Moving to Dubai As a Family: What No One Tells You

This move shouldn't be any different from the rest. I've done this before - it will be a breeze...yea right.

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In many ways, I was not fully prepared for the move to Dubai. Despite having so many international moves under my built, I was not ready for it. I Even as my husband and I packed our final belongings in Singapore, I was overly confident that it would be a piece of cake. In hindsight, my biggest mistake was that I underestimated the cultural shift of living in Dubai. I reasoned that nothing could be more of a cultural shift than my move from Connecticut to Shanghai. I was wrong.

And because I was overly confident about cultral differences, I lumped everything else into the basket of “just another move”. Differences in climate, education systems, transportation, visa fees — it was going to be a breeze. And since I had been to Dubai on vacation twice already, I figured I was an expert. I was wrong.

Hopefully this article will make your relocation to Dubai with kids much more smooth than mine was and provide you some guidance that can save you thousands of dirhams.

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The Real Costs of Dependent Visas in Dubai

I came to Dubai on a remote work visa towards the end of 2021. And understood from the information that I found online that I could easily apply for dependent pieces for the rest of my family, which for me was my husband and four children. What I didn't understand is how difficult it would be getting all of the apostle stamps and authentication of birth records done in the US. This ended up being a costly endeavor. We paid at least 1,000 USD to obtain all of the required authentications of birth certificates of our children alone. That didn't include any fees for actually applying for the visa, medicals and typing center fees. On the bright side, because I am a lawyer, I researched like crazy on the process itself and saved us tons of money by not using an agent. That all being said, my sitation was unique because I came in on a remote work visa without the support of a sponsoring employer. For those who intend to move to Dubai and have an employer sponsoring them, perhaps the cost of dependent visas is not an issue. But for us it absolutely was. In hindsight, I would say that I would have done more research on the cost of authenticating birth certificates for dependent visas and the cost of obtaining dependent visas alone.

Choosing the Right Neighborhood for Your Family

Can you imagine moving 4 times in 4 years? We did! I know it sounds crazy, but we needed time to understand our needs - what would be an ideal neighborhood in terms of commuting to work and also school. Additionally, as our kids adjusted to Dubai, we changed schools in order to best meet our needs. I plan on doing a vlog on my YouTube channel about the various neighborhoods we stayed in, how much we paid for rent in each neighborhood, and why we ultimately decided to move. I guess my advice here would be to do your research and do not underestimate commute times. You want to be as close as humanely possible to work and school. Don't rent a place in Business Bay, when your job is in Emirates Hills - that's a recipe for disaster. I know many people commute from Sharjah to Dubai and vice versa, but I think that is becoming less and less as the traffic has picked up considerably.

Health Insurance Surprises for Kids

Surprise! Many employers in Dubai do not cover dependent's health insurance! So that means you have to pay out of pocket. Not such a big deal with one child, but with three or more, it can add up quickly. And you will definitely want to get health insurance in place for your kids as it will be a totally new environment for them. We paid around $1,500 USD annually for health insurance for each child. And as there are so many tiers, levels of coverage, and even exclusive high-end hospitals, I can't recommend what is a good price to pay. Just be sure to research the hospitals that you would like and base your decision on medical providers rather than cost.

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Would I Do It Again? Here's the Truth

You'll probably hear me say (or read) several times that each country that I've lived in has served a purpose. In China, I realized the importance of being able to speak the local language and found loads of opportunities by being a Mandarin speaker. In Singapore, I realized that there are different kinds of success and that you can be fulfilled in some ways, and not fulfilled in others. Dubai is teaching me grit, resilience and how to go after what I want. I've also been able to tap into my creativity here in ways that I previously didn't. So for now I can safely say, that I would do it all over again. ;)