The short answer
To live in Dubai you need a UAE residence visa, the permit to live in the UAE that a sponsor applies for: an employer, or a company you own. Without a UAE job offer, the usual route is your own free zone company (one licensed in a free zone such as Meydan or IFZA), which sponsors your visa. As of October 2026, our Standard package, company and one residence visa, is AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA. The free visit visa British citizens get on arrival covers up to 90 days in a 180-day period, but it is not for work (UK Foreign Office, FCDO, checked 16 October 2026).
On the UK side, leaving does not end UK tax by itself. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) uses the statutory residence test, a check of your UK days and UK ties, to decide whether you are UK resident for each tax year (6 April to 5 April). If you were UK resident in at least 4 of the 7 tax years before you leave and come back within five years, some income and gains can be taxed when you return.
Key takeaways
- British citizens get a free visit visa on arrival for up to 90 days in a 180-day period (FCDO, checked 16 October 2026), and the FCDO warns of a fine, prison or deportation for working on it.
- Without a UAE job offer, your own free zone company can sponsor your residence visa: our Standard package is AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA as of October 2026.
- HMRC looks at each tax year separately: 183 days or more in the UK makes you UK resident, and fewer than 16 days makes a recent leaver non-resident under the first automatic overseas test.
- Come back within five years and HMRC's temporary non-residence rule can tax some income and gains you received abroad, such as distributions from a closely controlled company like your own, in the year you return, if you were UK resident in 4 or more of the 7 tax years before leaving.
- If you were UK resident for at least 10 of the last 20 tax years, inheritance tax on non-UK assets can follow you for 3 to 10 tax years after you leave (HMRC IHTM47020).
How do you move to Dubai from the UK without a job?
To move to Dubai from the UK without a job, you set up a free zone company of your own and let that company sponsor your residence visa. A free zone is a business area with its own licensing authority, such as Meydan Free Zone or IFZA, and a free zone company is one licensed there. If you move with a job instead, your employer sponsors the visa.
The steps usually run in this order. The company gets its licence first, then an establishment card, which registers it with the UAE immigration authorities so it can sponsor visas. Then come the entry permit (or a change of status if you are already in the UAE), the medical test, biometrics for your Emirates ID (the UAE identity card for residents), and the residence visa.
The Emirates ID is issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), and u.ae says it expires when your visa does. You can start while you are still in the UK: documents move by email and WhatsApp, and the medical test and biometrics take place in the UAE. Whether signing or a bank interview needs you in person depends on the free zone and the bank.
Your licence lists the activities your company may carry on, so pick the ones that match the work you will actually invoice for. At Meydan, for example, the free zone's FAQ says you can pick three groups of activities at incorporation at no extra cost.
What do your own company and visa cost?
Your own company with one residence visa costs AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA under our Standard package, as of October 2026. Meydan and IFZA are separate packages, so read one column or the other; the two are never added together.
| Package | Meydan | IFZA |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | AED 23,136 | AED 23,436 |
| Licence, flexi-office address, one residence visa, establishment card, medical test, Emirates ID and corporate tax registration. | ||
| Premium | AED 28,136 | AED 28,436 |
| Company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance (a digital business account), plus help with one personal account and a digital company stamp. | ||
- Both totals include our professional service fee at its promotional rate of AED 2,000 (regularly AED 3,500). If the promotion ends, the totals change.
- If you are already in the UAE on a visit visa when your residence visa is processed, an inside-country status change of AED 1,600 is added where it applies.
- In pounds, indicative only: about £4,720 at Meydan or £4,780 at IFZA for Standard, and £5,730 or £5,800 for Premium, at the Central Bank of the UAE rate published on 16 October 2026 (AED 4.91 to £1). The AED totals are the prices.
- Bank account opening is subject to each bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank's requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.
- No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply.
Extra visas, family visas and other zones are quote-only. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
Once your visa is issued, you can apply to sponsor your family if you meet the sponsorship conditions, and a dependant's visa cannot run past yours (u.ae). The conditions and steps are in our family visa guide. For the visa steps in order, read our guide to Dubai residence through your own company, and to compare zones, see our Dubai free zone licence guide.
How does your own company compare with the other residence routes?
Your own free zone company is the residence route where the sponsor is a company you own; the other four routes below depend on a UAE employer, a job abroad, or fitting the green or golden visa categories. The conditions are as the official UAE portal, u.ae, stated them when we checked on 16 October 2026.
| Route | Who it fits | Sponsor and length | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own free zone company | Founders, freelancers and consultants with their own clients | Your company sponsors you; the length depends on the visa type and the sponsor | A sponsored residence visa runs for 1, 2 or 3 years. u.ae: residence visa |
| Employment visa | People with a job offer from a UAE employer | The employer applies; valid for two years and renewable | The standard work visa is for employees of government and private sector employers. u.ae: work visa |
| Remote work visa (virtual work visa) | People working for a company outside the UAE | Self-sponsored, one year | You need health insurance, a medical fitness result, proof of work outside the UAE and a salary certificate of at least USD 3,500 or the equivalent. u.ae: virtual work visa |
| Green visa | Skilled workers, freelancers and self-employed people, investors and business partners | Self-sponsored, five years, renewable | The portal lists the eligible categories, not the conditions for each. It cites ICP and links to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) for issuance in Dubai. u.ae: Green visa |
| Golden visa | Investors, entrepreneurs, exceptional talents and other listed categories | Self-sponsored, 5 or 10 years | For investors the portal lists a minimum capital of AED 2 million. Holders can stay outside the UAE for more than six months without losing the visa. u.ae: Golden visa |
For the green visa categories, see our UAE residence visa guide; for the investor thresholds, our golden visa page. To compare the routes in more depth, see which residence route fits you in our guide to Dubai residence through your company. For which visa you travel on before your residence is ready, read Dubai business visa requirements by passport.
Do you still pay UK tax after moving to Dubai?
You can still owe UK tax after moving to Dubai, because HMRC decides your UK residence one tax year at a time and non-residents usually still pay UK tax on UK income. A UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April; GOV.UK gives the current one as 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.
What follows is what HMRC's guidance says, not advice. Check your own position with a licensed adviser in the UK.
The statutory residence test
The statutory residence test (SRT) is HMRC's test of your UK days and, where needed, your UK ties, and it decides whether you are UK resident for a tax year. HMRC's RDR3 notes (updated 11 June 2026) set it out. Spend 183 days or more in the UK in a tax year and you are UK resident; below that, you check the automatic tests first and the ties test last.
| Test | What RDR3 says | Result |
|---|---|---|
| First automatic overseas test | You were UK resident in one or more of the 3 previous tax years and spend fewer than 16 days in the UK in the year. | Not UK resident |
| Third automatic overseas test | You work full-time overseas over the tax year, spend fewer than 91 days in the UK, work more than 3 hours on fewer than 31 of those days, and take no significant break from the overseas work. It covers employees and the self-employed. | Not UK resident |
| First automatic UK test | You spend 183 days or more in the UK in the tax year. | UK resident |
| Second automatic UK test | You have a home in the UK under the conditions RDR3 sets, and no overseas home or fewer than 30 days spent in it. | UK resident |
| Sufficient ties test | None of the automatic tests settles it, so your UK ties are counted against your UK days. | Depends on your ties |
Ties that make a leaver UK resident
A leaver who was UK resident in any of the 3 previous tax years becomes UK resident with the number of UK ties shown below, from RDR3's Table A. A UK tie is a connection to the UK that HMRC counts: family, accommodation, work, 90-day and country. HMRC's ties manual, RFIG20500, gives the conditions for each.
| Days in the UK in the tax year | UK ties needed to be resident |
|---|---|
| 16 to 45 | At least 4 |
| 46 to 90 | At least 3 |
| 91 to 120 | At least 2 |
| Over 120 | At least 1 |
Split-year treatment
Split-year treatment divides the tax year you leave into a UK part and an overseas part. It applies only if you meet every condition of one of HMRC's departure cases, cases 1 to 3 in RDR3, which HMRC's split year manual, RFIG21000, sets out in full.
Coming back within five years
Temporary non-residence is HMRC's rule for people who return within five years: some income and gains received while abroad can be taxed in the year you come back. It applies if you had sole UK residence in 4 or more of the 7 tax years before you left. HMRC's list includes capital gains, distributions from closely controlled companies, certain pension payments and lump sums, chargeable event gains and offshore income gains. To be outside the rules, HMRC says your time abroad must be longer than 5 years, that is 5 years plus one day (RDR3, section 7).
Telling HMRC you are leaving (P85)
Form P85 tells HMRC you have left or are leaving the UK and claims back tax on UK employment, online or by post. If you have not left yet, HMRC says you must print and post the claim. You do not need a P85 if you send a Self Assessment return for the tax year you leave.
Tax on UK income you still receive
Non-residents usually still pay UK tax on UK income such as rent, pensions, savings interest and wages (HMRC). You usually need a Self Assessment return if you rent out UK property. Non-residents do not usually pay UK tax on the State Pension.
Renting out your UK home
The Non-resident Landlord Scheme makes your letting agent, or a tenant who pays more than £100 a week, deduct basic rate tax from your rent if you live abroad for more than 6 months of the year. The exception is when HMRC has said in writing that the rent can be paid with no tax deducted.
Selling UK property after you leave
Non-residents must report a disposal of UK property or land even when there is no tax to pay, GOV.UK says. Any Capital Gains Tax due on UK residential property must be reported and paid within 60 days of selling it.
National Insurance for time abroad
Voluntary Class 2 National Insurance is no longer open for time abroad from 6 April 2026, GOV.UK says. Voluntary contributions fill gaps in your National Insurance record. You can apply on form CF83 to pay Class 3 for time abroad after 5 April 2026 if you previously lived in the UK for 10 years in a row or paid 10 years of qualifying contributions. Class 3 is £18.40 a week for 2026 to 2027.
Your State Pension in the UAE
Your UK State Pension will not rise each year while you live in the UAE. GOV.UK says it only rises each year if you live in the EEA, Gibraltar, Switzerland or a country with a UK social security agreement that allows it, and the UAE is not on the DWP list of those countries. Your pension goes up to the current rate if you return to live in the UK.
The UK and UAE tax treaty
The UK and UAE double taxation convention is the tax treaty between the two countries; it was signed on 12 April 2016 and has been in force since 25 December 2016 (HMRC). If both countries treat you as resident, Article 4 settles it in this order: where you have a permanent home, then where your personal and economic relations are closer, then where you habitually live, then your nationality.
If you return later: the foreign income and gains regime
The 4-year foreign income and gains (FIG) regime replaced the remittance basis on 6 April 2025. It only matters if you come back: it is for people who become UK resident after at least 10 years as a non-resident (HMRC).
Does UK inheritance tax follow you to Dubai?
UK inheritance tax on non-UK assets can follow you for 3 to 10 tax years after you leave, because since 6 April 2025 it depends on long-term UK residence, not domicile (HMRC). You are a long-term UK resident if you were UK tax resident for the previous 10 consecutive years, or for 10 of the last 20. How long the status lasts after you leave depends on how many of the last 20 years you were UK resident, as HMRC's Inheritance Tax Manual (IHTM47020) sets out:
| Years of UK residence in the last 20 | Long-term UK residence lasts after you leave |
|---|---|
| 10 to 13 | 3 tax years |
| 14 | 4 tax years |
| 15 | 5 tax years |
| 16 | 6 tax years |
| 17 | 7 tax years |
| 18 | 8 tax years |
| 19 | 9 tax years |
| All 20 | 10 tax years |
A split year counts as a full year of UK residence for this test (IHTM47020). Different rules apply if you were deemed UK domiciled on 30 October 2024 and were non-resident for the tax year 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026, and assets in trusts have their own rules.
What tax do you pay in the UAE?
0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward. The UAE portal states that the UAE does not levy income tax on individuals (u.ae), and the corporate tax threshold is set by Cabinet Decision 116 of 2022 (Ministry of Finance). For the company side in detail, read our UAE corporate tax guide.
What happens to your UK limited company?
Your UK limited company does not have to close when you move to Dubai: you can keep it trading, let it go dormant, close it, or run it next to a new Dubai company. Which country treats it as resident for tax depends on where it is incorporated and where it is really run.
HMRC treats a UK-incorporated company as UK resident, with certain exceptions, and a company incorporated abroad as UK resident if its central management and control, the highest level of control of the business, is in the UK. The UAE has its own test. The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) says a company incorporated abroad can be UAE resident if it is effectively managed and controlled in the UAE, and one key factor is where key management and commercial decisions are regularly and predominantly made.
| Option | What the official guidance says | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Keep it trading | A company incorporated in the UK is UK resident for tax, with certain exceptions. If a tax treaty gives its residence to the other country, HMRC treats it as not UK resident. HMRC INTM120030 | Distributions from closely controlled companies are on HMRC's temporary non-residence list, so they can be taxed if you return within five years. If you run the company from Dubai, the FTA test may make it UAE resident too; ask a licensed adviser how the UK and UAE treaty then treats it. |
| Let it go dormant | You do not have to close a company that is no longer trading. You can keep it dormant for as long as you want; it stays registered and still sends annual accounts and a confirmation statement to Companies House. GOV.UK | Dormant for tax means no business activity, no trading and no income. |
| Close it | A company that can pay its bills can be struck off or put into a members' voluntary liquidation; striking off is usually the cheapest way. GOV.UK | You usually need the agreement of the directors and shareholders. |
| Run it next to a Dubai company | A company incorporated abroad is UK resident if its central management and control is in the UK; it is the highest level of control that counts. HMRC INTM120060 | If both countries claim a company, the treaty leaves it to the two tax authorities to agree; without agreement the company can claim only the treaty's articles on elimination of double taxation, non-discrimination and the mutual agreement procedure (Articles 21 to 23). |
Which option suits you depends on your income plans and when you might come back, so check with a licensed adviser in the UK before you move money or close anything. For the Dubai side, see our guides to setting up a business in Dubai and company registration in Dubai.
What does the move look like for a UK freelancer?
A UK freelancer moving to Dubai without a job offer makes four decisions: the residence route, the company, the UK tax year of leaving and the UK company. The worked example below follows one made-up reader through them, using the official figures and our package prices from this guide.
Example: Hannah, a freelance designer in Manchester, flying out on 1 March 2027
Hannah is hypothetical, not a client. Her dates and days are invented to show how the rules work.
- 1
The route
Hannah has no UAE job offer and wants to win clients in the Gulf through a UAE company. The remote work visa, meant for people working for a company outside the UAE, does not give her that, so she picks her own free zone company. Under our Standard package, company and one residence visa, that is AED 23,136 at Meydan, about £4,720 at the Central Bank of the UAE rate of 16 October 2026.
- 2
Arriving
She flies in on the free visit visa, which covers up to 90 days in a 180-day period, and does not start work in the UAE on it. Her residence visa is processed while she is in the UAE, so the inside-country status change of AED 1,600 may apply.
- 3
The tax year she leaves
Leaving on 1 March 2027 puts her move near the end of the 2026 to 2027 tax year. By then she has spent well over 183 days in the UK that year, so the first automatic UK test makes her UK resident for 2026 to 2027. She then checks whether one of HMRC's split-year cases fits her departure.
- 4
The first full year away
In 2027 to 2028 she plans about 50 days in the UK to see family, too many for the first automatic overseas test. If she works full-time in Dubai, she checks the third automatic overseas test next; its conditions include fewer than 91 UK days and fewer than 31 UK days with more than 3 hours of work. If that does not fit, the ties test decides: at 46 to 90 days, 3 or more UK ties would make her UK resident, so she counts her ties against RFIG20500 before booking flights.
- 5
Her UK company
Hannah has a UK limited company with retained profits. If she keeps it and runs it from Dubai, both HMRC's control test and the FTA's management test come into play. Dividends from a closely controlled company are on the temporary non-residence list, and she was UK resident in all 7 tax years before leaving, so a return within five years could bring some of the dividends it pays her while she is away into UK tax. She takes that choice to a UK adviser before she flies.
- 6
Pension and paperwork
To keep building her State Pension record she looks at Class 3: at the 2026 to 2027 rate of £18.40 a week, 52 weeks come to £956.80. She checks her State Pension forecast first, because GOV.UK says voluntary contributions do not always increase it. Because she will send a Self Assessment return for 2026 to 2027, HMRC says she does not need a P85.
Your own dates, days and ties will differ, so run the same steps with your own numbers.
Can you keep your UK bank account?
Whether you can keep your UK bank account after moving to Dubai is up to your bank, because each UK bank sets its own terms for customers who live abroad. Ask yours before you go. HMRC suggests keeping a UK account open until any tax repayment from a P85 claim arrives, because it does not pay currency conversion or transfer fees.
For a UAE business account, our Premium package covers company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance: AED 28,136 at Meydan or AED 28,436 at IFZA, as of October 2026. Bank account opening is subject to each bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank's requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.
How UAE account opening works is on our business bank account opening page, and UAE bank accounts without residency covers what you can open before your visa. For accounts you can hold in several currencies, see international bank accounts for UAE expats.
What do you need to sort before and after you land?
Before and after you land in Dubai, five practical things need sorting: your UK certificates, health insurance, a registered tenancy, your driving licence and any pets. Each row says what the authority in charge publishes, checked on 16 October 2026; fees can change.
| Item | What the official page says | Publisher | Page date |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK certificates (birth, marriage, degree) | An apostille is the stamped official certificate the UK Legalisation Office attaches once it has checked a document's signatures, stamps or seals. The UAE is not on the Hague Conference (HCCH) list of Apostille Convention parties, so the FCDO's 3 steps apply: an apostille (£45 a document plus courier or postage for the standard paper service), a stamp from the UAE Embassy in London, then approval by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). MOFA says documents issued outside the UAE are attested through UAE missions abroad. | FCDO guide 31 Jul 2025; HCCH list 30 Jun 2026; MOFA none shown | |
| Health insurance | Health insurance is mandatory for Dubai residents under Dubai Health Insurance Law No. 11 of 2013. Employers pay their employees' premiums in full; if the employer does not cover dependants, the sponsor must. | 25 Mar 2026 | |
| Renting a home | Ejari is the Dubai Land Department (DLD) system for registering tenancy contracts. Registration costs AED 177.75 in total through the Dubai REST app or the DLD website, or AED 220 at a trustee centre, each including the AED 100 registration fee. DLD's Rental Index tool shows index rents by area. | Site updated 14 Oct 2026 | |
| Driving | Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) lists Britain among the countries whose licences residents can exchange for a Dubai licence, with no translation and all categories. You need a valid Emirates ID, an eye test and your valid UK licence. RTA lists fees of AED 1,050 in total with an AED 180 eye test, and says the eye test costs AED 140 to AED 180 depending on the centre. | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Pets | The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) says cats and dogs need an import permit, valid for 90 days, a permanent microchip and a valid rabies vaccination. The federal fees are AED 200 per animal for the permit, and AED 500 per dog or AED 250 per cat for release. | None shown |
What is the checklist for moving to Dubai from the UK?
Moving to Dubai from the UK comes down to ten steps in this order, from checking your passport to watching long trips away once you live in the UAE. Each step names the page it comes from, so you can check it again before you act.
- 1
Check your passport
To enter the UAE your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the day you arrive. FCDO
- 2
Read the FCDO travel advice and sign up for alerts
The UAE advice has a regional tensions section about possible flight cancellations and airspace closures (page updated 24 July 2026, still current on 16 October 2026). FCDO
- 3
Choose your residence route
Use the route table above. For your own company, send your business activity and visa count for a written quote and pick Meydan or IFZA. u.ae
- 4
Work out your UK residence for the year you leave
RDR3 says each tax year is looked at separately, so the statutory residence test, which counts your UK days, applies again every year. In the year you leave, split-year treatment applies only if you meet every condition of one of its cases. HMRC RDR3
- 5
Decide what happens to your UK company
Keep it, make it dormant or close it, using the table above, and check with a licensed adviser in the UK before you leave. GOV.UK
- 6
Tell HMRC
Send form P85 or claim online. HMRC says that if you have not left the UK yet you must print and post the claim, and that you do not need a P85 if you send a Self Assessment return for the tax year you leave. HMRC
- 7
Arrive on the visit visa, and do not work on it
British citizens get it free on arrival, valid for up to 90 days over 180 days from first entry. The FCDO says you could face fines for overstaying, which may build up for each day, and that to work after entering on a visit visa you need a probationary work permit from the Ministry of Labour. If your residence visa is then processed while you are in the UAE, the inside-country status change in our cost notes may apply. FCDO
- 8
Medical test, security check and Emirates ID
Residence visa applicants aged 18 and over take a medical test, pass a security check and apply for an Emirates ID. u.ae
- 9
Keep a UK account open until HMRC has repaid you
HMRC does not pay fees to convert a repayment or send it abroad. HMRC
- 10
Once you live in the UAE, watch long trips away
The general rule is that a residence visa lapses after more than 180 days in a row outside the UAE. The portal lists exceptions, among them investors holding valid residence visas, so check with ICP or GDRFA whether yours counts before a long trip. u.ae
Frequently asked questions
Each answer below is a short version of a section above, based on the same official sources.
Can I move to Dubai from the UK without a job?
Yes, you can move to Dubai from the UK without a job if you have another route to a residence visa. For founders and freelancers the usual route is a company of their own that sponsors the visa: our Standard package, company and one residence visa, is AED 23,136 at Meydan or AED 23,436 at IFZA. People working for a company abroad can look at the one-year remote work visa, and the green and golden visas cover set categories. The visit visa you get on arrival is not for working: the FCDO warns of a fine, prison or deportation for working on one.
How long can a British citizen stay in Dubai without a residence visa?
A British citizen can stay in the UAE for up to 90 days in a 180-day period without a residence visa, counted from the date of first entry, in one stay or several. That is what the FCDO travel advice, updated 24 July 2026, says about the free visitor visa British citizens get on arrival; some guides still give 30 days. The FCDO says you could face fines for each day you overstay, and to extend in Dubai you contact the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from arrival.
Do I still pay UK tax after I move to Dubai?
You may still pay UK tax after moving to Dubai: the statutory residence test decides, and HMRC applies it to each tax year separately. Even as a non-resident you usually still pay UK tax on UK income such as rent, pensions and savings interest. In the year you leave, split-year treatment may divide the year if you meet one of HMRC's departure cases. Check your position with a licensed adviser in the UK.
What happens to my tax if I return to the UK within five years?
Returning to the UK within five years can bring some income and gains received abroad into UK tax in the year you return, under HMRC's temporary non-residence rules. The rules apply if you had sole UK residence in 4 or more of the 7 tax years before you left, and they cover items such as capital gains and distributions from closely controlled companies. They do not apply if your time abroad is longer than 5 years, which HMRC puts as 5 years plus one day.
Should I close my UK limited company before I move?
You do not have to close your UK limited company before you move: GOV.UK says a company that is no longer trading can stay dormant, still filing annual accounts and a confirmation statement, and that striking off is usually the cheapest way to close a solvent company. A UK-incorporated company is normally UK resident for tax, with certain exceptions, and if you manage it from Dubai the UAE may treat it as resident too. Distributions from closely controlled companies, which usually include dividends from your own company, are on HMRC's temporary non-residence list, so they can be taxed if you return within five years and were UK resident in at least 4 of the 7 tax years before you left. Check with a licensed adviser in the UK first.
Can I keep my UK bank account after moving to Dubai?
Keeping your UK bank account after moving to Dubai is up to your bank, which sets its own terms for customers living abroad, and HMRC suggests keeping an account open until any P85 tax repayment arrives. In the UAE, our Premium package covers company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance: AED 28,136 at Meydan or AED 28,436 at IFZA. Bank account opening is subject to each bank's KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank's requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.
Can I keep paying National Insurance after moving to Dubai?
You can keep paying voluntary National Insurance after moving to Dubai only as Class 3, because GOV.UK says Class 2 is no longer open for time abroad from 6 April 2026. You can apply on form CF83 to pay Class 3, £18.40 a week in 2026 to 2027, if you previously lived in the UK for 10 years in a row or paid 10 years of qualifying contributions. GOV.UK suggests checking your State Pension forecast first, because voluntary contributions do not always increase your pension.
Does the end of non-dom status affect a move to Dubai?
The end of non-dom status affects a move to Dubai in two ways, both from 6 April 2025. Inheritance tax on non-UK assets now follows long-term UK residence, which can last up to 10 tax years after you leave. And the remittance basis was replaced by the 4-year foreign income and gains regime, which only matters if you return to the UK after at least 10 years as a non-resident.
Planning the move? Start with the company and the visa
Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote.
We usually reply within a couple of hours.
Sources and how we checked
Every official source used in this guide is listed below with the date the page itself shows, and each was checked on 16 October 2026.
How we checked: each rule was read on the authority's own website on 16 October 2026. Rules change, so check the source before you file or apply.
- FCDO: United Arab Emirates entry requirements (travel advice updated 24 July 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- FCDO: United Arab Emirates travel advice (updated 24 July 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (current tax year) (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC: RDR3 Statutory Residence Test notes (updated 11 June 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC Residence and FIG Regime Manual RFIG20500: the ties test (manual updated 3 July 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC Residence and FIG Regime Manual RFIG21000: split year treatment (manual updated 3 July 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC: Get your Income Tax right if you're leaving the UK (P85) (updated 23 August 2024; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC: Tax on your UK income if you live abroad (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC: Paying tax on rent to landlords abroad (Non-resident Landlord Scheme) (published 8 December 2014; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC: Capital Gains Tax on UK property or land if you're not a UK resident (updated 13 January 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Voluntary National Insurance, if you live or work abroad (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Voluntary National Insurance rates (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: State Pension if you retire abroad, how your pension is affected (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)
- DWP: Countries where we pay an annual increase in the State Pension (published 9 June 2014; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC: Inheritance Tax if you're a long-term UK resident (published 6 April 2025; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC Inheritance Tax Manual IHTM47020: long-term UK residence test (manual updated 7 April 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC: The 4-year foreign income and gains regime (published 6 April 2025; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC: United Arab Emirates tax treaties (updated 21 October 2019; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC: 2016 UK and UAE double taxation convention, Article 4 (updated 21 October 2019; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC International Manual INTM120030: company residence overview (manual updated 15 October 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- HMRC International Manual INTM120060: central management and control (manual updated 15 October 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- FTA: Resident juridical person (updated 6 May 2024; checked 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Closing a limited company (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)
- u.ae: General provisions for the residence visa (updated 28 September 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- u.ae: Work visa (updated 7 August 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- u.ae: Residence visa for working outside the UAE (updated 7 August 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- u.ae: Green visa (updated 28 July 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- u.ae: Golden visa (updated 28 July 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- u.ae: Other taxes (income tax) (updated 30 March 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- Ministry of Finance: Corporate tax threshold, Cabinet Decision 116 of 2022 (release of 1 February 2023; checked 16 October 2026)
- Meydan Free Zone: Frequently asked questions (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)
- Central Bank of the UAE: Exchange rates (GB Pound) (rate published 16 October 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- FCDO: Documents for British people abroad (updated 31 July 2025; checked 16 October 2026)
- FCDO: Get your document legalised (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status table (updated 30 June 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Documents attestation (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)
- Dubai Health Authority (ISAHD): Health insurance FAQ (modified 25 March 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- Dubai Land Department: Register or renew a tenancy contract (Ejari) (site updated 14 October 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- Dubai Land Department: Rental Index (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)
- RTA: Driving licence exchange (updated 8 October 2026; checked 16 October 2026)
- MOCCAE: Import of pets (cats and dogs) (no date shown; checked 16 October 2026)