Moving to Dubai: A Complete High-End Relocation Guide

Fifteen years ago, Dubai was a city under construction — an ambitious bet placed on the Gulf’s shores. Today, it is one of the world’s capitals of high-end expatriation, alongside Singapore, Geneva and Monaco. For executives, entrepreneurs, family offices and wealthy families considering international relocation, Dubai offers a rare combination: a favourable tax framework, an exceptional living infrastructure, a global aviation hub, immediate access to the markets of the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and a political stability that contrasts with the uncertainties of other geographies. For our clients considering the emirate as a primary or secondary base, the question is no longer whether to come — but how. Maison Silaïa composes these expatriations as she composes the most demanding stays: with attention to detail, anticipation, and a keen sense of what makes a life truly settle.

Why Dubai today

Dubai attracts approximately fifty thousand new qualified residents each year, of whom a growing share are wealthy families from Europe, Russia, Asia and America. Several underlying movements explain this attraction. Successive tax crises in Europe have pushed great fortunes to diversify their residences. International geopolitical tensions have reinforced the appeal of an emirate reputed for political stability. Dubai’s positioning as a global hub between Europe and Asia makes it a logistically optimal choice for families who travel constantly.

The city itself has radically changed over the past decade. Cultural infrastructure — Dubai Opera, Louvre Abu Dhabi accessible within an hour, Alserkal Avenue for contemporary art — has multiplied. Gastronomy has reached a world-class level with the establishment of great international chefs (Nobu, Zuma, Coya, Em Sherif) and the emergence of a sophisticated local scene. Medical clinics (American Hospital Dubai, Mediclinic City Hospital) offer a level of care comparable to the best European establishments. International schools have structured themselves around all the major global pedagogical streams.

For our clients considering Dubai, three main profiles emerge. Families relocating their primary residence and schooling their children locally. Executives making Dubai their regional base for business in the Middle East and Asia. Clients establishing Dubai as a secondary residence — four to six months’ presence per year — to benefit from resident status while keeping their European anchor.

The Golden Visa and the residence framework

The residence framework in the United Arab Emirates has been radically simplified since 2019 with the launch of the Golden Visa. Understanding this framework is the first step of any relocation.

The Golden Visa: ten years renewable

The Golden Visa is a long-term residence of ten years, renewable, requiring neither local sponsor nor local employment. Several access routes exist. Real estate investment of two million dirhams (around five hundred thousand euros) in a residential property in Dubai grants access to the Golden Visa, even if the property is still under construction — provided fifty percent of the price has been paid. Investment in an approved public fund, entrepreneurship with a Dubai-owned company, scientific research, certain recognised professions (doctors, scientists) also open the way.

The Golden Visa allows full residence, the possibility to include spouse and children (up to twenty-five for children, no age limit for children with disabilities), no minimum stay requirement (contrary to classic visas requiring six months per year), the possibility to remain outside the Emirates for long periods without losing status.

Other visa types

Beyond the Golden Visa, several other statuses exist. The employment visa — classic for salaried executives of a local company, tied to the sponsor. The business investor visa — for creating a company in a free zone or mainland. The retirement visa — new category for persons over fifty-five with sufficient income or wealth. Each presents its constraints and advantages. For our clients, we analyse upstream the optimal status according to family, professional and patrimonial profile.

Duration and logistics of procedures

Obtaining a Golden Visa generally takes between two and four months: dossier preparation (two to four weeks), filing and review (four to eight weeks), mandatory medical test in Dubai (one day), obtaining Emirates ID and visa (two to four weeks). The entire process must be done with an expatriation consultant or local lawyer to avoid errors that can add months. We direct to two or three firms we know and validate according to profile.

“To settle in Dubai is to accept starting everything over — but in a city designed so that every new beginning flows.” — Maison Silaïa

Choosing your neighbourhood: residential mapping

Dubai is not experienced the same way depending on where one settles. Five major residential zones concentrate the majority of high-end clients, each with its atmosphere, advantages, pitfalls.

Palm Jumeirah: the icon and its seaside villas

Palm Jumeirah, the palm-tree-shaped artificial island inaugurated in 2006, has become Dubai’s emblematic address. Four types of dwellings compose it: trunk villas (the largest, private beach access), frond villas (more numerous, private pools, beach below), Shoreline residence apartments, and resort-residences of grand palaces (Atlantis The Royal, One&Only The Palm, Fairmont The Palm). Palm Jumeirah’s main advantage is absolute seafront, with views over Dubai Marina and Burj Al Arab. Drawback: journeys to Downtown or DIFC can take forty-five minutes during peak hours.

Emirates Hills and Dubai Hills: villas and golf

Emirates Hills is historically the address of Dubai’s largest villas. One thousand two hundred villas distributed around Montgomerie Golf Club, plots of one thousand to four thousand square metres, private security, gated community. Villas there are generally owner-occupied (rental is rare). Dubai Hills, more recent and larger, is located closer to Downtown with Dubai Hills Golf Club, integrated international schools, Dubai Hills Mall shopping centre. These two zones suit families prioritising space, greenery and golf.

Downtown Dubai: the vibrant heart

Downtown concentrates architectural icons (Burj Khalifa, Dubai Opera, Dubai Mall) and the most prestigious vertical residences. Armani Residences, Vida Residences Downtown, 118 Downtown, Address Residences: apartments offer commanding views over Burj Khalifa and the fountain. The advantage is absolute centrality: everything is done on foot or within ten minutes by car. The drawback is the absence of garden for families with children, and the density of tourists in public spaces.

Jumeirah and the historic beach

Jumeirah, from Jumeirah 1 to Jumeirah 3, is Dubai’s historic residential zone, bordered by the public beach and structured around arteries like Jumeirah Beach Road. Medium-sized villas (two hundred and fifty to five hundred square metres), numerous international schools, immediate proximity to sea and shops. It is Dubai’s most “community” neighbourhood, where families with children create their local habits. Villas there are older than in Dubai Hills but often renovated to contemporary tastes.

DIFC and Business Bay: the business base

DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) and Business Bay are the business districts. DIFC in particular is an ecosystem unto itself — legally a free zone with its own common law legal system, high-end residential towers (Index Tower, Central Park Towers), gastronomic restaurants, a density of private banks, family offices, investment funds. For executives working in finance, professional life concentrates here. Housing is mainly apartments, with a few exceptional penthouses.

Taxation: the Emirati framework

Dubai’s taxation remains one of the most attractive in the world for wealthy expatriates. Three points deserve precise reading.

The absence of personal income tax

The United Arab Emirates levies no personal income tax. Salaries, investment income, real estate capital gains, business sale capital gains, dividends: everything is exempt. There is also no wealth tax nor inheritance duties. This situation, constant since the creation of the Emirates, largely explains the attraction for international great fortunes.

Corporate tax: nine percent since 2023

Since June 2023, the Emirates have introduced a corporate tax of nine percent on profits exceeding three hundred and seventy-five thousand dirhams (about one hundred thousand dollars) per year. This measure, aligned with OECD international standards, only concerns companies. Companies established in free zones can, under certain conditions (notably not conducting commercial activity in mainland UAE), benefit from exemption from this tax. Family patrimonial structures are generally exempt. For clients considering creating a local structure, the accompaniment of a UAE-specialised tax advisor is indispensable.

Tax treaties and exit from European residence

The critical subject for any relocation is exit from the tax residence of the country of origin. France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Switzerland all have tax treaties with the Emirates, but practical application varies. Exit from French tax residence requires demonstrating that the centre of vital interests has indeed been moved — family, principal residence, professional activity, economic centre. An exit tax may apply to patrimonies exceeding certain thresholds. This transition phase is the most sensitive of any expatriation and must be prepared twelve to eighteen months in advance with tax lawyers from both countries.

International schooling

Dubai hosts more than one hundred and fifty private international schools, with all major global pedagogical systems represented. The choice is vast but selection is competitive: the best schools have waiting lists of two to four years on certain levels, particularly in kindergarten and primary.

British stream: Dubai College, GEMS Wellington

The British stream is the most developed in Dubai, with over sixty establishments. Three reference schools: Dubai College (independent, thirteen to eighteen years, very selective), GEMS Wellington International School (three to eighteen years, multi-site), and Jumeirah College. The curriculum follows International GCSE then A-Level or International Baccalaureate. Annual fees: twenty-five to fifty-five thousand dollars per child depending on school and level.

American stream: Dubai American Academy

The American stream is less developed but structured. Dubai American Academy and American School of Dubai are the two references, with an Advanced Placement and SAT curriculum for entry to American universities. For families whose children envisage American schooling thereafter, these schools offer precious continuity.

French stream: Lycée Français Georges Pompidou

Lycée Français Georges Pompidou, an AEFE establishment, is the reference school for French families. Official curriculum of the French Education nationale, from CP to terminale, with French baccalauréat. Fees aligned with international AEFE establishments (about fifteen to twenty-five thousand euros per year). For families wishing to maintain a French anchor with possible return to France, this is the natural choice.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

The IB has become the most widespread programme among multiple international families. Dubai Heights Academy, Nord Anglia International School Dubai, Kings School Al Barsha, Swiss International Scientific School: several establishments offer the IB curriculum from Primary Years Programme to Diploma Programme. The advantage is the international portability of the diploma, essential for families who might relocate again.

For our clients, we orient through our bespoke accompaniment which includes school research, dossier preparation (cover letters, admission tests, family interviews with directors), upstream establishment visits, and pedagogical coordination with the original French or Luxembourg system.

Daily services: the art of living in Dubai

The quality of Dubai expatriation largely depends on the quality of daily logistics. Three dimensions structure this daily life for our clients.

House team: butler, chef, chauffeur, housekeeper

Dubai has a long tradition of resident house staff — an inheritance from its historical position on the trade route between East and West. High-end families generally employ four to eight people: principal housekeeper, private chef (often Filipino or Indian with international specialisation), chauffeur(s), nanny(ies) for children, gardener if villa. Salaries are moderate compared to Europe (two to five thousand dirhams monthly depending on function), but management quality remains key. Recruitments happen via specialised agencies we know, with thorough checks and framework contracts.

High-end services: clinics, wellness, hair

Dubai offers a level of high-end services comparable to great European capitals, often in more modern infrastructure. Premium medical clinics (Mediclinic City Hospital, American Hospital Dubai, Burjeel Holdings), aesthetic dentists of international renown, spas (Talise Ottoman Spa at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Spa at Armani Hotel), hair salons from established Parisian creators (Pat McGrath, Franck Provost, Shu Uemura Art of Hair), advanced aesthetics. For each service, several addresses of level exist. Our role is to compose each client’s personal address book according to her habits.

Administrative management and integration

The least visible but most critical dimension of a Dubai expatriation is administrative management. Visa renewals, Emirates ID, driving licence, affiliation to mandatory health insurance, embassy registration, bank account opening (Emirates NBD, HSBC, Mashreq, or Swiss private banks established like Lombard Odier or Pictet), mail service, property tax (very low but existing via DLD), subscription management (electricity DEWA, internet Etisalat or du). This administrative dimension requires a dedicated person — our daily management team handles it for families who do not wish to dedicate time to it.

“The difference between a successful expatriation and an endured one lies in what one does not see: the logistics of the first months.” — Maison Silaïa

The Maison Silaïa method for a successful expatriation

A Dubai expatriation is ideally prepared over twelve to eighteen months. We compose each relocation according to a method articulated in six movements.

A confidential brief, eighteen months ahead

The first stage is a detailed conversation with the family and, as the case may be, with its counsels (lawyers, tax advisors, family office). Patrimonial situation, original tax constraints, family structure, children’s schooling level, professional activity maintained or not, relocation horizon (temporary or lasting). This brief determines the entire approach.

Tax and legal preparation, twelve to eighteen months ahead

Exit from the tax residence of the country of origin is the most sensitive phase. It requires coordinated work between tax advisors of the departure and arrival countries, often over twelve to eighteen months. We direct to firms we know and follow the dossier as coordinator for the family.

School selection and application, ten to twelve months ahead

Admissions to the best schools play out ten to twelve months before the desired start. On-site visits, interviews with directors, dossier preparation, children’s admission tests, waiting list monitoring. This stage is often the limiting factor of the overall schedule.

Residential search, six to eight months ahead

The housing search opens six to eight months before arrival. Villa or apartment, purchase or rental (rental is more frequent the first year), neighbourhood chosen per initial brief. On-site visits with accompaniment, negotiation, inventory, signature. Dubai negotiation is done in dirhams, generally with annual payment in one to four cheques.

Logistical installation, three to four months ahead

Moving (specialised companies Allied Pickfords, Crown Worldwide, Santa Fe are the references), equipment, furniture, shipment of personal collections. House team recruitment. Vehicle registration. Administrative account opening (DEWA, Etisalat, insurances).

On-site accompaniment, the first six months

The first six months are critical for the family’s real anchoring. Our team travels to Dubai to accompany the installation, introduce the family to circles that matter (clubs, restaurants, galleries, cultural circles), facilitate first professional contacts, monitor schooling, adjust services. After this phase, accompaniment becomes punctual according to needs.

Frequently asked questions