Moving to Dubai is not cheap at the start. The tax saving can make the move worthwhile, but before that starts helping, you need cash set aside for the relocation. Most people underestimate that amount by a wide margin.
This article covers the one-time costs of getting there and getting set up. It does not cover what you will spend each month once you are living in Dubai. For ongoing monthly costs, the Dubai vs London cost of living comparison covers that properly. This article focuses on what leaves your account in the first 30-90 days.
Here is what you actually need.
The realistic total: what to budget before you land
Before breaking it down, it helps to give you a straight headline number. For a single professional moving to Dubai with no children, expect to spend £15,000-£25,000 in one-off relocation costs. For a family of four with children in school, that figure rises to £35,000-£60,000, depending on school fees, how much you ship, and the area you rent in.
These figures come from actual moves, not best-case estimates. The breakdown below shows where the money goes.
Visa and Emirates ID fees
Your first unavoidable cost is the visa. You cannot live and work in the UAE without one, and the cost changes depending on the route you take.
The most common routes for UK professionals are the employment visa, which is sponsored by a UAE employer, the investor or entrepreneur visa, and the Golden Visa. A typical employment or investor visa costs AED 3,000-5,000 (£650-£1,100) in government fees. That does not include the medical test, which costs AED 300-500, or £65-£110, or the Emirates ID card, which costs AED 370, or around £80.
The UAE Golden Visa, which gives 10-year residency, costs more to set up. It usually runs AED 10,000-15,000 (£2,200-£3,300) once you include government fees, the biometrics appointment, and the paperwork. If you use an agent or visa consultant to manage the process, add a service fee on top.
For a full breakdown of which visa route applies to your situation, see UAE visa types for UK nationals.
Total visa costs to budget: £750-£3,500 depending on route.
Shipping your belongings from the UK
This is the part where costs vary the most from one person to the next. If you are moving to a furnished apartment and only shipping personal items, you can get by with air freight or a small shared container. If you are moving a full household, you will need a dedicated container.
Air freight is fast, usually 5-7 days, but expensive. Expect to pay £3-£6 per kg. A sensible amount of personal effects, around 200kg, would cost £600-£1,200 by air freight.
A shared container, also called groupage or part-load, is cheaper for medium volumes of belongings. Prices usually run £1,500-£3,500 from the UK to Dubai, depending on volume and the removal company you use. Transit time is 4-6 weeks.
A full 20-foot container from the UK to Dubai costs £3,500-£6,000. A 40-foot container for a full household runs £5,500-£9,000. These prices cover shipping only. Packing materials and insurance are extra. Budget another 10-15% if you want full cover.
If you are renting a furnished apartment in Dubai, which is very common in the first year, you can ship far less and bring this cost down a lot. Many UK professionals do exactly that. They ship sentimental items and clothes, leave the furniture behind, and buy what they need in Dubai.
Total shipping to budget: £600-£9,000 depending on volume. Most single professionals budget £1,500-£3,000. Families with a full household budget £5,000-£8,000.
Flights
UK to Dubai flights cost £350-£900 per person in economy, and £1,500-£3,500 per person in business class, depending on the airline and the time of year.
For a family of four flying economy, budget £1,400-£3,600 for the flights themselves. Add excess baggage fees if you are bringing a lot of luggage. These can add up quickly.
Total flights to budget: £400-£3,500 per person, all in with baggage.
First rent deposit and advance
This is the biggest single cost most people do not fully account for.
In Dubai, rent is not paid monthly. It is paid annually, or in a small number of post-dated cheques, usually 1, 2, or 4 cheques covering the full annual amount. For many properties, landlords want 1-2 cheques, which means you pay 6-12 months of rent upfront when you sign.
A decent 2-bedroom apartment in a good area of Dubai, such as Jumeirah, JBR, Dubai Marina, Business Bay, or Downtown, costs AED 100,000-180,000 per year (£21,000-£38,000). A more affordable but still liveable option in places like Dubai Silicon Oasis, Jumeirah Village Circle, or Al Barsha runs AED 70,000-110,000 per year (£15,000-£23,000).
If your landlord wants 1 cheque, meaning full-year upfront payment, you need the full annual rent in your account before you sign. Two cheques means you need half the annual rent ready straight away. Even 4 cheques still means you need three months of rent in the first month.
On top of the rent itself, you pay a 5% security deposit, which is refundable at the end of the tenancy, and 5% in agency fees to the property agent, which is not refundable. So for an AED 120,000 apartment, you are looking at AED 6,000 security deposit plus AED 6,000 agent fee, or AED 12,000, around £2,600, on top of the rent itself.
Total first rent outlay to budget: £16,000-£40,000+ depending on area and payment structure. This is the biggest line item by far.
School registration and fees
If you have children, schools are the second biggest cost.
British curriculum private schools in Dubai charge AED 35,000-95,000 per year (£7,500-£20,500) per child, depending on the school and year group. Registration fees, which are one-time and non-refundable, run AED 1,000-3,000 per child (£220-£650). Uniforms, books, and materials add AED 2,000-4,000 per child (£430-£870) upfront.
Unlike rent, school fees are usually paid termly, with three terms per year. So you need the first term’s fees ready at registration, which is roughly a third of the annual total.
For two children at mid-range schools, first-term fee payment plus registration and uniforms could run £7,000-£12,000 in the first month.
Total school setup costs to budget: £650-£13,000+ depending on number of children and school choice.
Health insurance setup
Unlike the UK, there is no NHS in the UAE. Health insurance is mandatory, and you need it from day one.
If you are employed by a UAE company, your employer usually provides health insurance. Check what the policy covers. Employer plans vary in quality, and if you have a family, your dependants may need to be added at extra cost.
If you are self-employed or setting up a company, you will buy your own policy. Individual health insurance for a healthy adult in Dubai runs AED 5,000-15,000 per year (£1,100-£3,300). A family policy with good hospital access runs AED 18,000-40,000 per year (£3,900-£8,700).
The first year premium is usually paid upfront or in one lump sum at the start of the policy. Budget for this as an immediate cost.
Total health insurance setup cost: £1,100-£8,700 depending on individual or family cover.
UAE company formation (if applicable)
If you are moving to the UAE as a business owner and setting up a UAE company, that adds another cost.
Free zone company formation varies quite a bit by free zone. The most affordable free zones for small service businesses, such as Sharjah Media City, RAKEZ, and IFZA, run AED 12,000-20,000 (£2,600-£4,400) for the licence and setup, excluding the visa. More established free zones like DMCC or DIFC are much more expensive.
Mainland company formation, which lets you trade directly with UAE clients without restrictions, costs more and has different requirements. The UAE company formation service covers the options, including current pricing and the right structure for your situation.
Total company formation to budget: £2,600-£8,000+ if applicable.
Utilities connection and home setup
Connecting electricity, water, and cooling in Dubai, through DEWA, requires a deposit. For an apartment, the DEWA deposit is usually AED 2,000 (£430). For a villa, it is higher.
Internet setup takes 1-2 weeks and costs AED 300-400 per month (£65-£87) for a standard broadband package. In most cases, there is no setup fee.
If you take an unfurnished apartment, or if you need to buy items that your shipped belongings do not cover, furnishing is a real cost. Budget AED 10,000-30,000 (£2,200-£6,500) if you need to buy a lot.
Total utilities and home setup to budget: £500-£7,000 depending on furnished vs unfurnished.
The total first-month outlay
Adding it all up for the most common scenarios:
Single professional, furnished apartment, mid-range area, employment visa, no shipping:
- Visa: £1,000
- Flights: £500
- Rent (2 cheques, first payment): £9,000-£12,000
- Deposit + agent fee: £2,500
- Health insurance: £1,200
- DEWA deposit: £430
- Total: approximately £14,500-£17,500
Family of four, furnished apartment, two children in school, Golden Visa:
- Visa (family): £6,000-£8,000
- Flights: £2,500
- Rent (first cheque, good area): £18,000-£22,000
- Deposit + agent fee: £4,500
- School registration, term fees, uniforms (x2): £9,000-£14,000
- Family health insurance: £4,000-£6,000
- DEWA deposit: £430
- Shipping: £4,000-£6,000
- Total: approximately £48,500-£63,000
What savings buffer do you need?
The first-month outlay is one thing. The buffer you need before your UAE income starts is another.
The standard advice is to keep 3-6 months of living costs on top of your first-month setup costs. In Dubai, monthly living costs for a single professional run £3,500-£6,000. For a family of four, they run £7,000-£12,000 per month.
Add your first-month setup costs to 3 months of living expenses and you get the minimum savings buffer:
- Single professional: £28,000-£36,000 minimum
- Family of four: £70,000-£100,000 minimum
These numbers are not meant to put you off. They are meant to make sure you go in with your eyes open. People who move without this buffer can run into serious stress when their first UAE payment is delayed or their visa takes longer than expected.
To see whether the UAE tax saving makes sense for your income level and whether it justifies the upfront cost, the UK vs UAE tax calculator gives you a quick answer.
If you would like to plan the financial side of your move with someone who has done this before, UAE relocation guidance for UK professionals.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to move to Dubai from the UK?
For a single professional, expect £15,000-£25,000 in one-off relocation costs. For a family of four, £35,000-£60,000. The biggest line items are rent paid upfront, school fees, and visa costs, not shipping or flights.
How much money do you need in savings before moving to Dubai?
Beyond the first-month setup costs, keep 3-6 months of living expenses as a buffer. That is £28,000-£36,000 for a single professional and £70,000-£100,000 for a family of four.
How is rent paid in Dubai?
Rent in Dubai is paid annually or in a small number of post-dated cheques, usually 1-4. You do not pay monthly. For a standard apartment, expect to hand over 6-12 months of rent in the first week, plus a 5% security deposit and a 5% agency fee.
How much does it cost to ship belongings from the UK to Dubai?
Air freight runs £3-£6 per kg. A shared container costs £1,500-£3,500. A full 20-foot container runs £3,500-£6,000. Many professionals moving to a furnished apartment ship only personal effects and spend £1,500-£3,000 on this.
Does UAE company formation add to the relocation cost?
Yes, if you are setting up as a business owner. Free zone company formation costs AED 12,000-20,000 (£2,600-£4,400) for the licence and setup. This is in addition to visa costs.