for a work permit through MOHRE or the relevant free zone authority. For mainland roles, approval can come through in as few as five working days.
2. Entry permit: Issued alongside the work permit and valid for 60 days, this lets the employee enter the country — or, if they’re already in the UAE on another visa, allows an in-country status change without leaving.
3. Medical test and Emirates ID: Within 14 days of arrival, the employee completes a mandatory medical screening and applies for an Emirates ID, the country’s biometric national ID card.
4. Residence visa stamping and labor card: The final step, usually completed within a few working days. The standard residence visa runs for two years and renews automatically as long as the employee stays with the same sponsor.
End to end, most standard employment visas take two to four weeks from offer to final stamping, well short of the three-to-five-month timelines common elsewhere. Employers cover the bulk of the fees by law.
Two other pathways are worth knowing. The Golden Visa offers 10-year, self-sponsored residency to investors, specialized professionals, and high earners; it doesn’t require employer sponsorship, though working for a UAE company still requires a separate MOHRE work permit. The Green Visa offers five-year self-sponsored residency to skilled employees earning above AED 15,000 a month, useful for senior hires who want residency independent of their employer.
Cost of Living
There’s no personal income tax in the UAE; the budgeting question is mostly about housing, not take-home pay.
Rent varies sharply by emirate. A one-bedroom apartment in central Dubai (Marina, JLT, Downtown) typically runs AED 6,000–10,000 a month ($1,650–$2,750); the same in central Abu Dhabi costs a little less, around AED 6,000–9,200 ($1,700–$2,500). Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah run cheaper still, often AED 3,000–6,000 for a one-bedroom.
A comfortable single-person budget in Dubai, covering rent, utilities, daily expenses, and insurance, is around AED 17,000–30,000 (USD 4,630–8,170 ) a month; in Abu Dhabi, a budget may be AED 11,750–19,100 (USD 3,200–5,200). Dubai and Abu Dhabi have the highest cost of living because of corporate and expat demand, and rent in both cities has climbed in recent years, so it’s worth building some buffer into the budget for renewal increases.
Taxes and Payroll
The UAE doesn’t levy personal income tax, capital gains tax, or inheritance tax on individuals — salaries, freelance income, and investment returns are all received in full. The taxes that exist sit mostly at the business level: a 9% corporate tax applies to company profits above AED 375,000 (USD 102,100), and a 5% VAT applies to most goods and services, neither of which touches an employee’s paycheck.
Non-GCC expats don’t pay into social security at all. In its place, employers owe a statutory end-of-service gratuity — a lump-sum payment based on years of service, paid out when employment ends, that functions as the rough equivalent of a severance or retirement benefit.
For US citizens, the absence of local income tax complicates filing. With no UAE tax paid, there’s no foreign tax credit to claim, which makes the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion the main tool for reducing US tax exposure; worldwide income still has to be reported on a US return regardless of UAE tax treatment. Looping in a tax advisor, especially for senior or equity-compensated hires, helps avoid surprises at year-end.
Climate, Language, and Daily Life
The UAE has a hot desert climate. Summers, roughly April through October, are intense, with daytime temperatures regularly well above 40°C (104°F) and high humidity. Winters are the opposite: mild, dry, and pleasant, with daytime temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s°C (70s°F) — the season when most outdoor activities take place.
Arabic is the official language, but English functions as the working language of business and daily life. With expatriates making up roughly 88% of the population, employees can operate entirely in English from day one, a contrast to relocation markets where the local language stays the default at work.
Here are several points to note to set expectations:
- Islam is the predominant religion, so business hours and public dining shift around Ramadan and other religious observances.
- The UAE is markedly cosmopolitan and has relaxed several previously strict laws: alcohol no longer requires a personal license to consume in licensed venues or at home, and cohabitation between unmarried couples has been legal since reforms in 2020 and 2021. Sharjah is the exception — it remains a fully dry emirate.
- Public displays of affection are still discouraged, and modest dress is expected in malls, government buildings, and public spaces, even where enforcement has relaxed.
- LGBTQ+ identities are not legally recognized or protected.
Relocating Families
Dependent visas follow once the employee’s own residence visa is issued, and sponsorship is subject to a minimum salary threshold set by immigration authorities — worth confirming early in the offer process.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai both run dense networks of British, American, and IB schools. In Abu Dhabi, long-established options include the British School Al Khubairat (the emirate’s flagship British school, founded in 1968), the American Community School of Abu Dhabi, and Raha International School for the full IB continuum. Dubai’s school market is larger still, anchored by long-running institutions like Dubai College and Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS). Waiting lists at the most established schools are common, so applications should go in well before the move date.
Families tend to cluster around specific communities: Dubai Marina, JLT, and villa communities like Arabian Ranches and Dubai Hills in Dubai; the Corniche, Al Reem Island, and Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi; Al Zahia in Sharjah. Healthcare is excellent, and insurance is mandatory. Employers are required to provide it, and coverage typically extends to dependents, with private hospital networks such as Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Mediclinic well-regarded by international standards.
Getting Around
Dubai has the most developed public transport system in the country: a driverless metro line, an extensive bus network, and widely available taxis and ride-hailing through Careem and Uber. Abu Dhabi and the smaller emirates rely more heavily on cars; public transport exists but serves fewer routes, so most residents drive or take taxis.
Between cities, the highway network is excellent — the drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi takes roughly 90 minutes by car. The intercity rail picture is changing fast too: Etihad Rail’s national passenger network is opening in phases through 2026 and 2027, starting with an Abu Dhabi–Fujairah route and adding a Dubai station later this year, eventually connecting all seven emirates and cutting travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai to under an hour, with a future high-speed line targeting 30 minutes.
The UAE sits at GMT+4 year-round, with no daylight-saving changes. That puts it in workable overlap with both European mornings and Asian business hours, useful for teams managing clients or colleagues across both regions. Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s airports also rank among the busiest in the world with direct flights to most major business centers.
Life Outside of Work
Deira’s Gold Souk and Spice Souk are still the best way to see old-school Dubai commerce up close. Desert safaris and dune bashing are a rite of passage for new arrivals, and the coastline supports a beach-club and water-sports culture for most of the year.
For culture, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Louvre Abu Dhabi are worth the drive, and Dubai’s Museum of the Future has become a fixture for visitors and residents alike. For those craving elevation, Jebel Jais — the UAE’s highest peak, in Ras Al Khaimah — offers mountain scenery a world away from the skyline.
Best Cities for Relocation in the UAE
Dubai
Dubai is the UAE’s commercial and tourism capital and the place most corporate assignments land. It’s home to the Dubai International Financial Centre, a dense expatriate community, and the country’s fastest-paced lifestyle, along with its highest cost of living.
Abu Dhabi
The UAE’s capital runs at a calmer pace than Dubai. It’s home to government ministries, sovereign wealth institutions, and Abu Dhabi Global Market, with a more family-oriented character and cultural depth through museums and universities.
Sharjah
Known as the cultural capital of the Arab world and recognized by UNESCO, Sharjah is the UAE’s most affordable major emirate and its most conservative — fully alcohol-free, with a strong family and education focus. Some residents commute into Dubai for work while living here at a fraction of the cost.
Ras Al Khaimah
RAK has spent the past several years transforming from a quiet northern emirate into one of the UAE’s fastest-growing destinations, driven by RAKEZ’s SME and industrial growth and the Wynn Al Marjan Island integrated resort, set to open in 2027 and bring thousands of new jobs. It combines a lower cost of living with a mountain-and-coast lifestyle and has become popular with remote and hybrid workers.
How Arpin Can Help with Moving to the UAE
Once the immigration and HR groundwork is in place, the physical move is the part Arpin handles. As a FIDI-certified international mover, Arpin assigns a dedicated move coordinator to manage packing, customs documentation, and door-to-door delivery, with options for storage and flexible payment plans for those handling part of the cost themselves.
If your company is planning a move to the UAE, request a free quote and Arpin’s team will walk you through scheduling, pricing, and what to expect at each stage.
