Moving to Dubai: A Comprehensive Guide to Successful Expatriation

Are you considering moving to Dubai? Here’s a practical guide for those who would like to settle and work permanently in Dubai.

Leaving one’s home country and relocating to Dubai could be a fantastic experience for those who want to start a new life. But before anything else, to progress in life and in one’s new endeavor, it’s essential to discover the main advantages and differences compared to Belgium. Here you will find practical advice on education, health, housing, taxes, business, and much more.

Residing in Dubai: Expatriate Preferences

• Dubai offers a peaceful and beautiful life with a pleasant social energy and a productive and dynamic professional life.
• The weather is pleasant, especially from April to April, with sunlit days and a warm – climate that brings good spirits.
• Society life is rich with splendid hotels, parks equipped with golf courses, bars, nightclubs, clubs, luxury restaurants, available beaches, and sports clubs.
• Schools provide exemplary and quality education with a wide variety of different sections according to each child’s preferences. A considerable increase in companies has their residence in Dubai, offering many job opportunities.
• Dubai is known for having no taxes.
• The airport can accommodate up to 50 million international travelers.
• Dubai has many grand and magnificent shopping malls.
• The crime rate in Dubai is almost nonexistent. There is huge security in the city with little risk of theft, assault, and others.
• Alcohol is only tolerated in licensed places.
• Taxis are accessible.
• Gasoline is inexpensive.
• Housekeeping help is common.
  

Residing in Dubai – Expatriate Discomforts:

• Administrative procedures are multiple and sometimes complicated.
• A couple cannot live together if they are not legally united.
• In the summer season, the weather is very hot and stifling.
• Traffic is abundant on the road.
• Becoming a resident in Dubai is expensive.
• Enrolling a child in a school is expensive.
• The work schedule and hours can be tiring, sometimes working 6 days a week.
• The view of construction sites is present anywhere.

Important Tips:

• To obtain a residence visa, there are necessary modalities and requirements.
• Evening outings offer various activities and opportunities.
• Dubai’s culture is a combination of customs, traditions, and modernism.
• Dwellings differ according to lifestyle and positioning.
• Administrative procedures vary systematically.
• For procedures, medical examinations and fingerprints are required.
• Health insurance is mandatory to reside in Dubai.
• In Dubai, various means of transportation are available such as taxis, buses, metros, bicycles, rental cars, and boats.
• The job market is accessible but requires knowledge of the English language.
• A company domiciled in one of the free zones in Dubai or in one of the Emirates can simplify visa acquisition.
• Administrative procedures for enrolling your child in a school can take a long time.
• Medical centers such as pharmacies and hospitals provide clean and quality care.
• Communications are simplified and guaranteed by numerous telecommunication companies.
  

All this information will help you in your decision-making and will also help you better understand the lifestyle in Dubai to settle more effectively.