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Hi everyone,

My name is Annette and I live in UK with my boyfriend and son. I have worked for 5 years for a company with offices all around the world. We just opened one in Dubai and I am hoping to get a transfer out there. I wonder if anyone can offer any advice on the following points

1) Is Childcare good in Dubai? Are there nursery schools all around the place or do people leave the children with housemaids (if you have one)? I read somewhere they babysit but guess thats different to being a Full Time nanny. My son is 16 months.

2) Is it true it is illegal to live with your boyfriend in Dubai and we would have to marry? We will probably marry anyway so I can sponsor his visa but wanted to check on this?

3) Is it really difficult to find a flat in Dubai? We would look for a 2 bedroom flat, approx £800 equivilent per month. All web sites for property I have seen seem to be serviced apartments in big blocks. Is this the only accommodation available or do you find individual flats here and there

4) Is it an easy place to settle?

5) Is the healthcare service of a good stnandard?

Any comments on any of the above would be helpful!!

Thanks very much,

Annette

Hello Annette, since we get so many similar questions in a week and have answered many times, please use the search function in the menu at the top of the page to look for information. Also, I always recommend the book Dubai Explorer (10th ed.) to anyone moving to Dubai. If you have any more specific questions after gathering the basic info you need, please don't hesitate to ask.

Quick answers to your questions.

Question 1 - Child care can be good and bad, it depends on the day care you choose.

Question 2 - Yes, it is illegal to live with a boyfriend or girlfriend, but people do it. Yes, you will need to be married to sponsor a spouse, and to sponsor a child you need to make a certain amount of money per month, which shouldn't be a problem for you. Getting married before you come is a good idea though.

Question 3 - Yes, there are flats and villas available for rent everywhere here, and not just from companies but from private owners. I don't know about the price range you are asking because I function in UAE Dirhams, not British Pounds

Question 4 - It really depends on your personality, experience living abroad etc. Some people settle well, some don't.

Question 5 - Yes, the standard of health care is good, and your company should provide health coverage for you and your family.

Awww... K sounds so diplomatic at the onset.

Yeah, I tried to be diplomatic.

All bets aside when the claws are sharpened though

kanelli wrote:Yeah, I tried to be diplomatic.

*cough cough*

Thanks for the reply...

Just ignore them Annette...the children in the sandpit like to play rough from time to time! Welcome!



Knight

Sorry people, I just don't have a perception of saying anything wrong.

When I move to a new country I research first, then ask specific questions. When I came to Dubai Forums I used the search function. When I didn't find any answers to some questions, I asked them and no one got annoyed with me because my questions were new and they were specific. I guess I just expect other people to research too.

In the future I won't respond to newbie questions if they are the same questions we get every week here. That should spare anyone hard feelings.

annetteo101 wrote:Hi everyone,

My name is Annette and I live in UK with my boyfriend and son. I have worked for 5 years for a company with offices all around the world. We just opened one in Dubai and I am hoping to get a transfer out there. I wonder if anyone can offer any advice on the following points

1) Is Childcare good in Dubai? Are there nursery schools all around the place or do people leave the children with housemaids (if you have one)? I read somewhere they babysit but guess thats different to being a Full Time nanny. My son is 16 months.

2) Is it true it is illegal to live with your boyfriend in Dubai and we would have to marry? We will probably marry anyway so I can sponsor his visa but wanted to check on this?

3) Is it really difficult to find a flat in Dubai? We would look for a 2 bedroom flat, approx £800 equivilent per month. All web sites for property I have seen seem to be serviced apartments in big blocks. Is this the only accommodation available or do you find individual flats here and there

4) Is it an easy place to settle?

5) Is the healthcare service of a good stnandard?

Any comments on any of the above would be helpful!!

Thanks very much,

Annette

1. Good childcare is available (so is bad childcare). Many families have a live-in or daily maid. Live-in is £100-200/month plus a years salary as sponsorship fees.
2. There are some restrictions besides salary for wives sponsoring their husbands. I think wife has to be doctor or teacher or something. Dubai immigration site may have more information. Yes it's illegal (for unrelated males and females to even be in the same room/house together) but you're unlikely to get into trouble unless you draw attention to yourselves - eg noisy party that offends conservative neighbours.
3. £800 about 5000 dhs. No chance. You'll get a decent room in a shared villa for that or a 1 bdrm apartment but not easily or not very nice. Apartment rentals are usually paid yearly in advance. Try www.expatriates.com, www.dubizzle.com, www.gulfnews.com for classifieds. And Better Homes, Asteco, Landmark property agents. A serviced apartment would be sensible (but expensive) to give you a month or two to look around and find something. Or room in shared villa.
4. . Depends on you ... Expect the first 3-6 months to be frustrating.
5. Good healthcare is available, so is bad healthcare. You'll need medical insurance. Emergency assistance is free I think.

Lots more information here and here.

Thanks

Women not being allowed to sponsor their husbands is a concern. I saw somewhere it says you can if you are a teacher or in a grade 4 or higher job - anyone know anything about that ? If anyone can tell me the job structure (which jobs are which grade) thata would help as I cannot find anything on this and the UK embassy only has a recorded message so I cannot speak to anyone to see if they can help

Many Thanks
Annette

below the text of the relevant Labour Articles concerning sponsoring.
Italicised bits are my own notes. Read Article 3 in conjunction with the others. I'm affraid I don't know about teachers sponsoring if they teach above a certain grade, I always assumed it applied to all teachers.

The British Embassy is normally only open in the mornings, and I don't think they open on Fridays. They do have a website, and it may be worth mailing your question to them. I'd be very intrested to see thier reply.



“Resolution 9 of 1995 concerning organizing and bringing in of family members and servants by foreign manpower” (in short sponsoring)

Article 1

“An expatriate may sponsor and bring his family members, if his monthly salary is not less than three thousand (3000) Dirhams and if his employer provides him with accommodation or four thousand (4000) Dirhams if his employer does not provide him with accommodation. Proof of salary may be established by and official certificate duly attested by the State’s concerned authorities.”

The word “family” means one’s wife, male sons up to the age of 18, and unmarried daughters.

(Not included are students enrolled in at Universities and higher institutions)

Note: Foreign students studying at local institutions are issued Student Visas.

Article 2

“An expatriate who receives a monthly salary of at least Dhs. 6000 may sponsor a male or female domestic worker, provided he pays the State’s Treasury an annual sum equivalent to the domestic workers annual salary and not less than Dhs. 400 per month.”

Article 3

“A woman working in special or rare fields like medicine, engineering, teaching and similar professions needed by the UAE, shall have the right to take the place of the family head by sponsoring and bringing in the members of her family and a male or female domestic worker provided that the necessary conditions are met.”

Engineering in this instance refers to Electrical and Mechanical types of engineering, and not the generic “Engineer” term used through the Middle East to designate anyone with a Tertiary qualification!

The “necessary conditions” refer to Article 1 and 2 above – relating to the salary requirements.

Article 5

“The following categories may not sponsor and bring in their families, even if the salary condition has been fulfilled:-

• Domestic workers and those in similar professions.
• Labourers and those in similar profession.”

Right ok...I am not in any of those fields (am in Sales) so maybe I ccould not sponsor - am I still allowed to take my amil but hubby could not work/get residence permit?

He is going to be looking and applying for joobs from UK anyway but I was thinking incase he ca nnot find something before he arrives.

Also do you know if yoou have to work for a company a certaian amount of time before you can transfer to Dubai? I mean my company are interested in employing him so could they employ him and immediately send him to Dubai

Ill try the embassy again!

Thanks for your help I really appreciate it

Annette

you could both find work and be sponsored individually. the sponsorship law above applies to married couples, where the wife may stay at home, while the husband works.

a married woman can also be employed in her own right (and be sponsored by her employer); or may opt to stay on her husbands sponsorship, but hold a labour card from her employer (although this costs more money and has to be renewed annually and not every 3 years as is the norm).

even if you were a doctor, as you are not married you would not be able to sponsor your bf.

you don't have to have any current work experience before moving to dubai - it is not the same issue as immigrating to canada or australia.

cheers for the info - were gonna have a quickie wedding i think to make things easier

reminds me of mine, only met my mother-in-law after i got married

will definitly sort some of your concerns out - make sure that you get a copy of your unabridged marrige certificate

annetteo101 wrote:He is going to be looking and applying for joobs from UK anyway but I was thinking incase he ca nnot find something before he arrives.

Also do you know if yoou have to work for a company a certaian amount of time before you can transfer to Dubai? I mean my company are interested in employing him so could they employ him and immediately send him to Dubai

If he's a UK citizen, just get a visit visa on arrival? Its good for 2 months and you can figure out sponsorship etc once you're here. Things often look a lot different when you're here compared to what you read.

The transfer option might work, I never heard of a minimum employment time requirement.