New to DubaiMoving to Dubai: what to sort out first, and in what order
The order newcomers set up life in Dubai: visa and Emirates ID, a home, utilities, a bank account and driving, with a guide for each step.
If you're moving to Dubai, sort out your residence visa first. Then find your home, then set up everything that depends on it. Most other things, from a bank account to a driving licence, ask for documents you only get once those first steps are done.
Here's that order, with the guide for each step. You don't need to read them all today. Start with the one you're stuck on.
Step 1: your visa and Emirates ID
Your residence visa opens almost every other door. For a work visa, the steps usually go like this: first an entry permit (or a change of status if you're already in Dubai), then a medical fitness test at an approved centre, then your Emirates ID and residence visa. The Emirates ID is the identity card residents use for nearly everything official. Everyone aged 18 or over needs the medical test.
Once your Emirates ID is ready, set up UAE Pass, the government's digital ID app. It lets you sign in to lots of official services from your phone. It's all in our guide to visas, Emirates ID and UAE Pass.
Step 2: find a home and register it
Next, somewhere to live. You search, view and sign the contract. Then you register it with Ejari, Dubai's official system for recording rental contracts.
Don't skip that last part. Tenants need Ejari to get electricity and water switched on. Once it's issued, DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) gets your details automatically and sends you a welcome email. Our housing guides cover searching, renting rules and registering.
Step 3: connect your home
Once you have your keys and your Ejari, finish setting up DEWA and book your home internet. Check the air conditioning works before the summer heat arrives.
A local SIM card is the exception to this order. You can get one soon after you land using your passport and visa, and du hands out tourist SIMs at Dubai International Airport. A UAE number makes everything else easier. See setting up your home for each of these.
Step 4: open a bank account
Banks need your Emirates ID, so this step comes after Step 1. It can take longer than you expect, and you may have to redo your signature several times, so be patient. If you'd like a digital-only bank, the NTD Team rates Wio.
Step 5: settle into everyday life
Now the fun part, and the part you'll keep learning for months: the apps everyone uses, the Nol card for the metro and buses, delivery for everything, public holidays and what changes during Ramadan. It's all in everyday life in Dubai.
Step 6: get driving
Leave this until last unless you need a car straight away. The RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) keeps a list of countries whose licences can be swapped for a UAE licence without a test. In January 2026 it had 57 countries on it. If your country isn't on the list, expect lessons at a driving school. Plenty of people rent a car while they sort it out, and our cars and driving guides cover licences, renting, buying and fines.
Living in another emirate?
Ejari and DEWA are Dubai systems. If you live in Sharjah or another emirate and work in Dubai, you'll register your home and set up utilities through that emirate's own systems. Check locally before you start.
Ask around, then double-check
Talk to people who have lived here. Their tips will save you time and hassle. Just don't treat what one person tells you as fact. Rules here change quickly, so always get a second opinion.
Where to go next
Pick the step you're on and open that guide. Come back here when you're ready for the next one.
- Ramadan in the UAE: what changes in Dubai and how to be respectful How Ramadan changes working hours, eating in public, prayer and iftar in Dubai, and the small habits that show respect in your first year.
- How to open a bank account in Dubai: documents, timing and choosing a bank The documents you need to open a bank account in Dubai, why you should wait for your Emirates ID, and how to pick a bank that suits how you live.
- Does Dubai have a postcode? What to write on forms Dubai has no postcodes. Here's what to put in the postcode box, and how to write your address so a courier actually reaches your door.
- Things to know about Dubai before you move: laws, customs and holidays The laws, customs, public holidays and everyday rules to know before you move to Dubai, explained in plain English.
- Glossary and acronyms: Dubai terms explained in plain English Short, plain definitions of the acronyms and local terms in our Dubai guides, from Ejari and DEWA to Salik, UAE Pass and black points.
- About the team: who writes New to Dubai and where to check the facts Who writes New to Dubai, what our guides are based on, which official bodies to check with yourself, and how we choose what to name.