Guide to Moving Abroad with Your Family to the UAE

Urban City - Sheikh Zayed Rd, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Relocating, especially with a family, can be a stressful time in your life. Not only do you need to handle the logistics of your move, but also prepare your children for a big change. Taking the time to plan your international relocation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can help everyone feel more excited for the move and give you peace of mind during this particularly frantic period.

As highly experienced international movers, Allied has helped hundreds of families successfully relocate to the UAE from overseas. To make things more seamless, we’ve put together some handy tips to help your international family relocation go smoothly.

Choose The Right Neighborhood

Finding the right place to live in the UAE can make a big difference to how your family adjusts to the move. You can help your children to feel excited for their new neighborhood by asking them to imagine the new friends they’ll make and the fresh experiences they will get to enjoy.

When choosing your neighborhood, you need to consider a range of different factors. This can include budget (where you can afford to live), proximity to transportation, amenities and schools for your children.

Jumeirah is a popular destination for families due to the convenient access to the beach, some of the best schools in Dubai like King College and Jumeirah College, and abundance of amenities. Emirates Hills is also an ideal location for young families as there are various parks, shopping malls and is one of the best pet friendly neighborhoods.

Organize Your Documentation to Relocate 

Unless you are moving to the UAE to retire, you’ll need to have the appropriate visa documentation in order to work. You will need to apply for a Green Visa for Work and Residence Visas for family members. It’s best to apply for these visas at least a few months before you plan to move so you can account for any issues or delays.

If you are moving as part of a corporate relocation, discuss any required documentation you may require for your move with your employee and moving service. In the case of moving a car or relocating a pet, you may require some specialized documentation like purchase records, vaccinations and other relevant information.

Take Time to Settle In

It’s perfectly natural to experience culture shock when you move to a new location – and everybody does to a certain degree. Everyone’s daily routine will be altered, from getting used to the layout of your new home to understanding the quickest route to school or work. You’ll even have to think about how long it takes to do the grocery shopping or where the nearest dry cleaner is, and factor that into your weekly routine.

To help adjust to the significant change, it’s best to become settled in as soon as possible and create a familiar routine. To help speed up this process, you can use a professional unpacking service to quickly set up your home. This will provide you with more time to explore and become accustomed to your new neighborhood, the local culture and language. Doing so can help you and your family feel more at home more quickly.

Sign up your children to local clubs and sports teams and find a way to envelop yourself in the community as much as possible. Walk around and allow the family to discover sights, sounds and smells together.

Discuss the details with your moving consultant

The most important thing to remember when you’re undergoing an international move to the UAE is to take one thing at a time. Whether you’re considering or preparing your move to Dubai, or anywhere else in the UAE from abroad, you can rely on the professional moving consultants at Allied Moving Services. Your very own personal moving consultant from Allied will be there to guide you every single step of the way. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, simply contact us and we’ll do our best to answer all your queries.