# Leaving Dubai - 'tips and tricks'



## travertine (Aug 10, 2010)

Hi. Couldn't find a relevant thread so hope this isn't a duplication.

Looks like we will be moving on in Mid July (about 2 weeks after the end of Ramadan) and I would be interested to hear about any 'tips and tricks' for exiting the UAE/Dubai. We've moved countries at least 6 times before so we're familiar with the general routine. However, are there any specific things to look out for here in Dubai perhaps relating to the following areas:

1. Cancellation of work visa and Emirates ID (and return of card). For instance, is it possible to stay in the country after you've formally ceased working with your employer so that you can complete the exit process? This would include of course ensuring that the employer fulfils their obligations re leave entitlements etc. 
2. Villa - giving notice, fixing up the house, getting a refund for balance of rent paid, getting the security deposit back. For instance, is it standard practice that the tenant has to repaint the entire interior of the villa or is fixing up the usual picture hook holes and a thorough clean sufficient etc? We'll only have been in the villa for 1.5 years come July so it's in good condition.
3. Cancelling utilities and phones
4. Selling the car - other than perhaps doing it asap
5. Relocating 2 dogs to Europe
6. Shipping goods out of the country
7. Selling unwanted items (e.g. stove, fridge etc)

We are just doing some preliminary planning and trying to put down some key dates. Any experience or observations would be appreciated.Thanks!


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## travertine (Aug 10, 2010)

Just realised mid July is midway through Ramadan which throws up a whole lot of new challenges.


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## earthworm88 (Jun 14, 2013)

Sorry to hear you are leaving (but you may not be), but hope that you are moving on to greener pasture 

I am sure you will get lots of feedback, but here is my experience:

1. Cancellation of work visa and Emirates ID (and return of card). 
Cancellation of the visa will be carried out by your employer once you have signed your end of service contract with gratuity if any. You have 30 days grace period after your residence visa is cancelled. I don't know if you need to return the Emirates ID. Even with renewal, they would return the invalid one back to you. 

2. Villa - giving notice, fixing up the house, getting a refund for balance of rent paid, getting the security deposit back. For instance, is it standard practice that the tenant has to repaint the entire interior of the villa or is fixing up the usual picture hook holes and a thorough clean sufficient etc? We'll only have been in the villa for 1.5 years come July so it's in good condition.
Check your tenancy contract, some will stipulate that you have to give it a fresh coat of paint when you move out even if it is in "good condition". The min effort would be to patch up any holes you had made and hopefully they will blend in with the rest of the walls. When we moved out, we didn't have to paint because it was not on the contract. You mentioned "getting a refund for balance of rent paid", if you already had an agreement with your landlord, good for you. Otherwise, good luck with that! 

3. Cancelling utilities and phones
It may take up to 3 days to settle your DEWA bills etc. Don't plan on cancelling and leaving on the same day. Call DEWA to set a date for disconnection, and get the final bill generated, pay it, and present a copy of the receipts to your landlord in order to get your security deposit back. Security deposit (if your landlord is decent) may still take up to a month to get back, so you need to arrange on how to get it. 

4. Selling the car - other than perhaps doing it asap
List it on dubizzle, ideally without phone number listed (or else your phone will be ringing off the hook with a lot of trolls bottom fishing). Summer is quieter, so try to sell it asap as you don't want your biggest asset hanging over your head. Do NOT put up "for sale" sign on car, it is against the law unless you have "permission". At least now you know you have a bit of time to get the best offer.

5. Relocating 2 dogs to Europe
Sorry, can't help you with that.  

6. Shipping goods out of the country
Call at least 3 moving companies for quotes. The top 3 like Allie Pickford, Crown Relocation etc will be pricier. We had used Euro Movers, they were decent. I didn't like the fact that they did not deliver enough packaging/boxes ahead of time as I wanted to pack the boxes myself. We found that it was actually harder to ship things out than in. Get rid of everything you do not want now, to make home assessment easier.

7. Selling unwanted items (e.g. stove, fridge etc)
Dubizzle again is a good place to start. If you live in a villa, try open-house/garage sales. It will save you a lot of time instead of listing them.  

It is a really stressful process, wishing you the best of luck!


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## kmdxb (Jan 19, 2014)

travertine said:


> 4. Selling the car - other than perhaps doing it asap
> 7. Selling unwanted items (e.g. stove, fridge etc)


Use dubizzle for these two - but make sure you get cash, never cheques. With the car make sure you get payment in full before completing the transfer, and do the transfer properly through tasjeel/tra making sure you get things like the 'certificate of no plate' etc. There are a lot of scams about car sales, like people offering higher amounts but only if you accept cheques - never fall for that one!


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Just a couple notes from other people's experiences.

1. Canceling the dewa takes a few business days. You need to sort out with your landlord the last day of the contract date and arrange for the dewa to be canceled before the move out date because the landlords often won't return the security deposits without a final dewa statement, certifying that all dewa bills have been paid (new tenants can't hook up to dewa if there's an outstanding dewa bill from a previous tenant). Since it's summer you may want to stay in a hotel for your last week as you won't have water and electricity and AC once the dewa is disconnected, and there's still around three more days before they release the final dewa bill.

2. Dogs - look at Dubai Kennels and Cattery (DKC). Very expensive. It's much cheaper for your pets to travel with you on the same flight to Europe than to travel separately. Pet relocation is one of those areas where you can spend a lot of money or relatively little money. If you want to ship the pets yourself, contact a woman named Alison who owns a pet relocation business called Dubai Doghouse (google it). She'll tell you of all the ins and outs of the various shipping options and and can help get the exit permits if you elect to do self-relocation. 

3. I've heard a few good things about MoveOn for shipping.

4. Sell your car sooner than later. Lots of people sell their cars in June/July as they leave the country, flooding the market. Ramadan at the same time depresses the second hand market with the special Ramadan deals. If you have a Japanese make, it'll probably go quickly. European cars may take longer. You'll never get your first asking price.


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## kmdxb (Jan 19, 2014)

Something else to keep in mind is your bank accounts. It's not unheard of for your accounts to get frozen if the bank finds you are leaving (e.g. maybe a final salary notice). You may want to transfer funds out of the country before that happens, and keep some cash reserves available as well just in case. You will need to do things like clear any credit card debts, loans etc.


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## LesFroggitts (Dec 30, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> 3. I've heard a few good things about MoveOn for shipping.


If you mean MoveOne (added the 'e' for you) I used to work for them (although not here in Dubai) and yes they had a very good reputation for animal transportation. There have been some staff changes in that department since I was with them but their procedures ought to be the same.


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## Fletch1969 (Nov 12, 2011)

Friend of mine spent the last few months selling everything that wasn't going home and for example swapped to a rental car for the last 6 weeks or so; that way nothing was a distressed/urgent sale and he got a decent price for most things. Last month or so was in an apartment hotel with literally two suitcases with him. Everything else already sold or shipped to the next place. 

Taking all the cash you can offshore and relying on cash for the last couple of weeks in case the bank closes your account is a good idea too..


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## Sparki (Mar 22, 2014)

Not to forget getting a "No liability letter" from your bank in case if you had a any liability with the bank.


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## Bbay2Oz (May 10, 2010)

2. Villa - giving notice, fixing up the house, getting a refund for balance of rent paid, getting the security deposit back. For instance, is it standard practice that the tenant has to repaint the entire interior of the villa or is fixing up the usual picture hook holes and a thorough clean sufficient etc? We'll only have been in the villa for 1.5 years come July so it's in good condition.

Not at all. As long as it is in good condition allowing for some fair wear and tear. Just in case they act funny and things get delayed, give a POA to a friend who can collect the money on your behalf



6. Shipping goods out of the country

We used Crown. Allied Pickfords is equally good. Don't forget insurance, I'd never recommend the insurance provided and actively marketed by the shipping companies. We used Letton Percival (UK based) and they were very good (think Crown dropped a carton of ours in the sand/sea) and their price was fantastic.


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## travertine (Aug 10, 2010)

Hi. Many thanks for all of the responses, and particularly those who took the time to write so much. Lots of good suggestions that I can take on board. First priority will be to sell the car pre Ramadan.


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