Your first six weeks in Dubai, in order
Emirates ID, bank account, licence, DEWA, school places. What comes first and what it costs.
The order matters more than the paperwork. Visa before Emirates ID, Emirates ID before most bank accounts, tenancy contract before DEWA, Ejari before anything official. Get one step out of order and you spend a week driving between counters. This is the sequence that works, with the actual fees.
How we help
- 01The order that avoids repeat trips to the same counter
- 02Which banks open accounts fastest for new residents
- 03What each step costs, including the ones nobody mentions
- 04Driving licence: which countries swap without a test
- 05School places: when to apply and what the deposit is
What people are asking right now
Ranges from the market, not live listings. We move them when the market moves.
| Item | Frequency | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates ID | one-off | AED 370 | issued with the visa |
| Medical fitness test | one-off | AED 320 - 750 | required for residency |
| Driving licence transfer | one-off | AED 1,000 - 2,000 | if your country qualifies |
| DEWA deposit, apartment | one-off | AED 2,000 | refundable |
| Ejari registration | per contract | AED 220 | landlord side, confirm it |
| School fee, mid-tier | per year | AED 35,000 - 70,000 | per child |
| Mobile plan | per month | AED 100 - 250 | du or Etisalat |
Swipe sideways for the rest
Tell us what you need
The more concrete you are, the more useful our answer.
Questions people ask first
How long until I am set up?
The medical result comes back within 24 hours and the Emirates ID within five to ten working days of the biometrics, so the visa run itself is two to three weeks. Add a week or two for the bank account, and a day for DEWA once Ejari is done. Four to six weeks end to end, as of September 2026.
Can I open a bank account before the Emirates ID?
Some banks open a limited account on the visa alone, but full access usually waits for the card. It is faster to plan around that than to fight it.
What does the first month cost?
Beyond the rent: Emirates ID AED 370, medical AED 320 to 750, DEWA deposit AED 2,000, Ejari AED 220, and a mobile plan. Add a licence transfer if you drive.
Other things we help with
Setting up a company in Dubai
Free zone or mainland, what each one really costs, and which banks open the account afterwards.
What we trackBuying property in Dubai
What the portal price leaves out, and what a purchase costs from signature to key.
What we trackRenting an apartment in Dubai
What a flat in that tower actually goes for, and how not to hand a year of rent to the wrong person.
What we trackThe Golden Visa, without the sales pitch
Which routes exist, what each one really requires, and which are quietly harder than they look.
What we trackHealth cover in Dubai, and what it skips
The legal minimum, what it does not cover, and where paying more actually buys something.
What we trackOpening a bank account in Dubai
Personal or corporate, which banks say yes to whom, and what actually causes a rejection.
What we trackThe freelance permit, priced honestly
Who it fits, what it costs in year one and at renewal, and where it falls short.
What we trackCrypto in the UAE, licensing included
What VARA actually regulates, what needs no licence at all, and what a licence costs.
What we trackGetting into the night you actually wanted
Tickets, tables and the weeks when the whole city drops its prices.
What we trackThe good ones, as they appear.
Free, no sign-up, leave whenever.
@dxbradar