How Much Does it Cost to Move to Dubai From the UK in 2026?

It’ll cost between £10,000 and £20,000 to move to Dubai from the UK. 

These moving costs include flights, visa fees, rent, and other essential services when moving abroad. While upfront costs may seem expensive, creating a budget you can stick to will help in the long term. 

Use 1st Move International’s handy cost guide to prepare for the costs of moving to Dubai in 2026.

Breakdown of the costs of moving to Dubai

Visa and Document Costs

1. Skills Assessment – Most Dubai visas don’t require a paid skills assessment. If you’re in the healthcare, education or engineering industry, then you’ll need a paid skills assessment. For health professionals, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) exam fees cost AED 1,000 to AED 2,000 (£200 to £400) and the registration fees are around AED 2,000 to AED 3,000 (about £400 to £600).
   
   
2. Authentication Fees – Documents such as degrees and marriage certificates usually need a UK solicitor or notary to certify them (around £70 to £120 per document), then an FCDO apostille at £45 per document by post. Because the UAE is not part of the Hague Convention, there is a further step the apostille alone does not cover: attestation by the UAE Embassy/MoFA in London, which adds a per-document fee on top. Budget for all three stages, not just the first two.
   
   
3. Mandatory Medical Check – Mandatory Medical Check – A medical fitness test (blood test plus chest X-ray) is required for residence and employment visas. Importantly, it must be done in the UAE after you arrive on an entry permit, not in the UK, as results from outside the country are not accepted. The standard test costs around AED 250 to AED 400 (about £50 to £85), with fast-track and VIP options at AED 700 to AED 1,020.
   
   
4. Police Clearance Certificate – Employment visas in Dubai require a police clearance certificate for the past 5 years. These cost between £55 and £95 (AED 275 – AED 475).
   
   
5. Visa Application Fee – Visa application fees will vary by visa type. The Golden Visa is a 10-year residency, and the government fees are far lower than often quoted: roughly AED 2,800 to AED 5,400 (£575 to £1,110), with total processing costs (including the medical and Emirates ID) typically landing around AED 4,000 to AED 6,500.
   The property-investor route runs higher, up to about AED 10,250, because of Dubai Land Department charges. Note that the AED 2 million property or deposit thresholds are eligibility requirements you retain, not fees.
   The Employment visa will cost between £500 to £1,500 but employers often pay this. You’ll also need to pay between £70 and £150 (AED 350- AED 750) for an Emirates ID. 
   
   
6. Visa Assistance – Visa assistance fees vary by the complexity of the visa. Fees can range from £50 up to £1,500 (AED 250-AED 7,500) for a Work Visa.

Travel and Relocation Costs

1. Flights from the UK to Dubai: It’ll cost between £200 and £500 (AED 1,000-AED 2,500) for a one-way flight ticket to Dubai. Expect costs to rise to over £2,000 (AED 10,000) if you choose business class.
   
   
2. Shipping Your Belongings: To ship the contents of a 3-bedroom home to Dubai, expect to pay around £4,775 – £5,865 (AED 23,228 – AED 28,530). UK to Dubai shipping & removals costs will vary depending on the size and location of the move.
   
   
3. Rental Deposits & Advance Rent: The standard security deposit is 5% of the annual rent for an unfurnished property, or 10% if furnished, capped by market norm under Dubai’s rental law. On a one-bedroom apartment at around AED 75,000 a year, that is a deposit of roughly AED 3,750 (about £775). You will also usually pay a 5% agency fee and register the contract with Ejari, and rent is typically paid in one to four cheques in advance, though monthly payment options are now more widely available.
   
   
4. Health Insurance:  Expats must get health insurance to access healthcare in Dubai. The cost ranges between £500 to £2,000 (AED 2,500-AED 10,000) annually depending on the plan and coverage.
   
   
5. Shipping Your Car: To ship your car to Dubai, it’ll cost £1,141 (AED 5,705) for a standard saloon car going via RoRo service. 
   
   
6. Shipping Your Pet: It’ll cost between £800 and £5,500 (AED 4,000-AED 27,500) to ship your pet to Dubai. Costs will depend on the size of your pet, flights and whether or not you use a relocation service.  

Average Salaries in Dubai 

Dubai does not publish official average-wage statistics the way many countries do, so the most reliable figures come from recruitment-firm salary surveys. These put the average professional salary at around AED 15,800 to AED 18,000 a month (roughly AED 190,000 to AED 216,000 a year, or £39,000 to £44,500), with the median closer to AED 13,800 a month.

Pay varies widely by sector rather than by neighbourhood: finance, technology and healthcare sit at the top, while hospitality and retail pay considerably less. Entry-level professional roles typically start around AED 8,000 to AED 12,000 a month, and senior specialists can command AED 40,000 or more. The headline advantage is that salaries are tax-free, so the gross figure is effectively your take-home pay.

Final Thoughts

Moving to Dubai from the UK can seem expensive at first glance. Moving costs such as flights, visas, and rent are all essential costs that work towards your new life in Dubai. By creating a budget for your move to Dubai, you’ll know exactly what to expect for each step of the move. 

For many people, the long-term picture of life in Dubai will outweigh the initial upfront costs. With excellent career opportunities, a warmer climate and tax benefits, Dubai is a popular choice for people looking for a new adventure. 

Moving to Dubai – We Can Help

At 1st Move International, we help hundreds of people move to Dubai each year. We are experts in the international removal space, offering safer packing, faster shipping and smarter pricing. When you’re ready to move, get in touch for a free, tailored quote for your removals to Dubai.