UAE
Dubai
Marhaba in the app. A local checklist, how-tos with real prices, and a directory of places that work for English speakers.
Cost of living
What one person usually spends
Newcomer checklist
11 tasks for Dubai, sequenced by phase. Track progress in the app.
11 tasks
First week
Month 1
Compare & choose
Every option gets a verdict
Bank accounts
You need a chequebook for rent. Choose accordingly.
4 banks · Checked June 2026
Home internet
Your building picks the provider. You pick the plan.
4 providers · Checked June 2026
Co-living & flexible stays
Furnished places to land for your first weeks, before you commit to an annual lease and cheques.
4 options · Checked June 2026
Gym memberships
From AED 99 big-box gyms to AED 1,000 clubs with ice baths.
4 gyms · Checked June 2026
Private hospitals & clinics
Where to actually get seen, the hospital groups expats use, ranked on network tier and English-speaking care.
4 options · Checked June 2026
Health insurance
Cover is mandatory in Dubai. Here's what each tier actually buys.
4 plans · Checked June 2026
Where to live
Seven areas ranked on annual rent, commute, and daily life, filter by what matters to you.
7 areas · Checked June 2026
Mobile providers
Two networks, three brands. And tourist SIMs at the airport.
4 providers · Checked June 2026
Editorial guides
Living
Your first 72 hours in Dubai
Land, get connected, learn the cheque-and-chiller vocabulary, and let the visa machine start turning.
Bureaucracy & Visas
Residence visa and Emirates ID, explained
The two documents everything else in Dubai hangs off. And the routes to get them, employed or not.
Housing
Renting in Dubai and the Ejari system
Cheques, agent fees, DEWA, and why your tenancy has to be registered to count.
Healthcare
Health insurance in Dubai is mandatory
Why you legally need cover, what employers provide, and how to top it up.
Living
Where to live in Dubai as a newcomer
Marina, JVC, Downtown or the older neighbourhoods. Compared on rent, commute and life.
Bureaucracy & Visas
Dubai taxes: zero isn't the whole story
No income tax, yes. But home-country rules, the new corporate tax, and the pension you're not building all need a plan.
Avoiding scams
Scams and traps to avoid in Dubai
Rental fraud, fake job offers, and the fees that catch newcomers. Verify Ejari and RERA before you pay anyone a dirham.
Lifestyle
Weekend picks, seasonal events, and local rituals — updated without an app release.
Neighbourhoods we cover
Dubai MarinaJVCBusiness BayDIFCDeiraMirdif
Join our community
How-tos
All guides →Get your residence visa & Emirates ID
The document pair everything else in Dubai hangs off.
1 to 3 weeks end to endAED 1,500 to 4,000 (often employer-paid)
Get a UAE SIM card
A working number in 10 minutes. Even at the airport.
10 to 20 minAED 50 to 125
Get a Nol card
Metro, tram, buses, and water taxis. One tap-everything card.
5 minAED 25 (incl. AED 19 credit)
Open a UAE bank account
For salary via WPS, rent cheques, and everything the apps can't do.
30 to 60 min · card in 2 to 5 daysFree (with salary transfer)
Sort your health insurance
Cover is legally required in Dubai. And tied to your visa.
1 to 3 days to compare and buyAED 700 to 6,000+/yr
Register your tenancy (Ejari)
The RTA registration that makes your lease officially exist.
15 min online · same dayAED 120 to 220
Set up DEWA (electricity & water)
Ten minutes online once you have your Ejari number.
10 min online · power same dayAED 130 activation + AED 2,000/4,000 deposit
Set up home internet
Your building decides the provider. The rest is easy.
15 min to order · 2 to 7 days to installAED 300 to 400/mo
Convert your driving licence
~50 countries swap directly. Everyone else goes to driving school.
1 hour at RTA (direct swap)AED 870 approx
Find a flat and sign the lease
Cheques, the RERA calculator, and the chiller question. Keys without surprises.
1 to 3 weeks of hunting~15% of annual rent in fees + deposits
Get a freelance permit (sponsor yourself)
The permits that turn "remote worker on a visit visa" into a legal Dubai resident with clients.
1 to 3 weeks end to endAED 7,500 to 20,000/yr depending on route
Know what to do in case of an accident
Save these three numbers before you need any of them.
10 min to read and save the numbersFree
Handle a car crash, step by step
Dubai's rule is simple once you know it, move for minor, freeze for serious.
30 min on the spot, longer if anyone's hurtFree (your time only)