How To's

MOVING TO THE UAE

HOW TO'S

A comprehensive step-by-step instruction guide to setting up in the UAE, from applying for your residence visa and resident ID to renting a home and opening a bank account.

Open a Bank Account (1/5)

Notarise and attest documents (2/5)

Apply for a resident visa – employment (3/5)

Apply for a Resident Identity Card (4/5)

Rent a home (5/5)

Overview

Notarisation procedures vary from country to country and what follows is a general description of what needs to be done. It’s best to contact your embassy in the UAE for precise instructions regarding authentication and costs.

Info

See Useful Links to find your home country embassy within the UAE.

Prerequisites

The following documents will need to be notarised and attested before moving to Dubai:

birth certificate
marriage certificate
education certificate (degree or equivalent)
professional certificates
power of attorney certificate
divorce papers

What to bring

All documents (originals) to be notarised
All related fees

Procedure

Submit the original and one copy of the document to a notary public informing them of where you are moving to.
If you have several documents to be notarised, ask the notary public to bind the documents together, list each document on a cover page and classify all as one document (this is to avoid each document being charged separately).
The notary public will sign and stamp the original and a copy of the entire document.
Have the document authenticated and attested by the relevant authority (for example, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in the UK or the State Department in the US).
Request instructions from the relevant authority for the exact procedure to follow. Typically, you have to enclose payment in the form of a cheque or postal order and a pre-paid self-addressed envelope or pre-arrange a courier service for them to send the documents back to you.
Take the notarised and authenticated documents to the UAE embassy in your home country.
Submit the documents to the authentication office.
If you send them by mail, provide a self-addressed return envelope.
The embassy will return the attested document to you.