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Country guide · UAE
Living and working in the UAE
A guide for international candidates
Unless you're a UAE or GCC national, you'll need a work permit and residence visa, usually arranged by your employer. Some people can get a Golden Visa instead: a 5 or 10-year residence visa that doesn't need a sponsor. The UAE doesn't levy income tax on individuals, but there's 5% VAT on most goods and services.
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UAE dirham
Currency
AED, pegged at AED 3.6725 to US$1
Abu Dhabi
Capital
GMT+4
Time zone
Police 999
Emergency number
Ambulance 998, Civil Defence 997
Type G
Plug
UK-style three-pin, 230 V
Last checked 12 October 2026. Estimates are labelled.
Where the jobs are
All regions lets you pick a place and see rent, jobs and the sectors in this guide. Choose a sector to see that industry in every place.
Cyan is the region you picked. Navy is everywhere else.
Region
Abu Dhabi
AED 99 per sq ft a year
- Rent a month
- AED 99
- Vs regions in this guide
- +71%
- Jobs
- 2.76 million employed (2024, SCAD)
Job links open all UAE roles for now. Rent compared with the other regions in this guide.
View the map as a table
| Emirate | Population (year) | Jobs | Sectors above average | Rent (Bayut, Sep 2026, estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | 4,135,985 (2024, SCAD) | 2.76 million employed (2024, SCAD) | Estimate: national proxy | AED 99 per sq ft a year |
| Dubai | 4.58 million (end of 2025, Digital Dubai) | 2,159,733 employed (2019, DSC) | Estimate: national proxy | AED 115 per sq ft a year |
| Sharjah | 1.8 million (2022) | About 1.20 million employed (estimate) | Estimate: national proxy | AED 41 per sq ft a year |
| Ajman | 504,846 (2017) | About 0.34 million employed (estimate) | Estimate: national proxy | AED 31 per sq ft a year |
| Umm Al Quwain | 49,159 (2005) | About 33,000 employed (estimate) | Estimate: national proxy | AED 29 per sq ft a year |
| Ras Al Khaimah | 345,000 (u.ae, year not stated) | About 0.23 million employed (estimate) | Estimate: national proxy | AED 58 per sq ft a year |
| Fujairah | 202,667 (2014) | About 0.14 million employed (estimate) | Estimate: national proxy | AED 33 per sq ft a year |
Cities
Pay, rent and the share of pay that rent takes. Estimates stay labelled.
Estimate
Dubai
- Rent
- AED 8,842
- Pay
- AED 12,649
- Rent share
- 70%
41.7°C / 24.0°C
See jobs in DubaiEstimate
Abu Dhabi
- Rent
- AED 7,222
- Pay
- AED 10,516
- Rent share
- 69%
42.5°C / 24.5°C; 3,522 hours of sun a year
See jobs in Abu DhabiEstimate
Sharjah
- Rent
- AED 2,997
- Pay
- AED 8,089
- Rent share
- 37%
42.9°C / 24.8°C
See jobs in SharjahTools
Step 1 of 2
Visa route finder
A route to read about, not a decision on your application. Figures are the ones in this guide.
Rent and pay
The pay and rent figures already in this guide. This is not a tax calculation.
Rent a month in Dubai
AED 8,842
- Pay
- AED 12,649
- Rent share of pay
- 70%
Take-home pay
The UAE does not levy income tax on employment pay, so take-home is the salary. Business income is a separate corporate tax.
Read the UAE tax ruleVisa routes to read about
These describe the route. They do not say whether you qualify.
- Source
Standard work visa
People with a job offer from a UAE employer; the employer applies. Valid 2 years, renewable.
- Source
Green visa
Skilled employees, freelancers and self-employed people, self-sponsored. See u.ae Green visa page.
- Source
Golden Visa
Investors, entrepreneurs, people with exceptional talent or rare specialisations, outstanding students, humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes. 5 or 10 years; no sponsor; investors from AED 2 million.
Golden Visa for skilled professionals (Abu Dhabi route)
Little-known facts
Daily life
- Good to knowWorking week: the federal government works Monday to Thursday and Friday morning, with Saturday and Sunday off, since 1 January 2022 (u.ae).
- Good to knowPrivate employers set their own days.
- Good to knowEmirates ID, bank account, tenancy registration (Ejari in Dubai).
Family, school and pets
- FamilyResidents can sponsor a spouse and children with a salary of at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation (u.ae, Residence visa for families of employees).
- SchoolPrivate school regulators: ADEK (Abu Dhabi) and KHDA (Dubai).
- SchoolInternational primary school fees, annual: Dubai about AED 65,900, Abu Dhabi about AED 54,400 (Numbeo, Oct 2026, estimate).
From job offer to settled in
1
Entry permit → medical fitness test → Emirates ID biometrics → residence visa → health insurance (employer-provided, compulsory in all emirates since 1 Jan 2025, MOHRE) → bank → tenancy → driving licence
Each step links to u.ae
Questions
Do I pay income tax in the UAE?
No. The UAE doesn't levy income tax on individuals. There's 5% VAT on most goods and services.
Do I need a sponsor?
Most workers are sponsored by their employer. Golden Visa, Green visa and virtual work visa holders sponsor themselves.
How long is a Golden Visa?
5 or 10 years depending on the category, and it's renewable.
Can I bring my family?
Yes, if you earn at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.
Is health insurance included?
Private-sector employers must provide it in every emirate from 1 January 2025.
Does every employer on Global Sponsor Hub sponsor visas?
No. Each listing shows the support the employer or agency has stated, such as visa sponsorship or relocation support. Confirm it with the employer before you apply.
fees charged to workers for jobs or visas, fake offer letters, fake "Golden Visa guaranteed" services.
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