Leaving The UAE: Step-by-Step Guide
Leaving the UAE can be a big job.
It needs careful planning to avoid legal or money troubles.
This guide will tell you all the steps you need to follow before leaving, whether you’re going back home or starting a new adventure.
Here’s Your Leaving UAE To-Do List
Follow these steps to avoid the hassle.
Step 1: Submit Your Notice Timely
When leaving the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there are several notices that you should submit to ensure that you have fulfilled all your obligations and to avoid any legal or financial issues.
These notices may include the following:
Notify Your Employer
If you are an employee, you should provide a notice to your employer as per the terms of your employment contract.
This may include a formal resignation required by your HR manager or employer.
Similarly, you may have to deactivate your accounts and dashboards if you are a freelancer.
Notify The Ministry Of Human Resources And Emiratisation (MOHRE)
If you are an employee, you should inform the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) of your departure and request an exit permit to ensure that you have fulfilled all your labor-related obligations, such as completing your notice period, paying any outstanding salary, and returning any company property.
This step is crucial to avoid any legal issues being pressed by your employer.
If you leave matters unresolved regarding your employment, your employer may press legal charges, leading to several legal and financial troubles.
Notify The General Directorate Of Residency And Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)
Notify the GDRFA of your departure and request that your residence visa is canceled.
You may need to provide documentation such as a copy of your passport, Emirates ID card, and flight tickets as proof of your departure.
This may ensure that your visa and ID card is canceled or deactivated so they cannot be used after your departure.
Notify Your Landlord
If you are renting a property, you should notify your landlord per the terms of your lease agreement.
Being a tenant, submitting a formal notice as per the time frame mentioned in the agreement is imperative to ensure that your landlord can further rent out their property after your departure.
This may also ensure that you retain your property before your departure and avoid any legal issues.
Notify Your Mobile Service Provider
Contact your mobile service provider to inform them of your travel plans, arrange an international roaming plan, or cancel your service.
Notify Any Relevant Parties
Provide your new contact details to relevant parties, such as your employer, friends, and family, so they can stay in touch with you after you leave the UAE.
It’s essential to give these notices promptly and follow the terms of your contract or lease agreement to avoid legal or financial issues.
Step 2: Cancel Your Visa
While canceling your visa, you must also ensure that you cancel the visas of your dependents.
In case your residence was based on a sponsored or employer-based visa, you must cancel your visa and end your contract before resigning.
This may require a temporary hold on your passport while the visa is canceled.
If you fail to do this, there may be delays in your departure, and you may be termed an absconder in the immigration system.
You must, however, leave the country within 30 days after cancellation.
Step 3: Terminate Your Contracts With Utility Providers
Contact your utility providers, such as electricity, water, and internet, to inform them of your departure date and arrange for the disconnection of services.
You may ask for final bills for services such as phone, electricity, etc. These services may be disconnected soon after you clear the final bills.
In this case, Dubai Electricity Water Authority may require an in-person request made to their office to disconnect their services.
Step 4: Notify Your Bank And Credit Card Companies
Inform your Bank and any credit card companies you use of your travel plans so they can flag your account as being used internationally.
This will prevent your account from being frozen due to suspicious activity.
Closing Bank accounts in the UAE is pretty simple; you must visit the relevant branch with your Emirates ID and fill out a form to close your bank account.
You may have the money transferred to an alternate bank account or withdraw cash.
Step 5: Cancel Any Recurring Payments Or Subscriptions
If you have recurring payments, such as gym membership or subscription services, be sure to cancel them before leaving the UAE to avoid being charged for services you will no longer be using.
However, please do so to avoid charges being pressed against you for not making your payments timely.
Step 6: Return Any Borrowed Items To Their Proper Owners
If you have borrowed items from friends or family, be sure to return them before you leave.
This may also include giving away any redundant items to your friends or family who may find them useful.
Step 7: Clear Any Outstanding Fines Or Debts
If you have any outstanding fines or debts, be sure to clear them before leaving the UAE to avoid any legal issues.
Step 8: Clear Your Taxes
Clearing taxes before leaving the United Arab Emirates (UAE) typically involves the following steps:
- Gather all necessary information: Collect all relevant documentation, such as pay stubs, bank statements, and receipts for expenses that may be tax-deductible.
- File your tax return: Submit your tax return to the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) before leaving the UAE. This can be done online through the e-Services portal or through a registered tax agent.
- Pay any outstanding taxes: If you owe taxes, make sure to pay them before leaving the UAE. This can be done online through the e-Services portal or through a registered tax agent.
- Obtain a clearance certificate: After filing your tax return and paying any outstanding taxes, you can apply for a tax clearance certificate from the Federal Tax Authority (FTA). This certificate verifies that your taxes have been paid in full and that there are no outstanding tax liabilities.
- Keep all records: Keep records of all the tax-related documents for future reference.
It’s also important to be aware of the tax laws of the country you are moving to, so you can plan accordingly.
It’s important to note that there is also a value-added tax (VAT) in UAE, and you have to comply with that too. You can check the VAT return filing and due payment dates on the FTA website or consult a tax agent.
Step 9: Transfer Your Mobile Number
You may want to cancel your UAE mobile number before leaving the country.
Time may be a crucial aspect in this case, considering that you may require one to stay in touch with the shipping companies as well as potential buyers or employers.
Etisalat, in this case, facilitates such cases with its Homebound pack and provides three packages, including Dh105, Dh420, and Dh630, inclusive of VAT.
Customers may transfer their number to one of these packages and retain their mobile number for one to two months to avoid trouble.
Step 10: Sell And Dispose Of Redundant Belongings
The number of possessions accumulated may depend entirely on how long you may have resided in UAE; these possessions may therefore have to be disposed of or sold off before you set out of the country.
You may want to separate your possessions in terms of those to be taken along, those you may want to dispose of, and possessions that must be sold off.
You can contact a relocation or a shipping company to transport your possessions to your destination or relocation.
Companies may cover your entire moving process for a fee and reduce the hassle entirely.
However, this step must be done several months before to ensure that you have ample time to sell your belongings for a fair price.
This may also require a significant amount of paperwork and may be very time-consuming.
You may also want to look deeper into the shipping company you employ.
This may include going through several reviews and options to ensure that you pick the most reliable company that provides the best value compared to others.
You may sell your possessions using online marketplaces or stalls at your nearest markets.
You may even contact potential buyers directly or list your items on several platforms to increase exposure and thus increase potential offers.
You can also consider donating specific items to a registered charity or may dispose of certain items. Such items may be disposed of by dialing 800 900 to book a visit to Dubai Municipality’s free bulk waste collection service.
This service collects waste items such as furniture, electrical devices, and other disposed of items from your doorstep.
You may even contact other similar services, such as Sharjah’s Bee’ah.
Step 11: Acquire School Leaving Certificates For Your Children
You can acquire school leaving certificates for your children and receive their security deposits, results, and other necessary documentation to ensure a smooth transition and readmission in another country.
Step 12: Preparing To Relocate
To relocate to a new country, you may want to go through several steps. These include:
Pack Your Possession And Arrange Transportation
You should safely pack the belongings that you will be taking with you.
After hiring a shipping service, you should ensure you have everything you need and that all items have been safely packed and handed over.
You may require specific documents such as your ID, passport, Visa, Address, etc. Make sure you pack important documents separately.
Shop For Any Necessary Items
You may want to shop for certain things you require while relocating.
Shopping for these items beforehand may save a significant amount of time and hassle and ensure availability.
Confirm Your Flight: Book Yur Flight And Confirm The Details
Then you must arrange transportation to the airport ahead of time to avoid last-minute delays.
Make sure you gather the necessary documentation and set them aside for your flight.
Provide Your Contact Details To Friends And Family
You may want to provide your friends and family with your new contact details so they may remain in touch with you after you relocate.
Book Temporary And Permanent Accommodation
You may want to book your accommodation in the country you are traveling to ahead of time to avoid delays.
If you require temporary accommodation, this may provide you with enough time to browse several hotels and other options and choose the one that best fits your requirements.
Get Insurance
You may want to get travel insurance to ensure a safe journey that covers trip cancellation, medical expenses, baggage loss, and other similar expenses.
This may reduce the risks of travel and therefore ensure a safe journey.
This is another time-consuming step since you may look at several firms and packages and go through extensive paperwork.
Get Any Medical Certificates And Vaccinations Required For Travel
You may want to get done with any medical checkups and vaccinations required for travel.
Make Arrangements For Your Pets
If you have any pets, you may want to make arrangements accordingly.
This may include finding new adopters; you may also consider leaving them with friends or family or giving them away to an animal shelter.
Several animal shelters and adoption agencies may help you find new homes for your pets if you cannot take them with you.
Forward Your Mail
Forward your mail to your new address to ensure you get all the significant mail. This may only be done once your new address has been confirmed.
Leaving The UAE Without Clearing Your Bills
If you leave the United Arab Emirates (UAE) without clearing your bills, it could have various consequences, which may include:
Legal Action
If you have unpaid bills, the company or organization may take legal action against you to recover the money.
This could include filing a lawsuit or reporting the debt to credit bureaus, which could negatively impact your credit score.
If aggravated, this may also lead to arrest as soon as you reenter the country.
The country, in this case, ensures severe implications for those who leave without clearing their bills, especially their credit card bills.
Travel Restrictions
If you have unpaid bills, the company or organization may report the debt to the authorities, which could result in travel restrictions being placed on you.
This means that you may not be able to leave the UAE until the debt is cleared or a payment plan is established.
Such issues may lead to delays in your departure. Thus all unpaid bills must be cleared out to avoid trouble.
Blacklisting
If you have unpaid bills, the company or organization may report the debt to the Central Bank of UAE, which maintains a blacklist of individuals and companies that have failed to pay their debts.
Being blacklisted can make it difficult for you to open bank accounts, obtain loans or credit, or do business in the UAE in the future.
This may even restrict you from entering the country in the future. Therefore, you must clear out your bills if you plan to revisit the UAE.
Loss Of Reputation
If you have unpaid bills, it may damage your reputation, making it difficult for you to do business in the UAE in the future.
This may be due to several legal and financial implications.
This loss of reputation may also make it difficult to acquire bank loans, apply for credit cards, and several other similar issues in the future.
Loss Of Property
If you have unpaid bills, the company or organization may take legal action to recover the money, including the seizure of your property.
If you leave behind any property in the UAE, this may be seized by the state or the Bank to recover money for your bills and may thus lead to several legal issues and a loss of possessions.
Therefore, it is always advisable and imperative to clear all bills and debts before leaving any country to avoid legal or financial issues. Thus it must be prioritized.
Deregister Yourself Before Leaving UAE
You may need to deregister yourself before leaving the UAE to avoid legal or financial troubles.
Several steps must be taken as part of this process to ensure you leave the country smoothly.
Here are the steps you need to take to deregister yourself before leaving the United Arab Emirates (UAE):
Cancel Your Emirates ID
Visit the Emirates ID office and cancel your Emirates ID card. This will deactivate the card and prevent it from being used.
This step further prevents identity theft and misuse of your ID. Therefore this step may be crucial.
Notify The General Directorate Of Residency And Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)
Notify the GDRFA of your departure and request that your residence visa is canceled.
You may need to provide documentation such as a copy of your passport, Emirates ID card, and flight tickets as proof of your departure.
You may also need to cancel your sponsored or employer-related visa to ensure that you are successfully removed as a resident of the United Arab Emirates.
Clear Any Outstanding Fines
Clear any outstanding fines or penalties with the relevant authorities, such as the Dubai Police or the Abu Dhabi Police.
This may be important to ensure your departure is on time, considering that pending fines may result in delays in clearance and deregistration.
Exit Permit From The Ministry Of Human Resources And Emiratisation (MOHRE)
If you are an employee, you must get an exit permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) before leaving.
This is to ensure that you have fulfilled all your labor-related obligations, such as completing your notice period, paying any outstanding salary, and returning any company property.
Once you’ve fulfilled employer-related obligations, you will be provided with an exit permit. This is imperative to ensure you can leave the country without trouble or legal implications.
Close Your Bank Account
If you have a bank account in the UAE, close it before you leave, withdraw any remaining amount or have it transferred to an alternate bank account.
This may require specific documentation and visits to relevant branches.
Cancel Your Mobile Number
Cancel your mobile number with your service provider to avoid being charged for any services you may not require later.
Clear Your Utility Bills
Pay any outstanding utility bills, such as electricity, water, and internet.
You must also discontinue these services and terminate their contracts to ensure being charged for redundant services.
This may require you to visit the offices of these service providers and file applications.
Return Your Leased Property
If you were renting a property, return the keys and vacate the property before your lease expires. You must keep in mind the terms of your contract and follow the terms and conditions and the time frame.
Car Registration
You must cancel the registration and return the number plate to the relevant authorities if you have a car.
You may also want to sell the car ahead of time to receive a fair price and hand over the car safely and legally.
Clear Any Pending Taxes
Clear any pending taxes, if any, to avoid legal and financial implications.
Tax fraud is taken very seriously in the United Arab Emirates; therefore, the necessary steps must be taken to clear out all pending taxes beforehand.
It’s essential to take all these steps and get all the necessary documents. Otherwise, it may have legal or financial consequences.
It’s also a good idea to keep a copy of all the essential documents, like passports, visas, and IDs, with yourself and a copy in the cloud or email.
Conclusion
Moving away from the UAE is more than just packing up.
You need to pay all your bills and officially say you’re leaving to avoid problems.
Doing this right means you won’t have trouble if you ever want to come back.
While some steps may be completed instantly, others may take a while and require long processes and extensive paperwork.
Therefore, starting the process four to five months before your flight is always safer. Other steps, such as selling property, may even be initiated before that.
So use this guide, and start your next journey without any worries.