Moving to Dubai - the Practicalities

In my first article I wrote about deciding on Dubai and the things we considered before making the final decision to move to Dubai. A huge part of that process is the research stage but once the decision has been made, organizing your international move must be tackled. So we come to the practicalities of moving to Dubai.

Whether your a seasoned expat living abroad or a first time expat, moving to Dubai will require some research because knowing more about the "how" and "what" will make the actual moving process a whole lot smother. Luckily for us, I love researching and making lists so I was in my element and thanks to the internet and some very helpful websites (Expat Echo, ExpatWomen, Expatsblog, Numbeo, Living in Dubai) we slowly but surely began to make sense of this whole moving to Dubai idea we had stupidly agreed to.

I say stupidly because actually the more I researched the more scared I got. What with document requirements and visa processes to understand, the logistical costs of moving and trying to understand how to get our dog in, plus the medical examinations and ID card application process, and understanding the new laws and regulations, not to mention finding somewhere to live in Dubai and coping with the notorious Dubai climate, my mind was a little chaotic. So to make your life easier, I will be covering:

• Research and planning a move to Dubai
• Passports and paperwork needed to Move to Dubai
• Moving a dog to Dubai
• Organising logistics to Dubai
• What to expect when landing in Dubai
• The immigration process in Dubai
• More about the medical examination in Dubai
• Obtaining the Emirates ID card
• Finding somewhere to live in Dubai
• Looking for work in Dubai
• Transportation options in Dubai
• Acclimatising to the weather in Dubai
• Learning customs and respecting the culture in Dubai
• The real cost of expat life in Dubai

Obviously everyone’s situation varies and in the series of articles that will follow, I am talking about the processes and procedures we went through, as two English citizens, to move to Dubai.

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