Your first weeks in Dubai: sixty days, one order, and then the family
You land on an entry permit and have sixty days for the medical test, Emirates ID and residence visa. Only then do the bank, the tenancy contract and the driving licence open up, and only with your visa and a registered tenancy contract can you sponsor your family. The order, the clocks and the one mistake that costs weeks.
Your first weeks in Dubai revolve around one clock: you travel in on an entry permit and from the day of entry have sixty days to complete your residency. That is ample, if you start in week one. Everything after that hangs on the outcome: no visa and Emirates ID, no bank account; no registered tenancy contract, no visa for your family. Whoever knows that order loses no weeks at counters that cannot open yet.
What has to happen in the first sixty days?
Three parts, in this order: the medical test, compulsory for everyone aged eighteen and over; the biometrics and the application for the Emirates ID; and the residence visa itself. For private sector employees the employer arranges this through a single platform. So do not plan your arrival just before a long business trip for your employer, and keep the first two weeks free for appointments. How the Emirates ID works and what it costs is explained in the Emirates ID.
Whoever exceeds the deadline pays: according to the government portal, anyone who stays longer than their visa allows gets a fine of AED 50 per day.
Why can the bank only come after that?
Because a bank in Dubai asks for your Emirates ID, your residence visa and a salary certificate. Once you have those, the central bank requires the bank to open your account within two full working days. Your salary must go through an account; how that works and what to watch for, you can read in banking and payments in Dubai.
When do you sign a tenancy contract?
You can search earlier, but count on your Emirates ID when registering: whoever has the contract registered at the counter of an Ejari office of the Dubai Land Department must show it. Ejari costs AED 177.75 through the app and AED 220 through an office. Two items come on top that belong in your first budget: the broker's commission, according to the government portal up to 5% of the annual rent, and the housing fee of 5% of the annual rent, collected through your monthly water and electricity bill. How the rent itself works, with cheques and the rent index, is explained in renting in Dubai.
How do you bring your family over?
Only once your visa is there do you sponsor the family. The government portal names the conditions: a salary of at least AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. You can sponsor your spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under twenty-five and children with special needs. Family members aged eighteen and over take the medical test.
The document list for family members shows why the tenancy contract comes before the family visa:
| Document for the family visa | From whom |
|---|---|
| Recent photo with a white background | the family member |
| Copy of the passport | the family member |
| Certified tenancy contract or proof of ownership | the sponsor |
| Copy of the passport with a valid residence permit | the sponsor |
| Medical fitness certificate | family members aged 18 and over |
| Attested birth certificate | children |
No certified tenancy contract, no family visa. Whoever spends the first weeks in a hotel or a short-let flat can only apply for the visa for partner and children once there is a tenancy contract that meets the requirements. So plan the signing of the lease early enough, and make sure the attested certificates have already been brought from the Netherlands.
A family member's visa never runs longer than that of the sponsor. If your visa is cancelled, the family visas must be cancelled as well; the family members then get six months to arrange a new residence permit. You, as sponsor, are responsible for their health insurance; what that involves is explained in healthcare in Dubai.
Which clocks keep running after that?
| Clock | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Residency complete after entry on an entry permit | 60 days |
| Opening a bank account after application | 2 full working days |
| Fine for staying longer than your visa allows | AED 50 per day |
| Grace for family members after cancellation of their visa | 6 months |
| Continuously outside the Emirates before your visa lapses | 180 days |
The last row is the clock that does not yet matter in the first weeks, but that you take into account from day one: whoever stays outside the Emirates for more than one hundred and eighty consecutive days sees their residence visa lapse automatically, except with a Golden or Green Visa. Whoever plans a long leave in the Netherlands counts in advance.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Dubai or go straight to step 5.1 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change — when in doubt the source is leading, not this article.
- GDRFA Dubai — the work entry visa, sixty days after entry — gdrfad.gov.ae
- U.ae — general provisions for the residence visa (medical test, documents for dependants, 180 days, fines) — u.ae
- U.ae — residence visa for family members of employees — u.ae
- Dubai Land Department — registering a tenancy contract in Ejari, documents and fees — dubailand.gov.ae
- U.ae — renting a home, broker commission and housing fee — u.ae
- CBUAE Rulebook — Consumer Protection Standards, opening an account within two working days — rulebook.centralbank.ae
Read on
- DubaiArrival in Dubai4 min
Banking and payments in Dubai: an account within two working days, and the cheque that is still a contract
With your Emirates ID and residence visa, a bank in Dubai must open your account within two full working days; if it refuses, you get that in writing and may complain to the central bank. Watch the minimum balance, because below it you pay every month. And the cheques for your rent: a bounced cheque is no longer a crime, but it can be enforced directly through the execution judge.
Updated 26 September 2026
- DubaiArrival in Dubai4 min
The Emirates ID: your number for everything in Dubai, and the clock attached to it
Without an Emirates ID there is no bank account, no tenancy contract and no driving licence. The card costs AED 100 per year of residence, you keep the fifteen-digit number for life, and its validity hangs on your visa: if the visa lapses, so does the card. What you need, what it costs and which fines apply.
Updated 26 September 2026
- DubaiArrival in Dubai4 min
Buying a house in Dubai: freehold in the designated zones, 4% at the DLD — and after that no tax, but a fee
In Dubai you buy full ownership as a foreigner, but only in the designated freehold areas. The transfer runs through a Registration Trustee office of the Dubai Land Department, with a 4% registration fee on the sale price, a fixed amount for the trustee and a digital title deed as proof. There is no income tax for individuals; in an apartment complex you do pay service charges to the owners association.
Updated 26 September 2026