Everything the first year in the Emirates asks of you. On 60 pages.
The Emirates ID opens everything: the bank account, the SIM card, the tenancy, the driving licence. Nothing moves without it, which is why the order decides weeks. The guide sets that order out — along with the apps, the banks, the German-speaking doctors, the schools with their fees, and the question most people ask too late: what happens to the account and the children if something happens to you here.
Final price, one payment, nothing after it. Delivered as a PDF the moment it clears.
Buy the guide
Name and email, then payment. The guide is ready to download straight afterwards and also arrives by email.
Card payment through our payment provider. We never see your card details.
Every copy carries the buyer’s name and email address in the footer. The licence is for your own use, not for passing on.
Fourteen chapters
The first 90 days
Ten working days from arrival to driving licence, day by day: visa and medical, Emirates ID, UAE Pass, SIM, bank account, then the flat with Ejari and DEWA. Plus the legalisation chain for certificates — the Emirates do not accept an apostille on its own.
Apps, banks, accounts
The government apps that keep you out of government offices, and why WhatsApp calls do not work. On banking: Mashreq, Emirates Islamic, HSBC and the alternatives, with paperwork, minimum balances, SWIFT codes and the warning everyone hears too late — a bounced cheque is a criminal matter here.
Doctors, emergencies, insurance
German-speaking doctors with contact details, physiotherapy, hospitals with 24-hour emergency departments, the three numbers to put on speed dial. Plus Dubai’s compulsory cover and why the statutory minimum plan does not carry a European family.
Twelve schools, with fees
Location, curriculum, KHDA rating, annual fee and the admissions contact. Plus the school year, the application deadlines and the line that breaks most plans: the sought-after schools are full twelve months ahead.
Wills in the UAE
On the day of death the bank freezes every account, the joint one included. Without a registered will the court decides on the estate and on custody, and that takes months. The chapter sets out the DIFC Will and the Dubai Courts Will, with costs and the difference between them.
Arriving, not just registering
Water parks and theme parks, malls with their parking and supermarket notes, beaches and their rules, fourteen restaurants we have tested, plus Ramadan, the alcohol licence, the weekend and tradesmen. At the end: a first-year checklist, every number on one page, and a glossary.
Who it is for
- Families from Germany, Austria and Switzerland organising the move themselves who want the order before they start.
- Anyone already here who finds school, insurance or a will still open.
- Anyone who wants to see what is coming before engaging anybody.
Not legal, tax or investment advice. Fees, prices and opening hours change in the Emirates without notice; where a figure is second-hand, the guide says so. The doctors and schools are recommended from experience, not from paid arrangements.
Questions about it
How do I get the guide?
Straight after payment. The confirmation page carries the download, and the same file goes to the address you gave. If nothing arrives, write to us and we send it by hand.
What language is it in?
English on this page, German on the German one. Switch the language at the top and you buy the other edition.
How current are the figures?
The 2026/27 edition, as of September 2026. Phone numbers, fees and addresses are checked against official sources, and where a figure is second-hand the guide says so.
Do I still need you after this?
Not for daily life — that is what the guide is for. For the company, visas, banking, insurance and a will, yes, because that is where deadlines, applications and licensed partners meet. The guide sets both out side by side so you can decide.
Can I return it?
No. The sale runs under UAE law and the file is delivered the moment you pay. If it does not reach you or arrives damaged, we replace it — just write to us.
Rather hand the paperwork over?
Company, visas, Emirates ID, banking, insurance and the will as one package, in German. A 15-minute first call, free of charge.