Moving to Dubai: your first 30 days checklist (2026)

Your first 30 days in Dubai follow a fixed order: enter on your entry permit, do the medical fitness test, give your biometrics for the Emirates ID, and let your employer finish the residence visa. Once the Emirates ID is issued, everything else opens up: a resident bank account, a SIM in your own name, UAE PASS, a personal nol card, a tenancy contract with Ejari, and a DEWA connection. Do them in that order and you will save yourself a lot of repeat trips.

This checklist is written for people moving to Dubai for a job with a private sector employer, which is how most newcomers arrive. If you are on a Golden Visa, a green visa or a freelance permit, the order is similar but the paperwork comes from a different place, so check your own route on the official pages linked below.

What is the right order for your first 30 days?

Here is the short version. The details for each step follow underneath.

1. Before you fly: get your entry permit from your employer, check your passport has plenty of validity left, and bring your degree and other key certificates (attested if your employer asked for it).
2. Day 1: enter Dubai on your entry permit and pick up a tourist SIM at the airport.
3. Week 1: do the medical fitness test and give your fingerprints and photo for the Emirates ID.
4. Week 1 to 2: confirm your health insurance is active and your residence visa is issued.
5. Week 2 to 3: once you have your Emirates ID, open a bank account, register for UAE PASS and move your SIM to a resident plan.
6. Week 2 to 4: sign a lease, register it on Ejari and activate DEWA.
7. Week 3 to 4: get a personal nol card and start your driving licence exchange if you plan to drive.

Step 1: How does the entry permit work?

Your employer starts everything. They apply for your work permit through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), and once it is approved you receive an entry permit. According to the official Dubai government portal, the entry permit gives you 60 days to enter Dubai and complete the visa process. If you are already in the country on another visa, your employer can apply for a change of status instead, so you do not need to leave.

What you need: a passport copy, a photo and your signed offer, which your employer collects. Keep a printed and a digital copy of the entry permit for the airport.

Step 2: What is the medical fitness test?

Every new resident over 18 needs a medical fitness test before the residence visa is issued. In Dubai it is done at Dubai Health Authority approved centres, including the Smart Salem centres. It usually takes three parts: a short physical exam, a blood test and a chest X-ray, screening for conditions such as tuberculosis and HIV.

What you need: your passport, your entry permit and a phone number and email for the results. Many employers book and pay for the test for you, so ask HR before you book on your own. Fees and centres change, so check the current details when you book.

Step 3: How do you get your Emirates ID?

The Emirates ID is now the most important document you will carry. Since April 2022, residence visas are no longer stamped in passports. The Emirates ID shows your residency, and the residence and ID applications are handled together by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP).

Your part is simple: go to a typing centre or service centre to give your fingerprints and photo. The card is delivered to you once it is printed. In the meantime you can see your digital Emirates ID and residency details in the official ICP app, which helps when a bank or landlord wants proof early.

What you need: your original passport, the application reference from your employer and a working UAE mobile number for the delivery.

Step 4: Is health insurance mandatory in Dubai?

Yes. Health insurance is compulsory in Dubai, and your employer must provide cover for you that meets the Dubai Health Authority minimum. A valid policy is part of getting and renewing your residence visa. If you later sponsor your spouse, children or a domestic worker, you are responsible for insuring them.

Across the other emirates, a basic health insurance scheme for private sector employees and domestic workers began on 1 January 2025. MOHRE says the basic package costs AED 320 a year and is paid by the employer when the residence permit is issued or renewed. Ask HR for your insurance card in your first week, and check which clinics and pharmacies are in your network.

Step 5: How do you open a bank account in Dubai?

Your salary has to be paid into an account in your name under the UAE Wage Protection System, so this matters early. Most banks want to see your Emirates ID before they open a full resident account, which is why this comes after Step 3.

What you usually need:

• Original passport and a copy
• Emirates ID
• Your residence details (from the ICP app or a printout)
• A salary certificate or employment letter from HR
• Some banks also ask for a no objection letter from your employer

Many banks let you apply in their app and approve the account within a few hours to two working days. Minimum balance rules and fees vary a lot, so compare a few. Until your account is open, your home cards will work in most places; see our guide on whether you can use credit cards in the UAE, and use our AED currency converter to keep an eye on rates.

Step 6: Which SIM card should you get?

The three mobile operators are du, e& (formerly Etisalat) and Virgin Mobile. On arrival, a tourist SIM registered with your passport and visa is the easiest way to get a working number on day one. You need that number for the Emirates ID delivery, bank texts and one-time passwords.

Once your Emirates ID arrives, you can convert to a regular prepaid or postpaid plan registered in your own name. Never use a SIM registered to someone else. The registration rules come from the telecom regulator (TDRA), and the number is tied to you legally.

Step 7: What is UAE PASS and why do you need it?

UAE PASS is the national digital identity. According to ICP, it lets you log in to more than 6,000 government and private services, sign documents digitally and store official documents. You will use it for DEWA, the Dubai REST app, RTA, banking and a long list of other services.

What you need: your Emirates ID, a UAE phone number and email. You register in the app by scanning your Emirates ID, verifying your phone and email, setting a PIN and passing a face check. For more apps worth installing, see our list of mobile apps to download when living in Dubai.

Step 8: How do you rent an apartment and get Ejari?

Most people stay in a hotel or short-term rental for the first few weeks, then sign a yearly lease. Before you start viewing, have your Emirates ID (or at least your residence details), passport copy and a chequebook or plan for paying rent in place. Landlords often ask for rent in one to four cheques, plus a refundable security deposit.

After you sign, the tenancy contract must be registered on Ejari with the Dubai Land Department. The official Ejari service page lists the fee as AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app or website, or AED 220 at a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre. You need Ejari to connect DEWA and for many visa and family services, so do it straight away.

Budget for the whole move, not only the rent. Our guide on whether the cost of living is high in the UAE gives you a wider picture.

Step 9: How do you connect DEWA?

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) supplies power and water. Once your Ejari is registered, DEWA sends you a contract account number and the deposit amount by email and SMS, and you pay to activate the supply.

The housing fee surprises a lot of newcomers. On a lease of AED 90,000 a year, it adds AED 4,500 a year, or AED 375 a month, to your DEWA bill. Use our DEWA bill calculator to estimate your monthly total.

Step 10: How do you get a nol card?

The nol card pays for the Dubai Metro, buses, tram and water buses. A Silver nol card costs AED 25, which includes AED 19 of credit, and you can buy it at Metro stations. A personal Blue card is linked to your Emirates ID, protects your balance if you lose the card and unlocks discounts for eligible groups. You can also use a virtual card in the nol Pay app with UAE PASS.

Plan your daily commute with our nol fare calculator before you choose where to live. Living near a Metro station can save you a car for months.

Step 11: Can you convert your driving licence?

It depends on where your licence was issued. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) lets holders of licences from an approved list of countries swap them for a UAE licence without lessons or a road test. In January 2026, RTA said the list covered 57 countries, and that it exchanged more than 58,000 foreign licences in 2025.

What you need: an eye test at an approved centre, your valid original licence, your Emirates ID and the fee. You can apply online or at an RTA customer centre. If your country is not on the list, you will need to go through a driving school. Check the current list and fees on rta.ae, because countries are added from time to time.

What should you keep in a “new resident” folder?

You will be asked for the same papers again and again in your first month. Keep paper and phone copies of:

• Passport (photo page) and entry permit
• Emirates ID, front and back
• Employment contract and salary certificate
• Health insurance card
• Tenancy contract and Ejari certificate
• Passport photos on a white background
• Attested degree certificate, if your job needed one

A few tips from people who have done it

• Do not sign a lease before your visa is done. Without an Emirates ID you cannot easily register Ejari or DEWA in your name.
• Ask HR what they handle. Many employers book the medical, pay the fees and track your Emirates ID for you.
• Keep your phone number. Your bank, UAE PASS and government apps all send codes to it. Changing numbers early creates a lot of hassle.
• Learn the basics of daily life. Our guides on what to expect in the UAE and dos and don’ts in Dubai cover etiquette, dress and the working week.

Still looking for work, or helping someone else make the move? Our guide to finding a job in Dubai explains how hiring and offers usually work.

Last checked: October 2026. Rules and fees in the UAE change; confirm on the official pages above before you rely on them.