New to DubaiStep-by-step guides to setting up your life in Dubai, for people who have just moved here
Plain guides to the paperwork, the apartment hunt and daily life in Dubai. They're set out in the order you'll need them.
See the topicsWhat these guides cover
Your first weeks here come with a long list: a residence visa, an Emirates ID, a tenancy contract, electricity and water, a phone plan. Each guide takes one item on that list. It tells you what to do, what you'll need and what comes next.
About this guideChoose the part you're dealing with now
Six topics, from your first week to your first car.
- Moving to Dubai: what to sort out first, and in what order The order newcomers set up life in Dubai: visa and Emirates ID, a home, utilities, a bank account and driving, with a guide for each step.
- UAE residence visa: how it works, from the medical test to Emirates ID and UAE Pass How a UAE residence visa works for newcomers: sponsors, the medical test, biometrics, Emirates ID and UAE Pass, with links to each guide.
- Where to live in Dubai: searching, renting and registering your home How to find a flat or room in Dubai, what to check before you sign, and how to register your tenancy with Ejari, with links to each guide.
- Dubai utilities: getting electricity, water, phone, internet and air conditioning working How to switch on DEWA, get a phone number and home internet once you have a place in Dubai, and how to keep your air conditioning running.
- Living in Dubai day to day: apps, transport, delivery and holidays The everyday systems you'll use living in Dubai: key apps, the metro and Nol card, couriers instead of post, and public holidays that move.
- Driving in Dubai: licences, renting, buying a car and fines How driving in Dubai works for newcomers: getting a UAE licence, renting or buying a car, and checking fines and Salik tolls, with links to each guide.
The usual order of things
Later steps ask for documents from earlier ones. Doing them in this order means you have what you need each time.
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Get your residence visa
This includes the medical test. Much of what follows asks for your visa.
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Collect your Emirates ID and set up UAE Pass
You'll need them for your tenancy contract, utilities and government services.
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Find and register a home
Search, read everything before you sign, then register the contract.
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Connect the basics
Electricity and water first, then phone and internet.
How the guides are set out
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One task per guide
Each article sticks to a single job, so you can go straight to the bit you need.
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Local terms explained
The guides assume you've just arrived. A glossary page explains the local words and acronyms you'll meet.
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In the order you'll need it
Each guide ends by pointing you to the next step, not back to the start.
Questions people ask first
What should I do first after I arrive?
Get your residence visa. Your Emirates ID, tenancy contract and most utility accounts depend on it.
What is UAE Pass?
A digital ID you use to sign in to government services. The visa guide shows you how to set it up.
Can I drive on my licence from home?
It depends on where your licence was issued. The cars and driving guide covers your options.
Are these guides official advice?
No. They explain each process in plain words. Rules change, so always check the latest with the authority involved.
Not sure where to begin?
Start with the getting started guide. It points you to each of the other topics as you need them.