v256.0 · relocation checklist · GB → AE · verified 2026-04
United Kingdom to UAE — relocation checklist
15-step ordered checklist covering visa, banking, healthcare, housing, taxes, schooling, shipping, and pets. Written for the UK professional / founder / family seeking 0% personal income tax + Golden Visa post-FIG-window.
From
Total cost
£6,000-22,000 — visa, shipping, deposits
Timeline
10-16 weeks pre-arrival, 4-6 weeks post-arrival
Typical profile for this pair
UK professional / founder / family seeking 0% personal income tax + Golden Visa post-FIG-window
Step-by-step checklist (15 steps)
Pre-departure (12-16 weeks out)
- Choose visa — Golden Visa (AED 2M property/investment or AED 30K/month salary), Employment Visa, Investor Visa, Green Visa
Pre-departure (10-14 weeks out)
- Golden Visa: investment proof; Employment: employer files via Tasheel
Pre-departure (8-12 weeks out)
- Attested educational + experience certificates — UK Foreign Office apostille for UAE consulate authentication
Pre-departure (6-10 weeks out)
- UK ACRO Police Certificate + Apostille
Pre-departure (4-8 weeks out)
- UK tax planning — SA109 (Non-resident); plan FIG window exit; Statutory Residence Test split-year
Pre-departure (2-4 weeks out)
- Ship — UK→UAE sea freight 14-21 days, £3,500-9,000 for 20ft
Pre-departure (1-2 weeks out)
- Pet — UAE Ministry of Climate Change permit; microchip + rabies + UK government health certificate; £500-2,000
Arrival (Week 1)
- Medical fitness + Emirates ID biometrics
Arrival (Week 1-2)
- Ejari rental contract registration
Arrival (Week 2-3)
- Open UAE bank (Emirates NBD, FAB, ADCB) with Emirates ID + Ejari + salary cert / investment proof
Arrival (Week 2-4)
- Utilities (DEWA / ADDC) + mobile (Etisalat, du) + internet
Arrival (Week 3-4)
- Children school enrollment — British curriculum widely available (Repton, Brighton College, DESS, GEMS Wellington)
Arrival (Week 4-6)
- Tax Residency Certificate (TRC) from UAE FTA — 90-day or 183-day basis
Arrival (Month 2-3)
- UK SA106 + SA109; ensure SRT compliance to break UK residence cleanly
Ongoing
- Golden Visa renewable every 10 years; UK FIG regime 4-year clean break (if claimed before move) preserves 0% on foreign-source 4 years post-FIG
Cost breakdown
| Golden Visa application | AED 3,000-15,000 + investment |
| Medical + Emirates ID | AED 1,500 |
| Ejari + first month rent + deposit (Dubai 2BR) | AED 20,000-50,000 |
| Shipping (UK→UAE 20ft) | £3,500-9,000 |
| School fees (per child, K-12 British) | AED 30,000-100,000/year |
| ACRO + Apostille | £55-90 + £30 |
| Pet relocation | £500-2,000 |
⚠ Gotchas + watch-outs
- UK Statutory Residence Test (SRT) sufficiency required to break UK tax residence — careful timing
- UK FIG regime (April 2025+) gives 4-year clean break — coordinate with UAE move
- UK domicile of origin "sticky" — IHT residence-based rule since April 2025 (10-year rule)
- UAE Corporate Tax 9% (June 2023+) for businesses outside qualifying Free Zone
- UK-UAE DTAA (2016) prevents double taxation — file TRC promptly
- Pet entry from UK requires UK government health certificate, not standard EU Pet Passport
Official sources
- UAE GDRFA — https://www.gdrfad.gov.ae/
- HMRC SRT Guidance — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rdr3-statutory-residence-test-srt
- UAE FTA — https://tax.gov.ae/
See also: United Kingdom profile · United Arab Emirates profile · all relocation checklists · United Arab Emirates digital nomad visa · United Arab Emirates tax residency · United Arab Emirates banking · United Arab Emirates healthcare
Last verified 2026-04. Immigration, tax, and banking rules change frequently — verify with official sources before acting.