Relocation Planner

Attestation is the process of getting your documents officially recognised for use in the UAE, and it is the stage most people underestimate. Depending on your home country the chain typically runs notarisation, then your Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the UAE embassy in your country, and finally UAE MOFA after you arrive. Degree certificates need it, and so do marriage and birth certificates if family will join you. Two hard-won lessons: it takes weeks rather than days, and it is far easier and cheaper to complete while you are still in your home country.

Once you have an offer, your employer normally sponsors and drives the process. The usual order is an entry permit or employment visa, entry to the UAE on that permit, a medical fitness test consisting of a blood test and chest X-ray, Emirates ID registration and biometrics, then the residence visa stamped and your labour contract issued. The final step is the one people miss: in most emirates your practice licence is tied to your employing facility, so a licence that has been issued but not activated does not yet let you treat patients.

• Employer applies for the entry permit or employment visa
• Medical fitness test at an approved centre
• Emirates ID registration and biometrics
• Residence visa stamped and labour contract issued
• Practice licence activated against your employer

This trips up more arrivals than any other rule. DHA governs Dubai, DOH governs Abu Dhabi, and MOHAP covers Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. You cannot practise in Dubai on a DOH licence. If you expect to move emirates later that is a transfer to plan for, not an automatic right — though a passed exam and a positive DataFlow report can often be recognised between UAE authorities, which usually makes the second licence considerably faster than the first.

A few things consistently surprise new arrivals, and all of them are cash-flow issues rather than paperwork ones. Housing is often paid a year in advance or in a small number of cheques, so budget for a large upfront outlay unless your employer provides accommodation. You generally cannot open a bank account until your Emirates ID is issued, so arrive with accessible funds. Health insurance is mandatory and normally employer-provided, but confirm whether family cover is included. And check whether your driving licence can be exchanged or requires a full test, because that varies by nationality.

• Housing frequently paid annually or in a few cheques
• Bank account usually waits on your Emirates ID
• Mandatory health insurance — confirm whether dependants are covered
• Driving licence exchange depends on your nationality
• School places fill up well before the academic year starts

The strongest position you can be in is having priced the whole package before accepting. Ask whether accommodation is provided or allowanced and at what value; who pays the visa, medical test and Emirates ID; whether family health insurance is included; whether annual flights home cover dependants; and what happens to your licence if you leave, since it is tied to the employer. Getting these in writing before you sign avoids the disputes that sour otherwise good moves.