What You Need to Know About Moving to United Arab Emirates
The land of glory and rich history
UAE is made up of seven emirates, of which Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the two largest cities which draws millions of tourists each year. The Burj Khalifa, world’s largest building, being one of the biggest attractions. The country takes pride in its history of fishing, boating and trading, the traditional markets called souqs are preserved in their original state.
Religious traditions are an essential aspect of life in the UAE, therefore expats need to adhere to different etiquette and dress more modestly. These traditions and its rich history shapes UAE into the beautiful land of glory it is today.
UAE is often known as an expat’s paradise; it is home to the spectacular business hub – Dubai, also known to be the best planned city in the world. UAE boasts a strong and stable economy with a diversified industry portfolio from oil to a variety of technological and tourism industries. The tourism industry and expat community has grown over the year, this eliminated language barriers and introduced a multi-cultural population.
Educational standards are high in UAE with numerous private schools and universities teaching in English. UAE’s primary and higher education systems are ranked among the top 20 globally. There has been a rising number of international students choosing to study in UAE for their study abroad programmes.
Foreigners are allowed to purchase property in UAE, however the paperwork and rules are quite complicated. Therefore, expats prefer to rent an apartment or house. Rental prices have reduced over the past few years, increasing competitiveness of the market.
Its strong economy makes UAE a prime location for international businesses therefore professional opportunities are vast. Major industries for job opportunities being oil, construction, financial and tourism industry. UAE does not levy income tax on individuals, therefore you can enjoy a tax-free earning.
Opening a bank account as a non-resident is straightforward, however a few documents are necessary. In general you will need to prepare your passport with the UAE entry stamp, passport photo, proof of resident visa/Emirate ID card being processed, document stating employer’s name and salary details, letter of recommendation from previous bank and a letter of no objection from your employer or sponsor.
In UAE, to obtain a work permit you must first be granted a residency visa. To apply for a residency visa, you will need passport sized photographs, original passport and a copy, copy of a valid company card, commercial license of the company, valid health certificate and entry permit issued by Ministry of Labor, aside from the application form and application fee. Your employer will take care of the work permit for you.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the most expensive cities to live in the UAE, this is expected as the standard of living is very high. However, in general UAE is considered to have a lower cost of living compared to many other countries in the world.
UAE has a comprehensive, government-funded health service and a rapidly developing private health care sector that delivers a high standard of healthcare. Expatriates, unlike UAE citizens, will require a health card and pay a fee to access public hospitals or clinics.
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