In this guide 7 sections
Use this checklist if you are moving from abroad. Abu Dhabi is an emirate as well as a city. Confirm whether your work will be in the city, on an island, on the mainland or farther away before you use a city-centre commute to price the move. Ask for the staff entrance and shift times, especially if the employer has more than one site.
Start your moving to Abu Dhabi checklist with the job
Ask the employer to write down the legal entity, permit authority, first working day, physical site, first salary date and any relocation benefits. If you expect to travel to different sites, ask how often, at what hours and who pays for the journey. If an employer describes the workplace as Abu Dhabi without an address, leave a permanent home out of your initial plan.
Confirm work permission and professional checks
The UAE federal labour law requires a work permit for employment within its scope. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) describes a new residence issuance service linked to Emirates ID. Ask which route applies to your employer and role, especially if the company uses a free-zone authority, and get a clear answer on when you can legally start. Visit status is a separate matter from work authorisation. UAE federal labour law, Article 6 · ICP residence issuance service
| Before you confirm | Ask for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Travel date | Entry arrangements for your passport and purpose, plus who confirms them | A flight date depends on the right route and documents |
| Work date | Exact workplace, shifts and the permission you need to start | You can check actual travel options and when pay begins |
| First stay | Address, end date, who pays and the extension terms | You may need longer if appointments or a rental are delayed |
| Cover | Named plan, effective date and details for each household member | You can identify any gap before travelling |
| First payment | Payroll date, bank details deadline and reimbursement process | Deposits and other bills may be due first |
If you need a professional licence, ask whether the role or start date depends on verification, assessment or another regulator’s approval. Write down the exact job title the employer will use, who owns the application and what proof is acceptable. Separate this from immigration and general document checks.
Prepare documents and plan what stays at home
List the documents the employer, authority, school or other recipient requests. Record the country that issued each one, whether the name matches your passport and whether an original, certified translation or attestation is needed. Attestation confirms a document for use by a recipient. It serves a different purpose from having an overseas qualification recognised.
If you are moving to Abu Dhabi from the UK and have UK-issued certificates to attest, use the UAE Embassy in London’s guidance. It describes prior Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office legalisation for UK documents, and its digital attestation route still uses the physical document. If your certificate came from elsewhere, check the instructions for that issuing country and document type. Confirm which recipients need original records before placing anything in storage. UAE Embassy in London digital attestation · UAE document attestation guide
Keep backups and access to accounts
Keep a dated copy of confirmations and a secure backup of documents. Make a list of services you may still need in your previous country, such as a mailing address, a bank login or a way to access healthcare records. Make sure your phone or authentication method will work if you change your number. Give yourself time for replacements to arrive before you give up the address used for delivery.
| Departing from | A practical check before leaving |
|---|---|
| UK | Check HMRC’s guidance on leaving to work or live abroad and what to do for your filing situation. HMRC leaving the UK guidance |
| US | US citizens and resident aliens should check the IRS’s overseas filing guidance and keep their records accessible. IRS guidance for US citizens and resident aliens abroad |
| Australia | Check Smartraveller for travel and entry information if it applies to you. Confirm which UAE residence route applies to your passport and reason for moving. Review any continuing obligations with the relevant Australian authority before leaving. Australian Government UAE travel guidance |
| Canada | Check Canada Revenue Agency guidance on departure and residential ties before assuming a change in tax status. Canada Revenue Agency leaving Canada guidance |
Check official travel advice relevant to your passport and itinerary before booking and again before departure. If you take regular medicine, discuss a continuity plan with the prescriber. Use the Emirates Drug Establishment guidance to check what paperwork and permissions apply to your medicine, quantity and route. Emirates Drug Establishment personal medicine import service
Choose a first stay and test how you will get to work
Book somewhere that lets you complete the first appointments and try the work journey. Ask whether you can extend at a known rate and whether the room supports your daily routine. If you’re arriving before your residence or Emirates ID steps are complete, make sure you can receive emails, take calls and reach appointments without relying on your future address.
Use Abu Dhabi Mobility to check the actual public bus journey. Its Hafilat service explains the fare card used on public buses. Record the stop, first and last service, walking time and the alternative for a late finish. If you will cross from an island to the mainland for work or appointments, test both directions when you expect to travel. Include the final walk from the stop to the building, not just the part on the bus. Abu Dhabi Mobility Hafilat service
Compare your first stay with the commute
If your job starts early or you cover shifts on more than one site, compare a short stay close to work with one on a bus route. Ask whether there is staff transport and when it runs. If you expect to drive, use Abu Dhabi Mobility to check the licence process for your status and ask about parking at work and at home. Put both charges and travel time into your comparison. Abu Dhabi Mobility driving and vehicle services
Use a cash calendar alongside the route test. Put your flight, temporary stay, rent payments, security deposit, connections and transport costs on their actual dates. Keep first salary and reimbursements as separate entries. If you’re offered temporary housing for two weeks, check what extending it would cost and where you can go if it is full. See the Abu Dhabi cost of living guide for the household budget after the first weeks.
Register your home and arrange utilities
Ask who will register the tenancy and how you will get the registered contract. Abu Dhabi Residents Office describes Tawtheeq as the system landlords use to register tenancy agreements. Its guide also links the registration to setting up water and electricity. Before you pay, confirm the precise address, whose name goes on the contract, what documentation the property manager needs and which service provider handles that address. Ask what municipality fee applies to the lease and how it will show on your bill. For a property on Al Reem or Al Maryah Island, check ADGM’s AccessRP registration route. ADGM says its lease registration fee is the landlord’s responsibility. Abu Dhabi Residents Office housing guide
Get the utility activation instructions for your address. Ask whether the account is opened as part of the registered tenancy or whether you need to do something yourself. Check the move-in date, any deposit and what charges will appear on your bill. If cooling is separate, ask who bills for it and how the fixed and usage charges work. Use the charge for your own address and category when planning rather than relying on a general figure in a relocation guide. TAQA Distribution Abu Dhabi customer support
Plan for utility bills and handover
Keep the cash calendar open until you have confirmed the first bill and payday. For example, suppose you have a short stay close to work and a possible flat on a longer route. If you can only get the keys after a document arrives, ask how many extra nights you can book and when you would lose that option. Put that extension and the first rent payment on the same calendar. The practical question is whether you can cover both in the same week.
Ask who to contact if the water or electricity has not been activated by handover day. Save the account or request reference and confirm the handover hours with the building. If you are arranging a delivery, get an alternative date from the mover in case the apartment is not ready. Keep bedding, work essentials and any documents you need for appointments accessible until you know the handover is complete.
On handover day, check the condition of the home, keys and access cards, and confirm how to report a fault. Keep any meter readings and photographs that the contract or provider asks for. Ask the building when you can take delivery of household goods, especially if there is a separate entrance, lift booking or move-in authorisation.
Adjust the plan if family will move with you
Plan the timeline for each person separately. Confirm the relevant family residence route, identity and relationship documents, and cover start dates before booking non-changeable travel. If you arrive first, work out where everyone will stay when they join and what paying for two households would cost. If you travel together, check that temporary accommodation and transport can handle the appointments and school visits you need. UAE family residence guide
If you are looking for an Abu Dhabi school, use the Department of Education and Knowledge’s private-school information to identify options and check the actual school for a place, year group, fees and start date. Ask what transfer records it requires and whether you can supply any of them after you arrive. Map the school and work journeys together before committing to a lease. Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge private schools
Check cover for each household member using the policy itself and the applicable Abu Dhabi requirements. Get written answers on when cover begins and whether the provider network includes any care you expect to need. Confirm which benefit comes from which employer or sponsor, including what happens if a partner starts work later. Abu Dhabi Department of Health FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What should I arrange first when moving to Abu Dhabi?
Start with the written offer, legal route, work address and salary date. Use those details to plan travel and a temporary stay. A permanent home makes more sense once you can test the commute and confirm the lease paperwork.
What do I need when moving to Abu Dhabi from the UK?
Check the entry and employment route for your passport and role, and follow the instructions for any UK-issued documents you need in the UAE. Review the UK departure requirements that apply to you. Follow a separate route for certificates issued outside the UK if required.
What is Tawtheeq?
Tawtheeq is Abu Dhabi’s municipal tenancy registration system. For homes in ADGM’s real estate jurisdiction, including Al Reem and Al Maryah islands, check AccessRP. Ask the landlord which route applies to your unit and what registration evidence you will receive. Use the instructions for your address to arrange water and electricity after registration.
Transport, family and first-month costs
Can I rely on public transport to get to work?
Start with the actual location and your earliest and latest shifts. Use Abu Dhabi Mobility for bus routes and check the walks and wait at both ends. If the journey is awkward or the last service does not suit you, check staff transport, paid rides or driving.
Is it easier to move to Abu Dhabi with my family after I arrive?
Arriving first can give you time to check the home and paperwork. Travelling together may suit your household if the residence arrangements, first accommodation and cover are clear. Compare the cost and disruption of each plan before deciding.
How much money should I bring for the first month?
Use dated quotes and your employer’s payment terms to work out what you owe before the first salary arrives. Include accommodation, transport, connections and any commitments still due at home. Leave room for an extra stay if a document or lease takes longer than planned.
Sources
- UAE federal labour law, Article 6
- ICP residence issuance service
- UAE Embassy in London digital attestation
- HMRC leaving the UK guidance
- IRS guidance for US citizens and resident aliens abroad
- Australian Government UAE travel guidance
- Canada Revenue Agency leaving Canada guidance
- Emirates Drug Establishment personal medicine import service
- Abu Dhabi Mobility Hafilat service
- Abu Dhabi Mobility driving and vehicle services
- ADGM’s AccessRP registration route
- Abu Dhabi Residents Office housing guide
- TAQA Distribution Abu Dhabi customer support
- Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge private schools
- Abu Dhabi Department of Health FAQs
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