# things to bring



## newbieexpat (Jun 16, 2010)

Hi!

Just wondering if anyone could help me, Ive read on a few different sites about when moving to Dubai I should take several extra photocopies of things like my driving licence, passport, qualifications, etc.. Is this advisable? If so, how many copies will I need? is there any other things I could also have ready for moving? Ive also been told to bring dvds, without their box, in my hand luggage as the officials at the airport often check through them? Do i need to do this or will they be ok in my suitcase? Also I am a Science teacher and I was thinkin of bringing with me some textbooks, but some of the topics covered in the books include reproduction and inc some graphic pictures, would these be allowed or is it not worth bringing them??

Thanks for your help!


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

You will need lots of passport photos, but you can get them here, get all your educational certs, marriage cert etc. attested in UK before you come if you are coming here for work. You will need originals of all documents, driving licence (including green paper bit), you can get copies here (we have copiers). DVD's are OK in their original cases in your suitcase just do not bring porn. Your textbooks are OK as is reproduction!! it is only graphic porn that is banned. The worst that can happen is they will confiscate your textbooks if they are too graphic but you are worrying too much it is unlikely your books will be searched.


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## newbieexpat (Jun 16, 2010)

wandabug said:


> You will need lots of passport photos, but you can get them here, get all your educational certs, marriage cert etc. attested in UK before you come if you are coming here for work. You will need originals of all documents, driving licence (including green paper bit), you can get copies here (we have copiers). DVD's are OK in their original cases in your suitcase just do not bring porn. Your textbooks are OK as is reproduction!! it is only graphic porn that is banned. The worst that can happen is they will confiscate your textbooks if they are too graphic but you are worrying too much it is unlikely your books will be searched.


Thanks for that! Ive got all my documents attested already for my job, but I'l bring extra photocopies just in case. Thats good about the textbooks too, just didnt want to get there and have to embarassment about a science textbook! haha


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## xpatusa (May 8, 2010)

I needed 4 or 5 copies of my passport within the first month.
Only 2 passport photos, but not early on. _They're cheap to get here_
My thought was to bring as much as possible, but really: everything you need is already here.


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## Huzzah Barking-Hatstand (Jul 16, 2010)

2 passport photo's? How did you manage that I'm at 22 passport photo's and not done yet!

I'd also recommend having scanned jpg copies of your passport photo page, and passport size photo. Dead easy to do in the UK when you have or whizzy copy scanner right next to your desk at home, more tricky when you only have your laptop here, and several times I had to send electronic copies of the above to various places.

You can get copies from hardcopy or USB stick done at any photo shop about 20dh for 12. I seem to recall.

If you plan on bringing a wife with you eventually don't forget to bring copies of her passport photo and passport page too. Explaining how the scanner worked over the phone was a fun way to spend 40mins.

Cheers
H-B-H


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## dziner8 (Jul 22, 2010)

*what's available over there...*



xpatusa said:


> I needed 4 or 5 copies of my passport within the first month.
> Only 2 passport photos, but not early on. _They're cheap to get here_
> My thought was to bring as much as possible, but really: everything you need is already here.



I have not had the chance to talk with anyone who has lived there, yet, and coming from the US (Texas), I have heard that almost anything I can find here I can find there...somewhere.

Any limitations you can think of? Suggestions on what to bring that may not have occurred to me? Headed over mid-September.  Getting excited!


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## Seabee (Jul 15, 2010)

It's always a good idea to have copies of important documents when you're travelling, as a safety net, but beyond that, as the others have said, if you need more copies you can do it when you're here. I have them scanned and in my Hotmail too.

Keep things in their original boxes, whether it's DVDs or medication, it's less suspicious.


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## xpatusa (May 8, 2010)

dziner8 said:


> I have not had the chance to talk with anyone who has lived there, yet, and coming from the US (Texas), I have heard that almost anything I can find here I can find there...somewhere.
> 
> Any limitations you can think of? Suggestions on what to bring that may not have occurred to me? Headed over mid-September.  Getting excited!


*BBQ sauce*


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

dziner8 said:


> ...and coming from the US (Texas), I have heard that almost anything I can find here I can find there...somewhere...


Tex-Mex is going to be difficult to find of same quality... 

I have lived all over the world and ate in more "Mexican" restaurants than I could remember, none as good as anything as simple as Papasito's or Chuy's

So bring some of that, and I will help you to locate anything you need in Dubai :thumb:


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## xpatusa (May 8, 2010)

ccr said:


> Tex-Mex is going to be difficult to find of same quality...
> 
> I have lived all over the world and ate in more "Mexican" restaurants than I could remember, none as good as anything as simple as Papasito's or Chuy's
> 
> So bring some of that, and I will help you to locate anything you need in Dubai :thumb:


DITTO!!
Maybe just some enchilada sauce in a jar.
please...:hungry:


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## Seabee (Jul 15, 2010)

You can get the sauces (enchilada, taco, chunky salsa) and jalapenos etc here in the supermarkets...and of course a reasonable choice of fresh chillis. I'm so disappointed with all the so-called Mexican food I've found in restaurants that I've given up and I make my own.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Good luck... I would give my left kidney for any Texas food! Heck, for anything authentic outside of indian or arabic food. 

Keep copies of everything. I keep a copy in my email so that I can pull it up if I should need and print or get info off of. 

If your not familiar with the british way of building roads, get a gps if your going to be driving. It will save alot of time being absolutly lost to go only 500 ft of you very well will want to go but can not as there are no lefts. 

If you have a phone that is locked to a network, bring it. They will unlock it here for quite cheap. 

I brought over a number of dvds but they never checked, looked at them. Dont bring porn. The dvd people will have it anyways. They are cracking down on the illegal selling of dvds but still around. 

Dont forget a light jacket and a sweater or two, but that is about all that is needed. Don't bring alot of heavy materials. Try to bring over light weight material shirts and pants. Would not bring over the heavy denim pants. It is quite hot now and the winters are very very very mild. 

And can you bring some Rudy's? Or Stubbs? or Saltlick?


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## dziner8 (Jul 22, 2010)

Jynxgirl said:


> Good luck... I would give my left kidney for any Texas food! Heck, for anything authentic outside of indian or arabic food.
> 
> Keep copies of everything. I keep a copy in my email so that I can pull it up if I should need and print or get info off of.
> 
> ...



Ah, yes....good ol' TexMex. I will miss my margaritas and fajitas  I should load up now before I head over!! 

What do you mean by the "British way of building roads"? I am close to dntn Houston now and they are all one-ways...


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

dziner8 said:


> Ah, yes....good ol' TexMex. I will miss my margaritas and fajitas  I should load up now before I head over!!
> 
> What do you mean by the "British way of building roads"? I am close to dntn Houston now and they are all one-ways...


Just you wait. Houstons roads are lovely! You have access roads almost all over that come up to over and underpasses that allow you to go right or left. Just wait. It is an experience.


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

dziner8 said:


> Ah, yes....good ol' TexMex. I will miss my margaritas and fajitas  I should load up now before I head over!!


Margaritas are nice here, but will cost mucho dinero compared to Houston 

Good Fajitas will be difficult outside of Texas, so be sure to get plenty. I usually drive straight from Bush airport to a nearest Tex-Mex restaurant whenever visiting Houston 



dziner8 said:


> What do you mean by the "British way of building roads"? I am close to dntn Houston now and they are all one-ways...


Not bad, just not intuitive...

Downtown Houston is just a square'ish grid so very easy to navigate.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

I am confused about this British way of building roads too, there is nothing British about the roads in Dubai!


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

wandabug said:


> I am confused about this British way of building roads too, there is nothing British about the roads in Dubai!


Quite Wandabug. If only they were British roads, eh?  Then we'd have lots of sensible roundabouts. 
-


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## Huzzah Barking-Hatstand (Jul 16, 2010)

Elphaba said:


> Quite Wandabug. If only they were British roads, eh?  Then we'd have lots of sensible roundabouts.
> -


We Brits can be blamed for many things but roads in Dubai definately isn't one of them. The road cones, I'll own up too, but that's as far as I will go.

Ah Milton Keynes spirtual home of the roundabout. I coming over all emotional at the thought.

H-B-H


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## Seabee (Jul 15, 2010)

The real road problem is that they're a mixture of US and Brit systems and you never know which system you're about to hit.


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

Seabee said:


> The real road problem is that they're a mixture of US and Brit systems and you never know which system you're about to hit.


There's a system ? AD did me stayed at the Beach Rotona for a weekend, came out of the carpark atAD Mall for a short drive. Took me 14Km to get back to the hotel because of the concrete dividers and road works..


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Laowei said:


> There's a system ? AD did me stayed at the Beach Rotona for a weekend, came out of the carpark atAD Mall for a short drive. Took me 14Km to get back to the hotel because of the concrete dividers and road works..


 You have to think of those 14km as a scenic drive


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

Nothing scenic about roadworks Jinxy, unless you have a concrete fetish ;-)


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## dziner8 (Jul 22, 2010)

ccr said:


> Margaritas are nice here, but will cost mucho dinero compared to Houston
> 
> Good Fajitas will be difficult outside of Texas, so be sure to get plenty. I usually drive straight from Bush airport to a nearest Tex-Mex restaurant whenever visiting Houston
> 
> ...


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Just tell yourself you have a concrete fetish if you dont think of it as scenic otherwise :frusty:

Just the other night, lovely pammy had to come find me on the opposite side of the highway 30 min later of driving around to take me to quiz night


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Ha you wont burn any calories here, welcome to the Dubai Stone !!


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## Jinx (Jul 2, 2010)

So it is no advisable to bring just the discs? I was going to skip cases for my DVDs and games to save space... but I will definitely bring the cases if it means they might be confiscated.

What about burned CDs with files on them for your computer? Will that be taken away?


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Jinx said:


> So it is no advisable to bring just the discs? I was going to skip cases for my DVDs and games to save space... but I will definitely bring the cases if it means they might be confiscated.
> 
> What about burned CDs with files on them for your computer? Will that be taken away?


Yes you can bring them, no-one is going to confiscate anything!


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

This is terrible to say, but the likely hood that you are going to be targeted to be thoroughly searched is low being an american. If they do 'search' they will take you to the side, and just look though stuff. If you have nothing odd, then they will just let you go without doing much else then a general look through. Burned cd's are normal and the likelyhood someone is going to take the time to look at them is slim. You will have had to have done something to get that attention. Then, you have alot more to worry about then cds at that point  You are probly fine.


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

The chances of most people being searched on arrival are very low. I have come in to DXB some 20 odd times in the past 4+ years and never been stopped and searched.

Provided you are not breaking the law there is really nothing to worry about. 
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