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Employment visa, Golden Visa, freelance permit, family residency
Day-1 to Day-7 operationalisation: Emirates ID biometric capture at ICP, residence-visa stamping, bank account opening (Emirates NBD / FAB / ADCB / Mashreq / RAKBANK), SIM (Etisalat / du), Ejari rental contract registration, RTA Salik tag.
Dubai Health Authority (DHA) mandates sponsor-paid health insurance; Abu Dhabi DOH mandates equivalent (Thiqa for nationals; Daman for expats / SEHA network); private plans (AXA / Cigna / GIG Gulf / Oman Insurance / Salama) — coverage tiers, dependents, gaps.
School enrolment for expat children: KHDA-regulated (Dubai) or ADEK-regulated (Abu Dhabi); curriculum choice (CBSE / IB / British / American / French / German); inspection ratings; Indian-curriculum schools (DPS Dubai, GEMS Modern, IES Sharjah, JSS); fee bands; transfer certificate (TC) from Indian school.
Critical settlement issue: Indian DL is NOT eligible for direct conversion (unlike CA/UK/AU/US/EU 30+ countries that ARE). Full Yellow / Blue / Pink card pathway via accredited driving institute (Belhasa / Galadari / Emirates / Dubai DI / Al Ahli). Cost AED 2,500-5,000. Pathway: Yellow → Blue → Pink.
UAE has NO personal income tax (Federal Decree-Law 47/2022 introduced 9% corporate tax on profits above AED 375K, effective June 2023). 5% VAT (Federal Decree-Law 8/2017) on most goods/services. India-UAE DTAA + NRI status; Indian-side tax obligations (RNOR transition; FEMA; PAN/Aadhaar).
Long-term integration for Indian-origin residents: Indian-diaspora hubs (Bur Dubai / Karama / Al Ras / Deira / Al Nahda / International City); professional networks (ICC — Indian Community Cricket; IBPC — Indian Business & Professional Council); cultural centres (India Club, Sharjah Indian Association); banking + remittance + NRI investments.
