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CassyL
Hi Deel Community 👋 I’m Masha, Director of Mobility and Corporate Legal here at Deel.
If you haven’t considered traveling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before, Dubai is a dazzling, hyper modern city, with plenty of accommodations tailored to digital nomads, while the capital city of Abu Dhabi is more comfortable for those looking for a traditional experience or a calmer family environment.
Both are great destinations for those who are eager to explore a new country while maintaining the ease of working. Although my preconceived notions about the country and culture led me to delay my trip several times, I ultimately decided to travel there with my now husband, and haven’t regretted the decision since! The UAE exceeded my expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that all of my prior assumptions about the country, and about being a digital nomad, were wrong.
Below are my top tips and learnings for becoming a Digital Nomad in the UAE. Feel free to leave any questions you have for me in the comments below!
Tip 1: The UAE is safe and accessible, so go explore!
I was based in Abu Dhabi, but did plenty of exploration of other cities in my nearly 3 years of living there. Dubai, in particular, with one of the world’s best connecting airports, was a really cool hub to take off from to explore other countries.
The UAE is both a safe and family friendly country – Dubai metro even features carriages that are designated for women and children.
Tip 2: Connect and meet other remote workers
The UAE is one of the best countries for digital nomads. In fact, Dubai was ranked as one of the top 3 best places in the world for digital nomads, according to a 2022 study by Savills.
The UAE also boasts plenty of coworking spaces that make being a digital nomad super convenient, with high-speed internet, an abundance of coffee shops and bars, and accessible libraries with free wifi. This makes connecting and networking with other professionals really easy and fun.
Tip 3: Leverage the knowledge of local experts
One of the top tips I gained from my experience in the UAE was to take the time to truly understand the nuances of the culture.
When I asked my colleague, Dougal, about his personal experience obtaining a Digital Nomad Visa for Dubai from Canada, he mentioned that the process was both tedious and confusing when he tried to tackle it on his own. When he switched over to using Deel to file for a Digital Nomad Visa, the speed in processing increased, and he had little else to worry about other than passing over the necessary paperwork.
From his experience, he shared: “there’s no substitute, in any interaction with the government, for people that understand the process locally.”
Tip 4: Plan your travel early to beat the heat!
It is important to note that the UAE does get quite hot in the peak of summer, so many remote workers tend to travel to UAE for the winter, from mid October to mid April, while opting to explore European countries during July and August.
However, no matter what time of the year you decide to visit the UAE, you’ll be sure to have an incredible time immersed in a new culture, and meeting people with all sorts of experiences and backgrounds. For me, living in the UAE was an experience of a lifetime, and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back!
How to get your Digital Nomad Visa in the UAE
If you're thinking about going for the Digital Nomad Visa in the UAE, here are some questions to better understand if it will be a good fit for you:
- Are you working full-time for a company or doing your own thing as a freelancer? It's important to know if you can work remotely.
- Have you been earning an income in the last three months? This helps show that you're financially stable for your stay.
- Education or Experience? Do you have a degree or a few years of experience in what you do? This shows you've got the skills for your work.
- Is your income at least $3,500 a month? This is to make sure you're financially comfortable during your time there.
If you check all these boxes, you might want to schedule a call with a Deel expert to explore your options. They can help you figure out the nitty-gritty details of getting the visa sorted for your UAE adventure.
For more information about getting your Digital Nomad Visa for the UAE, check out this immigration guide, and read this blog post for everything you need to know about visa requirements, job opportunities, and more!
