# First week expenses



## kirstenbrown89 (Feb 2, 2014)

Hello all,

I'm going to be joining you very soon. 

Was wondering if people would mind advising how much cash/dirham to bring for the first week or so. Obviously I will need to organize a bank account once I get out there. But if I were to bring some cash out to cover my initial expenses for 1 week how much should I bring?

My accommodation is covered and I don't need to worry about transport to work. The only expenses I'll need I suppose are food, and sundry items etc.

I'm a single female, age 25 if that helps.

Any advice on the amount to bring or what unexpected expenses I might happen upon.

Cheers,
Kirsten


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

kirstenbrown89 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I'm going to be joining you very soon.
> 
> ...


Hi,
You will need to bring plenty of these three things:-
Money (as much as you can afford to bring)
Passport photos (20 minimum)
Patience! (More than you can possibly imagine!)

Cheers
Steve


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

You won't get a bank account without a job and/or sponsorship and given the amount of time it can take to get a job, make sure your home account is full as you'll need it.

As you appear to have a job, you'll need to badger your local PRO staff to help you getting a bank account quickly, so they can pay your salary into it .

Welcome to Dubai !


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## Nix2012 (May 18, 2012)

you need to get your labour card/contract from your company before you can open a bank account.


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## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

If you have a job you can get a letter from them to say that your visa is in progress, as long as it shows your salary you can get a bank account, it won't come with a cheque book but you will get a debit card.


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

It's a good idea to keep money offshore as accounts can be frozen rather easily here. Don't close your home account. Keep it open and then open a local account and move money offshore for savings. 

With money offshore you can access any amount you need via an ATM both when you first arrive and any time later. They work fine here, so no need to bring large amounts of cash. 

Don't change money in the UK. You will almost certainly get a better rate here.

I arrived with precisely zero local currency and just used an ATM in the airport. I used my US account exclusively for the first couple of weeks before I got a local account.


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## Malbec (Jan 2, 2014)

You can open a bank account and get a debit card even on a tourist visa.

Based on my experience, to open an account with Emirates NBD, you need the following:
- passport and UAE entry visa
- reference letter from your current bank
- last 3 months statement (can be online electronic, printed) from your current bank
- UAE local mobile number (you can easily buy prepaid DU or Etisalat)
- I brought a recent utility bill just in case but it was not required

If you have major expenses covered (e.g. accommodation and transportation) and do not intend to dine at 5* hotel restaurants every day, you don't need that much cash with you during the first week. I think the prices are similar or even lower than in UK for basic needs. Take a debit card just in case.


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## arabianhorse (Nov 13, 2013)

If you're only needing to pay for food and personal items, then min 2,000 but to be safe bring or have access to 5,000 dirhams.
2-3 weeks is more realistic for a bank account. In the meantime use your home bank atm. Is your pay once a month, and does your employer only pay by direct debit? If yes, then in theory you might not get access to your pay until the end of your second month


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

Malbec said:


> You can open a bank account and get a debit card even on a tourist visa.
> 
> Based on my experience, to open an account with Emirates NBD, you need the following:
> - passport and UAE entry visa
> ...


My experience with Emirates NBD last week was similar, except that they asked for a salary certificate from my employer rather than a reference letter from my current bank. Still needed the 3 months of statements and the UAE mobile number. Submitted forms on Tuesday, account was opened on Wednesday and debit card delivered by Aramex on Saturday morning.

No cheque book can be issued until the residence visa is stamped into the passport and Emirates ID is issued, but Savings accounts are ok.


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## aditya78910 (Mar 16, 2014)

Great information from all of you. Thanks


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## RandomDude (Mar 7, 2014)

kirstenbrown89 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I'm going to be joining you very soon.
> 
> ...


You can request from your employer an advance payment to get your self set up.
You can receive your first salary in chash or cheuqe if your visa is delayed.

Soon enough, you'll have hundreds of sales agents trying to shove a credit card down your throat, take my word for it: DONT TAKE ANY CREDIT CARD, they are the easy road to hell


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