Relocate to Dubai with family: checklist for visas, homes, schools and the first 90 days

A relocate to Dubai with family checklist starts with residency, because the Dubai Land Department's Golden Visa investor service, updated on 3 November 2026, lets an owner of property bought for AED 2 million or more sponsor a spouse, children and parents. Emirates ID, medical tests, health insurance, a registered lease, a DEWA connection, a school place, a bank account and a driving licence all follow from that residence visa, in roughly that order.

This guide is for a principal and family moving to Dubai or Abu Dhabi from the Americas, Europe or India, sometimes alongside a family office. It sets out each step from the official source, notes where official sources disagree, and ends with a numbered sequence for the first 90 days. It is general information, not immigration, legal or tax advice. Residency is granted by the authorities, not by a developer or a broker.

Which residency route fits a relocating family?

There are three common routes. A principal can be sponsored by an employer, including a family office or operating company the family sets up. A principal can hold an investor or talent category of the Golden Visa. Or a principal can use the property route, which is the one most relevant to a family buying a home.

The Dubai Land Department's Golden Visa investor page, updated on 3 November 2026, requires a property whose purchase value was at least AED 2 million at the time of purchase, wholly owned by the investor and registered in the applicant's name. A mortgaged property is accepted with a no objection letter from the bank stating the amount paid and the balance. The page says the applicant must be inside the UAE and gives a service time of 7 to 10 business days.

The term of the visa is where the official sources part company. The Land Department describes a 10 year renewable residence permit. The federal u.ae Golden Visa page, updated on 28 July 2026, lists investors at 10 years for public investments and 5 years for real estate investments. ICP, the federal authority that issues the permit, settles the point: its Golden Residency guide, updated on 10 September 2026, gives 10 years for investors in the real estate sector. Gulf News, reporting the eight step guide published by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and updated on 27 July 2025, described a renewable 5 or 10 year visa. We report the difference rather than resolve it. Ask the issuing authority, in writing, which term applies to the property you intend to buy. Our Golden Visa page and our guide to property and the UAE Golden Visa cover off plan, joint and mortgaged property in more detail.

How do Golden Visa family members get residency?

Once the principal holds the visa, family members are added under the principal's file. The Land Department page says "the husband or wife, children and parents can be sponsored".

Khaleej Times reported on 30 August 2022, after the residency reforms of that year, that Golden Residence holders can sponsor their spouse and children regardless of age. The same report said other expatriate residents can sponsor children up to 25, unmarried daughters without an age limit, and children of determination regardless of age. Those are a newspaper's summary rather than the regulation itself, so confirm them with ICP or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai.

A family that is not on the Golden Visa follows the standard rules. The u.ae sponsorship page says an expatriate resident needs a minimum salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation, to sponsor family members. A resident can sponsor parents, with the visa granted on a yearly basis. A mother can sponsor her children in special cases approved by ICP. After dependants enter on an entry permit, the sponsor has 60 days to apply for their residence visas.

How do the Emirates ID for family members, medicals and insurance work?

Each sponsored person receives a residence permit and an Emirates ID. The Emirates ID is the document a bank, a school, a landlord and the roads authority will ask for, so the family should treat its issue as the gate to everything that follows.

Medical fitness tests apply to adults. The u.ae sponsorship page says family members aged 18 and over must pass medical fitness tests at approved health centres in the UAE. The Government of Dubai's page says applicants aged 18 and above are tested at centres managed by Dubai Health and that results are typically available within 24 hours. The Land Department's own Golden Visa process includes the medical examination at the service centre. Gulf News reported in July 2025 that the ICP guide asks Golden Visa applicants aged 18 and over for a medical fitness test and a two year health insurance plan.

Health insurance is mandatory in Dubai. The u.ae health insurance page, updated on 28 October 2025, says "sponsors are required to get insurance cover for their resident dependents" in Dubai, and that from 1 January 2025 employers must buy a policy before applying for a residence permit for private sector employees and domestic workers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Executive Council Resolution No. 7 of 2016, issued on 7 March 2016 under Dubai Law No. 11 of 2013, fines a sponsor AED 500 for each month of delay in enrolling a sponsored person and AED 1,000 for failing to provide the policy when a residence permit is issued or renewed. In Abu Dhabi, the same u.ae page says employers and sponsors are responsible for insuring those they sponsor. Buy the family's policy before the visa applications, not after.

How do relocating families choose schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi?

Private schools in Dubai are inspected by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), and in Abu Dhabi by the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). Both rate schools on the UAE school inspection framework, and both ratings affect what schools may charge.

In Dubai, the ratings a family reads today are mostly from the 2023 to 2024 cycle. Khaleej Times reported on 20 November 2025 that full inspections were paused for a second year, that four newer schools received first ratings, and that the last full cycle rated 23 schools Outstanding, 48 Very Good, 85 Good, 51 Acceptable, 2 Weak and none Very Weak, with 81 per cent of students attending schools rated Good or better. The same report said fee increases for 2025 to 2026 were capped at the Education Cost Index of 2.35 per cent regardless of rating. The National reported on 6 June 2026 that KHDA will resume quality assurance visits in the 2026 to 2027 academic year with no more than 24 hours' notice. Under that plan, a full visit produces an overall rating, while a shorter monitoring visit produces a report of strengths and recommendations without a new rating.

In Abu Dhabi, ADEK's Irtiqa'a programme inspects schools every two years on a six point scale, assessing six standards and 17 performance indicators, according to ADEK's release of 1 October 2025. The ratings published with it were 13 Outstanding, 51 Very Good, 93 Good, 42 Acceptable and 5 Weak.

Three habits help. Read the full report rather than the headline grade, because the strengths and recommendations say more about a given child's year group than one word does. Check the date of the rating, since a Dubai rating may now be more than two years old. And ask each school in writing about places, waiting lists and fees for the specific year group before signing a lease, because school capacity, not the house, is often what fixes the neighbourhood.

Renting vs buying when moving to Dubai: which should come first?

A family can rent for the first year and buy once it knows which school, office and commute it wants, or buy first because the property Golden Visa is its residency route. Both are reasonable. What matters is that the sequence is deliberate.

Renting in Dubai runs through Ejari, the Land Department's tenancy registration. The Land Department's page, updated on 3 November 2026, says the tenant or landlord can register or renew a tenancy contract, for a total of AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or the Land Department website, or AED 220 at a Real Estate Trustee Centre. DEWA's Ejari FAQ says a valid Ejari has been mandatory to activate electricity and water since 1 July 2017, and that registering the lease creates the DEWA account automatically. DEWA lists a refundable security deposit of AED 2,000 for an apartment and AED 4,000 for a villa, and a supply activation fee of AED 130. The same DEWA page quotes older Ejari charges that do not match the Land Department's current fee page; the Land Department's figures are the ones to use.

Rent increases at renewal are governed by the Land Department's Smart Rental Index, announced on 2 January 2025. The Department said the index classifies each building on its structure, finish, maintenance, location and services, and that permitted increases depend on how far a rent sits below the average market rent, starting at 0 per cent for a small gap and reaching a maximum of 20 per cent. The landlord's security deposit is not fixed by a published percentage. Gulf News reported on 1 October 2026, citing a Dubai lawyer, that Article 20 of Law No. 26 of 2007 allows a landlord to hold a deposit for maintenance and requires it to be refunded at the end of the tenancy, and that a DEWA final clearance certificate is part of moving out. Agree the deposit amount in the contract and photograph the property on the day you move in.

Abu Dhabi uses Tawtheeq instead of Ejari. Khaleej Times reported on 2 June 2026 that the landlord registers the lease, at AED 50 a year per tenancy contract. On the same day Abu Dhabi cut the annual rent increase cap from 5 per cent to 0 per cent until further notice, with renewals held at the last registered Tawtheeq value, Khaleej Times reported on 5 June 2026.

We do not quote average rents or yields in this guide, because they vary by building and change by quarter. For neighbourhood choice, start from our community guides. Dubai Hills Estate and Jumeirah Village Circle are two of the communities whose pages set out schools, healthcare and transport from the master developer's own information.

How do you open a bank account and convert a driving licence?

Banking is easier once the Emirates ID is issued. The Central Bank of the UAE's consumer page, last updated on 5 August 2022, lists the Emirates ID, or a passport copy in its absence, and a current visa or other proof of residency such as a tenancy contract or utility bill, among the documents a bank may ask for. It says account opening can take up to four business days. Gulf News reported on 29 September 2025 that standard personal accounts require a residence visa and Emirates ID, and that the non resident accounts some banks offer have fewer features. Most families therefore keep their home bank for the first weeks and open the UAE account as soon as the Emirates ID arrives.

A foreign driving licence can be exchanged for a Dubai licence if it was issued by an approved country. The Dubai Media Office said on 20 January 2026 that the Roads and Transport Authority replaced 58,082 foreign licences from 57 countries in 2025, and that recent additions included Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Croatia and the State of Texas. Gulf News named the United States and the United Kingdom among eligible countries on 11 October 2025. The listing of a single US state suggests eligibility for American licences may depend on the issuing state, so check your own state, province or country on the RTA list. The exchange requires a valid original licence, an eye test at an approved centre and attendance in person.

What does a relocate to Dubai with family checklist look like in the first 90 days?

The sequence below assumes the principal arrives first and the family follows within a few weeks. Adjust the order if an employer is sponsoring the visa.

1. Before arrival, decide the residency route and, if it is the property Golden Visa, confirm in writing with the authority that the property qualifies and which term applies.
2. Before arrival, ask schools for places and fees for each child's year group, and read each school's latest KHDA or ADEK report with its date.
3. Before arrival, gather passports, marriage and birth certificates and any custody documents, and ask the authority whether they need attestation.
4. Weeks 1 and 2, sign a lease and register it in Ejari, or complete the purchase and registration of the home.
5. Weeks 1 and 2, pay the DEWA deposit created from the Ejari or the title, and arrange internet and cooling.
6. Weeks 1 and 2, buy health insurance for every family member who will be sponsored.
7. Weeks 2 to 4, apply for the principal's residence visa, attend the medical test and complete biometrics for the Emirates ID.
8. Weeks 3 to 6, open the family sponsorship file and apply for the spouse, children and any parents, within 60 days of their entry on entry permits.
9. Weeks 4 to 8, open a UAE bank account once the Emirates ID is issued.
10. Weeks 4 to 8, take the eye test and exchange driving licences, or book driving lessons if your licence is not on the RTA list.
11. Weeks 6 to 12, confirm school enrolment with the Emirates ID and visa copies the school asks for.
12. By day 90, diarise visa, Emirates ID, insurance, Ejari and school fee renewal dates in one calendar.

What it means for investors

For a family buying a home, the property and the residency are linked. A purchase of at least AED 2 million registered in the principal's name is the Land Department's route to the Golden Visa, and a structure that holds title may not be. Our guide to a family office in the UAE sets out how DIFC, ADGM and RAK ICC vehicles hold Dubai property, and why a principal relying on property for residency should confirm the position before moving title into a company or foundation.

For a family from the Americas, the dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so a home bought in dirhams carries no exchange rate risk against the dollar. Moving does not end home country obligations. The IRS says a United States citizen abroad must usually file a return if gross income from worldwide sources reaches the filing threshold, and must file an FBAR when foreign accounts total more than USD 10,000 at any time in the year, on a page reviewed on 28 September 2026. Canadian and Latin American families should check their own residence and reporting rules with an adviser at home.

For a family from India, the Reserve Bank of India's FAQ on immovable property outside India says a resident individual can send remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme to buy property abroad. The annual limit and the reporting that applies should be confirmed with an authorised dealer bank and an adviser in India. European families face their own tax residence tests and should take advice in their home country before the move. None of this is tax advice.

What we recommend

1. Choose the residency route first, and confirm in writing with the issuing authority that the property qualifies and whether the term is 5 or 10 years. Confirm the current position with the authority before relying on it.
2. Keep the property in the principal's own name if the Golden Visa depends on it, until the authority has confirmed how a company or foundation would be treated.
3. Secure school places before signing a lease, and read the dated inspection report for each school.
4. Rent for a year if the family is unsure of the neighbourhood, and buy when the school and commute are settled.
5. Put health insurance, the Emirates ID and visa renewals in one calendar, because a lapse in one can stop the others.

Castilion Estates helps relocating families with the search, the lease or purchase, and the practical steps after handover through trusted partners; our relocation and after sale care service sets out what it covers. Castilion Estates does not give immigration, legal or tax advice, and introduces licensed specialists where they are needed.