The United Arab Emirates is a country of luxury, wealth and eternal summer. Salary is higher here than in many states, and there are almost no taxes. For most people, the local flavor becomes attractive, and at the same time, there is a great desire to start a wonderful life from scratch, buy real estate in Dubai and find a new well-paid job. For those who have decided to move to Dubai for permanent residence, the official property website Emirates.Estate has prepared some useful tips.
Test your language skills
In order to move to a permanent place of residence, it is unnecessary to study and know Arabic perfectly. About 10% are the indigenous population of Dubai, the other 90% are emigrants from other countries. That is why it is enough to speak English. If you don’t speak English well, Emirates.Estate advises you to improve your language skills. Sometimes Russian-speaking specialists are required in some organizations, though.
Choose a goal
Before moving to live in Dubai, you need to decide why you want to relocate. You will need to get a visa, the so-called residence permit. A tourist visa for moving will not be enough, because it is valid for only 30 days. It can be extended for another 30 days, but it is not suitable for moving to Dubai and buying a property here. There are several options for obtaining a visa:
- Finding employment;
- Doing business;
- Entering a local university;
- Getting married to a citizen of the United Arab Emirates;
- Buying a property in Dubai.
Think about signing an employment contract
If the purpose of your visit to Dubai is work, the employer must conclude an employment contract with you. In the contract, there is information about your work position, the amount of salary, the number of working hours per week, the duration of the contract. If the contract is urgent, you will not be able to terminate it before the specified period. If it happened that you decided to quit, you can cancel your visa and put a job ban stamp in your passport for a period of 6 months to a year. You also need to discuss the conditions of your accommodation and payment with your employer in advance, as well as the availability of medical insurance. All this should be spelled out in the employment contract.
Or organize your own business
To get a business visa, you first need to apply to the Ministry of Economy with a business plan. If the answer to the business plan is positive, you can be approved for a one-year visa, where the goal will be spelled out – the opening of an enterprise or company. The documents required for obtaining a visa, which must be translated into English and Arabic, are as follows:
- Foreign passport;
- Photo 3.5×4.5 cm;
- Confirmation of your financial stability from the bank;
- Medical insurance;
- Consular fee of AED 312 ($85).
Think about going to university
It is never too late to learn — and this is a truth fixed at the legislative level. Think about starting to learn new skills here, moving to the country of your dreams. This will be useful for your development and consolidation in the UAE. Here is how to do it.
To begin with, prospective students submit an application on the university’s website, fill out a questionnaire and attach documents about their education, as well as an identity card and the results of the IELTS and TOEFL language exams. IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an exam that tests the knowledge of English, and TOEFL (Test of Knowledge of English as a Foreign Language) is a test designed for students studying English as a foreign language. After enrollment, the student must fill out a visa application form, pay a visa fee of approximately AED 7000 and a deposit of about AED 5000. This amount includes medical insurance, and at the end of the training, this money is returned to the student. A student visa is issued for one year. After this period, it can be extended free of charge.
Marry a citizen of the UAE
Of course, you do not need to bind yourself with a fake marriage. This advice is suitable for those who already have a love affair with a citizen of the UAE, but have not yet legalized this relationship. Both religious and civil weddings are welcome in Dubai. All religions are treated equally positively. At least one of the spouses must have a UAE resident visa. Future spouses must pass a medical examination and the necessary tests. Also, a marriage contract must be drawn up between the spouses. The marriage must also be concluded in Dubai.
An interesting fact is that a Muslim can marry a woman of another faith. But a Muslim woman should not marry a man of another religion.
Buy an apartment in Dubai
Another option for obtaining a residence permit is to buy real estate in Abu Dhabi, for example, and the amount of housing must be at least AED 1,000,000. When buying, you need to understand what type of housing you want to buy and where.
Since there are several types of real estate in Dubai, you need areas where freehold properties are available — this is the only way you can become the full owner of the purchased apartment in Dubai.
Be aware of the cost of housing and services
Housing prices in the UAE are different depending on the location and type of the property. For example, there is an average one-room apartment in Downtown Dubai at a price of AED 1,900,888. At the same time, for about the same money — for AED 1,831,888 — you can buy a 3-bedroom villa in Dubai Land.
In fact, all areas of Dubai are distinguished by a high level of comfort, but in each case there are subtle differences associated with the location of sports, entertainment or educational institutions nearby. You can figure it out on your own or ask for help from agents who will prepare a detailed overview of each residential block for you.
Emirates.Estate will help you buy a property in Dubai
The official real estate website Emirates.Estate can tell you more about all types of property in the UAE, as well as about the areas and their features. Its experts will select interesting options for apartments or houses in the most popular areas of Dubai, help you prepare and translate all the necessary documents, correctly draw up a sales agreement, and also guarantee the transaction from start to finish.
