LandedSample Move Plan
Sample plan

This is the exact structure every Move Plan follows, generated for an example household: a couple with two children (6 and 9) moving from the UK to Dubai on £110,000, British curriculum, letting out their UK home. The numbers are our real cost anchors. Your plan is built around your own answers and reviewed by hand before delivery.

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Essentials Move Plan

Alex's UAE Move Plan

A family move to Dubai on a 3 to 6 month timeline. The plan prioritises schools and sequences the UK exit around the tax year.

3-phase calendar12 checklist items3 schools shortlisted3 risks covered

02Visa route

Employer-sponsored residence visa, Golden Visa once eligible

  1. 1Secure an offer and confirm the employer will sponsor your residence visa.
  2. 2Attest your degree and marriage/birth certificates before you travel.
  3. 3Complete the UAE medical, Emirates ID biometrics and visa stamping on arrival.
  4. 4Apply for the 10-year Golden Visa once your basic salary clears AED 30,000/month.

Timeline: Roughly 6 to 10 weeks from accepted offer to residence visa.

03UK tax exit

  • Run the Statutory Residence Test for your departure year.
  • Aim for split-year treatment by timing your departure cleanly.
  • File a P85 once you have left to reclaim any overpaid UK tax.
  • Decide sell vs let on your UK property and plan for CGT / rental income.

Timing: Ideally leave early in a UK tax year (after 6 April) to make split-year treatment cleaner.

If your tax position is complex (non-dom, significant assets, multiple income sources), take specialist advice before you move. This plan frames the questions; it is not regulated tax advice.

04Schools shortlist

GEMS Wellington Primary School

British · Al Sufouh / Knowledge Village, Dubai · Outstanding

AED 46,000-62,000/yr

Outstanding British school in Al Sufouh / Knowledge Village.

Nord Anglia International School Dubai

British · Al Barsha, Dubai · Outstanding

AED 95,000-115,000/yr

Outstanding British school in Al Barsha.

North London Collegiate School Dubai

British · Dubai Hills, Dubai · Outstanding

AED 90,000-115,000/yr

Outstanding British school in Dubai Hills.

Apply 6 to 12 months ahead. The best schools have waitlists, and places turn over around term boundaries (September, January, April).

05Where to live

Dubai Marina / JLT, Dubai. Walkable, metro-linked, popular with professionals.

Arabian Ranches, Dubai. Family villas near British-curriculum schools.

06Costs

Setup

AED 77,500

≈ £16,489

Monthly

AED 36,400

≈ £7,745

First year

AED 514,300

≈ £109,426

Setup covers rent deposit, agency fee, flights, shipping and initial school deposits. Monthly is a realistic household budget for your size in this emirate.

07Partner's career

Your partner can job-search on your sponsorship before sponsoring their own visa. Start their CV and LinkedIn repositioning in parallel with your search.

08Your execution calendar

Phase 1: Before you go

T-90 to T-45 days

  • Attest documents and gather certified copies.
  • Run the SRT and plan your departure date.
  • Shortlist schools and submit applications.

Phase 2: Lock the move

T-45 to T-7 days

  • Accept the offer and start sponsorship.
  • Book flights and arrange shipping.
  • Sort UK property (sell or let) and notify HMRC plans.

Phase 3: First month in country

T+0 to T+30 days

  • Complete medical, Emirates ID and visa stamping.
  • Sign a tenancy and register Ejari / Tawtheeq.
  • Open a bank account and set up utilities.

Your checklisttick items off as you go, progress saves on this device

0 of 12 done

Documents

Tasks

10Risks and mitigations

Attestation delays hold up the visa.

Start FCDO attestation first; it is the longest pole.

School places fill before you arrive.

Apply early and keep a second-choice school live.

UK tax-year timing creates a split-year complication.

Plan your departure date with the SRT in mind.

How this plan was built

Drafted around your questionnaire, then reviewed by hand before delivery by the team who made the move. Schools come only from our curated dataset of KHDA/ADEK-inspected schools (2025/26 fees, confirm with the school before applying). Costs are anchored to our 2026 cost-of-living dataset with GBP shown at 4.70 AED. UK tax guidance covers the Statutory Residence Test, split-year treatment and the P85; it frames the questions and is not regulated tax or immigration advice.

Yours goes deeper than this sample.

Your household, your salary, your schools, your timing against the UK tax year, drafted for your answers and checked by hand by the team who made the move.

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