Budgeting
How much do I need to move to the UAE?
Who’s moving
Adults
2
Plan for your first
Your move
Your visa
Self-sponsored covers retirement, green and freelance visasYour partner
Furniture
Car
0
School fees a year, per child
Money coming in
AED 35k
£0
Safety buffer
Help from your employer
None
Repaid from your salary over a year
School allowance
Have this much ready before you move
AED 236,854
about £48,337 at AED 4.90 to £1 · includes a 1-month safety buffer
Costs in your first 6 monthsAED 354,882
Covered by your employer and othersAED 0
Deposits you get back when you leaveAED 15,525
Running costs a monthAED 13,029
Month by month (AED)
WhenOutInLowest point
Before you fly32,6000−32,600
Month 1173,51435,000−206,114
Month 213,02935,000−184,142
Month 313,02935,000−162,171
Month 496,65435,000−223,825
Month 513,02935,000−201,854
Month 613,02935,000−179,882
The deepest “lowest point” is the cash you need, plus your buffer. Pay is counted at the end of each month, so the lowest point falls just before payday. It assumes your lease and school start in month 1, and 2 rent cheques of AED 47,625 (months 1, 4), plus school terms in months 1 and 4.
Before you fly
Flights out for 4 (economy) EstimateAED 8,800
Attesting 4 documents (degree, marriage, birth) EstimateAED 2,800
Shipping your belongings EstimateAED 8,000
School application feesAED 1,000
School registration deposits (10%, taken off term 1)AED 12,000
When you land
Temporary home for 4 weeksAED 18,476
Your residence visa, medical and Emirates ID Employer pays, by lawAED 0
Family visas (3) EstimateAED 5,200
Health insurance for 3 dependants (a year) EstimateAED 10,500
Security deposit You get it backAED 9,525
Agency fee (5% plus VAT)AED 10,001
Ejari registrationAED 178
DEWA deposit You get it backAED 4,000
DEWA activation and feesAED 330
Furniture and basics EstimateAED 15,000
Car rental deposit You get it back EstimateAED 2,000
UK licence swap (with eye test)AED 1,050
Salik toll tagAED 100
SIM, nol card and small set-up EstimateAED 500
Every month
Housing fee (5% of rent)AED 794
DEWA billsAED 1,600
Home internetAED 285
Mobile EstimateAED 350
Groceries EstimateAED 4,200
Eating out and leisure EstimateAED 3,000
Car rental, fuel and tolls EstimateAED 2,800
What can wait
- School fees: Dubai schools collect fees termly, in three instalments (40%, 30%, 30%). Some offer 10 monthly payments.
- A car: if you can live near the Metro, you can put off a car, and the licence swap, until you know your routine.
- Furniture: second-hand furniture sells fast in Dubai, and many people furnish room by room over the first year.
Where else help can come from
- Your employer, by law: UAE employers must pay for your work visa, medical test and Emirates ID, and can’t pass those costs on to you. Your family’s visas are usually yours to pay, unless your package says otherwise.
- Your package: ask about a relocation allowance, flights, shipping, a temporary home and a housing allowance paid in advance for your first rent cheque. Get it in writing.
- HMRC: if you leave partway through the UK tax year, you may be owed a refund. Claim it with form P85.
- Your UK home and things: rent from letting your home, or money from selling your car and furniture, can fund the first months.
- Deposits: the AED 15,525 in deposits comes back when you leave, minus any deductions. Don’t count on it for the move itself.
Rent is the H1 2026 average asking rent for a 3-bed villa in that type of area: AED 190,500 a year. Items marked “Estimate” are our own planning figures; check your own quotes.
Sources and assumptions
- Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021, Article 6: employers can’t charge workers recruitment or employment costs (Gulf News explainer)
- Visa fees: Sarmat, Sept 2026 (GDRFA AED 740, medical AED 270, Emirates ID AED 300; AED 1,310–1,880 a person before insurance); Nexture: family visa costs; Business Link: retirement visa (about AED 8,000–10,000 all-in). We use AED 2,000 per adult dependant, AED 1,600 per child and AED 8,000 if you sponsor yourself.
- Health insurance: HAYAH 2026 price guide (Dubai AED 725–5,945 a person a year). We use AED 3,500 per dependant.
- Dubai Land Department: Ejari · DEWA: move-in deposit and activation · RTA: licence exchange (AED 1,050 with eye test)
- School fees: KHDA registration and refund policy, as summarised by SchoolsCompared: application fee up to AED 500, deposit up to 10% taken off term 1, three termly instalments of 40%, 30% and 30%
- Temporary home: ServicedApartments.ae, March 2026 (1-bed AED 12,500–15,000 a month, bills included; we use AED 20,000 for a family-size home). Car rental: Rentop 2026 guide (sedans AED 1,800–2,500 a month)
- Documents: GOV.UK: legalisation (£45 a document, e-Apostille £35) and MOFA attestation of AED 150 a document (Emirabiz); UAE embassy fees vary, so we use AED 700 a document. Leaving the UK: GOV.UK: form P85
- Rent, housing fee and running costs come from the same figures as the cost of living calculator (Bayut H1 2026 rents). Flights, shipping, furniture, cars, pets and small set-up costs are our own estimates, labelled “Estimate”. Exchange rate AED 4.90 to £1.
Information, not advice. Results are estimates to help you plan. Check your own figures and take professional advice before you commit.
Early access
Want more than the free guides?
Join the waitlist for what comes next: verified local experts, a saved move plan with reminders, and people who’ve made the same move.
Join the waitlistFree · one email when we launch