# New to forum



## DadTwoThree (Jun 30, 2008)

I have just been given a post in Dubai to start soonest, am leaving wife and children in UK for 4-6 months, anyone know what I need to do NOW so that my Mrs will not have issues later, am applying for Passports for them all, will I need marriage cert verified in UK. sorry if my Q's are dumb, but we all started somewhere!!.:


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## sgilli3 (Mar 23, 2008)

There are probably plenty of things to do.

First off...is your company supplying suitable housing for your family upon their arrival (or for you now?)
What about schooling? - is the company paying for your children togo to school here?
Are they school age? -If so, they need to go on waiting lists at as many schools as possible (there is usually a fee to do so )

Are the company paying relocation costs?
Will your wife need to get quotes on shipping goods over?

Passports for your family dont usually take too long to come through.

These are the 1st questions I would address...


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## DadTwoThree (Jun 30, 2008)

*Thanks*

I am getting accom paid for when I arrive alone at first, my family will come later, I will get education for two when they get to Dubai in time.
One other Q, I have an 18 year old with a Daughter, would she be able to come also, without her partner, or does 18 mean no longer a child? This maybe a company Q rather than by others!. 
Relocation costs are included but will leave most things at home as I have heard the costs are high too transport over, I will bring basics and think of other stuff later when I have an address of sorts.
I will get on School waiting lists when I arrive.
Thanks for your help.


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## Ogri750 (Feb 14, 2008)

Hi, I was/am in pretty much the same boat as you regarding family and shipping.

I came on my own and the family are due to join me at the end of July (how they will love me when they feel the heat). I went back to the UK 10 days ago solely for the purpose of resolving certificate attesting.

You will need to go to the Foreign & Commenwealth Office (on the Mall, London, though it is due to move to Milton Keynes over the summer), take the certificates you want attested. They charge £27 per document. If it is not a birth, marriage certificate etc, (diploma, degree) it will need signing by a solicitor or notary public first. The FCO will give you details of a local one if a certificate needs it.

Allow your self 2 - 3 hours for this.

Once you have this, you then need to go to UAE Embassy (Princes Gate, nr Exhibition Row). They charge £20 per document (£30 if you want them done the same day).

As far as shipping is concerned, I am letting my house in the UK and so do not need to ship everything. To give you a rough idea of costs, the quotes I have received for approx 300 cu ft range from £1000 - £1400, so not overly costly. A sole use container would be roughly £2700.

Hope this helps you

Hope this helps


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

For schooling - you need to start looking into that as far in avance as you are able. Places can be hard to get in your first choice school.

Get yourself a copy of Dubai Explorer - it will be your 'bible' regarding how to get things done here.

Sort out an International Driving Permit for both you and your wife. You can get them in major Post Offices or via the AA website. You'll need them as well as your full UK driving licence to hire a car.

If you are not shipping everything, you may still want to have a few boxes of personal items, as well as clothes, books, pictures, photos etc, shipped over. Try www.alfreight.co.uk or Removals & Excess Baggage Specialists: International & Overseas Household Removals, Excess & Unaccompanied Baggage Shipping Worldwide . It really is nicer to have a few of your own things around you and I imagine your children would want their toys. Bringing out some of their things will also help them settle. If you want to bring more, a half container should cost around £1,800 with insurance, but can take a month to arrive.

You should be able to sponsor your 18 year old daughter if she isn't working, but you say she has a child too? Not sure about that as she would presumably need the father's legal permission to take the child out of the UK. Be aware that co-habiting is illegal here and it is also illegal to have a child out of wedlock. Suggest you speak to your company's PRO (the person who sorts out visas etc) about that one.

Good luck and folk here will help with queries if they can. You will also get a lot of information by reading through previous threads. Many of your queries may already have ben answered so try the search function too.

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## DadTwoThree (Jun 30, 2008)

Many thanks all for your advice and guidance, I am waiting to sign my contract, as always happens I have been given another job offer, more money but pay own accom, just as a ball park figure what would a 3 bed apartment roughly cost so I can do some comparison on remuneration. Sorry to be a pain, if you ask in UK no one seems to know!.


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## Geordie Armani (Jan 24, 2008)

sadly I don't think your 18 year old daughter will be able to come, not initially anyway. You can sponsor her but unfortunately I don't think you can sponsor your grandaughter. That may be a question for your Company. There are unmarried mother here but they were married at the time of conception and later divorced. Providing the necessary papers could be a bit tricky?


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## sgilli3 (Mar 23, 2008)

You would be looking at approx 200,000 dhs + for a 3 bed apartment.


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## Geordie Armani (Jan 24, 2008)

if you can get one they are like hens teeth !


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## DadTwoThree (Jun 30, 2008)

Thats about 28K P.A. Many thanks gives me something to work out the choice of jobs, even if that 28K is a tad expensive I think if the company are paying accom then I don't have the hassle of looking etc, or getting an up front payment to the landlord. Thanks again, I am sure I will have some other silly Q's to come yet.


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## sgilli3 (Mar 23, 2008)

DadTwoThree said:


> Thats about 28K P.A. Many thanks gives me something to work out the choice of jobs, even if that 28K is a tad expensive I think if the company are paying accom then I don't have the hassle of looking etc, or getting an up front payment to the landlord. Thanks again, I am sure I will have some other silly Q's to come yet.



Is your housing allowance capped, (eg are they offering to pay housing of a certain amount each year, or is it say a 3 bed apartment each year)
Ideally, you dont want the amount capped, as prices rise here at an alarming rate, and what you can afford 1 year, you may not be able to afford the next.

Same as school fees...realistically, for primary school, you should allow 40,000 dhs per child.


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## DadTwoThree (Jun 30, 2008)

The deal is a 3 bed apartment so I don't think it is capped, I think the job with accom is better as at last I can have my own space until my 'Teenagers' can get out there in 46 months and they can at least visit to 'check' out where they will be living. Again thanks for the info, just learning this site also.

So much to learn, so little time!!


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