First 30 Days in Dubai — Full Setup Checklist
The complete month-one setup roadmap: permanent home, Ejari, health insurance, school enrollment, driving licence, Salik, and everything in between.
Signed by: Sarah Al Qasimi (Lead Editor). Fact-checked by the full editorial team.
After the intensity of your first week, the next three weeks are about locking down your permanent living situation and getting all the recurring systems in place. This is when you sign your lease, set up DEWA and cooling, enrol children in school, and get your driving licence converted.
The 30-day checklist builds directly on the 7-day checklist. If you haven't completed Week 1 items, do those first — Emirates ID, bank account, and SIM are prerequisites for almost everything on this list.
By the end of Day 30, you should be fully settled: permanent home, utilities active, insurance in force, school places confirmed, and car registered (if driving). At that point, Dubai starts to feel like home.
First 30 Days in Dubai — Full Setup Checklist
25 items — tick as you go. Progress is saved in your browser.