Valerio Sciamannetti
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Moving to Dubai with family means sorting out many things besides the home. I have lived here since 2001 and I always see the same pattern: people start from the apartment, and only afterwards realise that schools, residency and banking had their own timelines.
This article is not a list of bureaucracy. It is the order in which it makes sense to move, with the things that are usually discovered too late.
There is no sequence that suits everyone, because it depends on how you are moving: for work, with a business of your own, or through an investment. One criterion, however, almost always holds: first the things with a deadline or a waiting list, then those that can be sorted in a few days.
Usually the order is residency, schools, home, bank, transport. The home is not at the top of the list, as many people think.
The first month is when most mistakes are made, because everything seems urgent. Put things in three columns: deadlines, waiting lists, comforts. The first two are done straight away. The third can wait.
The type of visa depends on why you are moving and on how the family is made up. In general it is best to clarify straight away who gets the main visa and how spouse and children are added. Requirements and timelines change: check on the website of the Dubai residency and foreign affairs authority or with a professional, for your specific case.
For visas, schools and banks you will need the same documents several times: passports, your children’s birth certificates, a marriage certificate if you are moving as a couple. Some offices ask for translations or legalisation, others don’t, and the rules can change.
In general it is best to have a tidy digital copy before leaving and to check with each body what is needed in your case. It is the least glamorous preparation and the one that saves the most stress.
If you have school-age children, it is best to match your arrival to the school year, not to the urge to leave. Arriving mid-year means looking for a place at a time when classes are already formed, and this narrows the choices.
Ask schools when enrolment opens and how they handle mid-year entries. Rules vary from school to school, so get the answers in writing.
It is the part newcomers underestimate. The schools families like are not unlimited, and in some the places run out. Contact them before choosing the area, not after: home and school need to be a reasonable distance apart, because in Dubai you get around by car and timetables matter.
Ask each school which documents are needed for enrolment and whether your children’s certificates need to be translated. For schools, drivers and everything that isn’t real estate there is Bespoke Concierge, an assistant on WhatsApp available every day.
If you don’t yet know the city, I usually advise renting for the first few months. An area is understood by living in it, with your own schedules and routes, not by looking at a map. The rental contract must be registered with Ejari, the contract registration system: ask the landlord to do it and check that it has been done. Also clarify straight away what is included in the rent and how utilities are paid: it is a detail worth putting in writing.
Buying comes later, when you know which area you like. At that point you work as always: first the objective, then the strategy, then the property. The same goes for big expenses: a car and a full set of furniture can wait a few months. If you do need to furnish right away, there is Bespoke Design, with a fixed budget and a single invoice.
In the first few months something always happens: a fever, a check-up, a prescription. It is best to know in advance which clinic to go to and what your insurance covers, instead of finding out on the day you need it.
Ask someone who has lived here longer and compare at least two clinics near home. Save the contact details on both parents’ phones.
No list replaces your own case. It only serves so you don’t forget the things that have a deadline.
Make a list of the things that have a deadline and start with those. The rest gets sorted out along the way, and if something isn’t needed yet, don’t buy it just because someone offers it to you. If you want a single point of contact for everything, write to me.
The route depends on the reason for the move: work, your own business or an investment. In general you start from the main applicant’s visa, then add spouse and children, then sort out school, home, bank and health insurance. Requirements and timelines change: check with the relevant authority or a professional.
Usually it is better to rent for the first few months, to understand area, school and routes. Buying makes more sense later, when you know where you feel at home and have a clear objective. If you feel pushed to buy straight away, stop: I’ll be the first to tell you.
As soon as possible, and before choosing a home. In some schools places run out and mid-year entries are limited. Contact several schools, ask for documents and timelines in writing and only then choose the area to live in.
In Dubai health insurance is generally required for residents. The conditions depend on the type of visa and on who provides it. Check how it works in your case and whether it covers the whole family, children included.
Banks ask for personal documents and proof of the source of funds. Preparing them before arriving shortens the process. Requirements vary from bank to bank, so check with the one you choose or with Bespoke Banking.
If you are moving and don’t want to handle schools, bank and paperwork on your own, message me on WhatsApp: one point of contact for every aspect of life in Dubai, with Bespoke Concierge.