Moving to Dubai and the UAE: what to settle, and when

1. Before you leave

The country you're leaving decides:

• whether you've stopped being tax resident there
• how a business sale is taxed, before or after you go
• what happens to property you keep
• how long its inheritance or estate rules still reach you

These rules differ from country to country. For a UK owner selling a business, for example, a sale before or after leaving is taxed under different rules. The Budget of 28 October 2026 announced that the lifetime limit for Business Asset Disposal Relief will fall from £1 million to £500,000 for sales on or after 6 April 2027. That change is not yet law. [4]

• Leaving the UK: Moving to the UAE from the UK →
• Leaving India, or living in the UAE as an Indian national: see the guides below.

2. Arriving in the UAE

• Residency. For investors and business owners, the long-term route is the UAE Golden Visa, based on property, an investment or a business. The federal immigration authority describes it as 10 years; the federal portal shows 5 years for some routes. [2][5] The UAE Golden Visa →
• Tax residence. A UAE tax residency certificate from the Federal Tax Authority is based on 183 days in the UAE; or 90 days, with UAE residence (or UAE or GCC nationality) and a home or job here; or your main home and the centre of your interests being in the UAE. [1] The UAE tax residency certificate (guide coming soon)
• Banking. Opening accounts can take weeks or months. Banks ask for documented evidence of where your money comes from, so gather it before you apply. [3] Opening a bank account in the UAE (guide coming soon)

3. Setting up

If you'll trade, invest or hold assets through a company, we form it in the free zone or registry that suits the activity, including DMCC and RAK ICC. Companies and tax →

4. Wills, foundations and holding structures

Wills, foundations and holding structures need checking against the succession rules of each country where you hold assets. Succession planning and structuring →