Entry permission, residence and work rights can be separate. Compare the route first, then price each cost component.
Government charges below are tied to the named authority / application. Medical, translations and insurance need individual quotes; no universal all-in price is implied. UAE residence categories
Virtual work
Eligibility & exclusions
Qualifying work for an organisation outside the UAE; documented income of at least USD 3,500 / month and required cover. Not a local-hire permit.
Permitted work
Foreign remote work within the approved route.
Validity vs. stay
One-year residence, extendable; entry permission and residence completion are separate.
Minimum solvency
USD 3,500 monthly income proof, not a fee.
Renewal / continuity
Recheck continued eligibility, insurance and the residence / ID renewal charges before expiry.
Cost components to price
Line item
Confirmed charge or quote needed
Consular / government application
GDRFA lists an AED 200 entry fee + 5% VAT. In-country status charges can be additional. This is not the all-in residence price.
Residence card / biometrics / work permission
Obtain the separate residence / Emirates ID quote for the exact duration and channel.
Medical / health cover
Get the approved medical-centre fee and any urgency surcharge.
Translation / apostille / attestation
Employer / income and bank evidence; get attestation / translation quotes only for required papers.
Separate qualifying skilled-worker and freelancer / self-employed categories. Skilled-worker salary / education and freelancer permit / income conditions differ.
Permitted work
Only the work / licensed activity actually authorised; the residence label does not replace activity permission.
Validity vs. stay
Five-year residence for qualifying applicants.
Minimum solvency
Skilled employee: AED 15,000 monthly salary plus the stated qualification / occupation conditions. Freelancer: check the AED 360,000 prior annual-income test or accepted solvency alternative.
Renewal / continuity
Re-establish category eligibility; calendar permit, licence and ID expiry separately.
Cost components to price
Line item
Confirmed charge or quote needed
Consular / government application
Get ICP / GDRFA’s category-specific application and residence fee sheet.
Residence card / biometrics / work permission
Price Emirates ID, issuance and any status change separately.
Medical / health cover
Approved fitness test quote where required.
Translation / apostille / attestation
Degree / permit / income evidence: verify which needs MOFA attestation before buying a service package.
Category-specific eligibility: property, investment, talent and others. Property applicants should check the AED 2 million qualifying-value rules and evidence.
Permitted work
Residence does not waive professional licensing, regulated activity or employer work-permit requirements.
Validity vs. stay
Five or ten years depending on category; approved conditions and renewal rules matter.
Minimum solvency
Qualifying investment / category evidence is not a visa processing fee.
Renewal / continuity
Check the category’s continuing conditions and renewal evidence rather than assuming automatic renewal.
Cost components to price
Line item
Confirmed charge or quote needed
Consular / government application
Get the competent authority’s category-specific nomination / issuance fee.
Residence card / biometrics / work permission
Price ID and residence duration, family applications and any status change.
Medical / health cover
Approved fitness / insurance requirements for each applicant.
Translation / apostille / attestation
Ask which title, lender, valuation, degree or professional records are required and certified.
Ask the bank which income and address records it accepts, then agree a payment method with the landlord. Do not rely on a guaranteed three-day opening.
Do not turn a temporary employment package into permanent fixed costs. Keep the move affordable on base pay, value benefits separately, and preserve enough liquid cash to handle a job transition without a forced property or vehicle sale.
2026 rule check: wages, personal investment income and real-estate investment income are not treated as business activity for an individual under the UAE corporate-tax rules. A natural person carrying on a UAE business or business activity enters the corporate-tax framework when relevant annual turnover exceeds AED 1,000,000. This is a turnover test for business activity—not a tax on an employee’s salary.
These are editable illustrations, not bank offers or tax advice. Amounts and assumptions are stated beside each tool.
Work out your Dubai move-in cash
Every amount is in AED. Deposits and commissions are editable assumptions. This is a Dubai illustration, not a landlord quote or an Abu Dhabi/RAK fee schedule.
Total cash at move-inAED 33,837.50
First rent payment
AED 21,250.00
Potentially recoverable deposits
AED 7,750.00
Non-refundable fees
AED 4,837.50
Cash above the first rent payment
AED 12,587.50
Extra cash as % of annual rent
14.81%
Monthly housing-fee allowance
AED 354.17
Illustration ready. Replace assumptions with current quotes.
Monthly housing fees are not added to upfront cash. Deposit refunds depend on settlement. Furniture, short lets, schools and emergency savings are excluded.
06 · Property
UAE mortgage capacity screen
Regulatory ceilings are not an approval promise. Banks can recognize less income, require more evidence, or lend below the maximum.
The mortgage screen compares a debt-service limit with a loan-to-value limit. Monthly repayment capacity starts from entered gross recurring income multiplied by the modeled debt-burden cap, then subtracts existing monthly debt commitments. With a quoted annual interest rate and term, a standard amortization formula converts a payment into principal: payment × (1 − (1 + monthly rate)⁻ⁿ) ÷ monthly rate. At zero interest the principal is simply payment multiplied by the number of months.
The modeled loan is also constrained by the relevant property-value and purchaser-category limit. The CBUAE expatriate first-property framework distinguishes values around AED 5 million, with 80% and 70% ceilings; subsequent property and off-plan treatment differ. A lender can lend less, use a different accepted-income amount, shorten the term or decline foreign income entirely. Its treatment of card limits, commission, allowances and existing debt needs a written explanation. A 5% card-limit assumption is not presented as a universal statutory rule.
Cash needed at completion is purchase price minus the actual loan, plus the applicable transfer, mortgage registration, trustee, valuation, bank and brokerage charges. A universal 27.1% cash figure is not accurate for every price or fee structure. Dubai’s registration charges are not a UAE-wide closing-cost schedule. Rate changes, insurance and ongoing service charges can affect affordability after completion. Request a property-specific fee statement and a stress-tested repayment illustration; neither this tool nor a regulatory maximum guarantees preapproval or a final loan.
Turn a useful estimate into a decision
Replace the sample amounts with written quotes before you sign. An annual charge should be divided by twelve only when you are testing a monthly budget; it may still have to be paid upfront. Separate refundable deposits from expenses, and do not count a deposit as cash you can immediately spend again. Keep every input in the currency stated beside the tool. A currency selector that changes a label does not convert an existing number.
The calculation runs locally in your browser. It cannot approve a visa, verify a payslip, promise bank acceptance or establish tax residence. Government references explain the applicable rule, while rent, insurance, lender margins and provider charges need their own dated quotes. Run an ordinary-treatment or higher-cost fallback as well as your preferred case. If the move only works under an unconfirmed exemption or a bonus that has not been paid, resolve that uncertainty before committing.
References and assumptions
Source review: October 2026. A cited authority establishes the stated rule, not our illustrative cost inputs or a provider’s acceptance policy.
No. It is a ceiling for the relevant category, subject to valuation, income and lender acceptance.
Is the modeled card commitment a law?
A lender’s card-limit assessment can be policy-specific. Confirm its treatment instead of assuming a universal percentage.
Build your home-deposit savings plan
Enter the equity and closing costs you actually need. The example is not a property quote, investment forecast or lender decision.
Cash target
Savings at the end of the period
Shortfall to fund
Assumptions and calculation
Cash target = price × (equity % + closing-cost %) + additional cash. The savings illustration compounds the current balance monthly at the entered annual rate divided by 12 and adds each contribution at month-end. Returns are not guaranteed and can be negative in practice; this illustration models non-negative rates only. Use 0% for a cash-saving plan. It excludes inflation, tax, fees and changes in house prices.
Mortgage ceilings do not guarantee borrowing. Use the lender’s actual equity requirement and a transaction-specific closing bill; do not treat the sample 6% fee allowance as a statutory total.
Lease versus buy: compare the exit, not the payment
Compare the same holding period. Every amount is in AED; the default is three years. Replace the samples with your quotes.
Lower modelled costBuying
Lease AED 81,100 · Buy AED 52,000
Do not count fuel or insurance unless the contract makes them different. Stress-test resale value and early-exit charges.
How this calculation works
Lease versus Buy: compare the period you may actually stay
The car comparison adds the costs you enter over the expected holding period. Buying combines the purchase outlay, finance costs where entered, running costs and a resale assumption. Leasing combines the recurring lease amount with deposits, fees or early-exit costs included in your inputs. Check exactly which costs are included in each quote before comparing totals: insurance, maintenance, mileage and registration are not always packaged alike.
Resale value is a scenario, not cash guaranteed by a dealer. A move that ends early can leave a finance settlement amount greater than the achievable sale price. An apparently lower monthly payment can also require a larger deposit or balloon payment. Add fuel, parking, tolls and the commute that your chosen neighborhood actually creates. If the tool does not have a field for a charge, include it consistently in the appropriate cost or review it separately rather than assuming it is free.
For UAE newcomers, confirm local licence eligibility, any exchange requirement, insurance terms and whether financing accepts your income and length of service. Foreign income or a residence permit does not guarantee credit approval. Get the lease’s early termination and excess-mileage clauses in writing. For a short scouting stay, rentals and transit may reduce the risk of committing too soon. Compare a realistic full stay with a shorter exit, and keep the cash needed for cancellation or loan settlement separate from the ordinary monthly transport budget.
Turn a useful estimate into a decision
Replace the sample amounts with written quotes before you sign. An annual charge should be divided by twelve only when you are testing a monthly budget; it may still have to be paid upfront. Separate refundable deposits from expenses, and do not count a deposit as cash you can immediately spend again. Keep every input in the currency stated beside the tool. A currency selector that changes a label does not convert an existing number.
The calculation runs locally in your browser. It cannot approve a visa, verify a payslip, promise bank acceptance or establish tax residence. Government references explain the applicable rule, while rent, insurance, lender margins and provider charges need their own dated quotes. Run an ordinary-treatment or higher-cost fallback as well as your preferred case. If the move only works under an unconfirmed exemption or a bonus that has not been paid, resolve that uncertainty before committing.
References and assumptions
Source review: October 2026. A cited authority establishes the stated rule, not our illustrative cost inputs or a provider’s acceptance policy.
Does the cheaper monthly payment mean the cheaper option?
No. Deposits, fees, resale assumptions and exit costs can change the total.
Is resale value guaranteed?
No. Run a lower-resale and earlier-exit scenario before relying on it.
Your relocation documents
Know what to prepare before you apply
Select your work arrangement, household and document origin. This is a preparation list—not an official application decision. Always use the checklist from the authority handling your exact route.
Progress stays on this device. No identity or financial documents are uploaded.
Links checked October 2026. A listing is not a recommendation or confirmation that a product meets your visa, insurance or banking needs. Check the exact terms directly.
