The move to the UAE is exciting but the admin in South Africa before you leave is just as important as the admin when you arrive. Sort these things before you book the one-way ticket.
Documents to get before you leave
- Police clearance certificate — Required by many UAE employers. Allow 3-6 weeks from SAPS.
- Unabridged birth certificates (children) — Needed for children's visa sponsorship. Allow 4-6 weeks from DHA.
- Unabridged marriage certificate — Needed for spousal visa sponsorship. Allow 4-6 weeks from DHA.
- SAQA qualification verification — The starting point for degree attestation. Allow 3-5 working days at saqa.org.za.
- Original degree certificates — You need the originals for the attestation chain.
- Certified copies of all ID and passport pages — Multiple UAE applications will need these. Get certified by a SAPS commissioner.
Start the full document collection process 8-12 weeks before your move date. Police clearance alone can take 6 weeks. Do not leave it to the last minute.
SARS: sort your tax situation
Do not assume leaving the country ends your SA tax obligations. SARS may still treat you as a tax resident unless you formally notify them.
- If your UAE income will be below R1.25 million per year, you may not need to formally cease SA residency immediately. Seek advice on your specific situation.
- If you are earning above R1.25M abroad or want to move investments offshore, formal tax emigration is worth doing.
- Tax emigration is now done via the RAV01 form on SARS eFiling, not the old Reserve Bank financial emigration process.
- A deemed capital gains tax disposal is triggered when you cease tax residency. Get professional advice before you do this.
Bank accounts and money
- Keep at least one SA bank account open for the first year. You will need it for SA-based transactions, debit orders and any SA income.
- Check your annual single discretionary allowance: R1M per year can be moved offshore without SARS approval.
- Inform your SA bank that you are relocating. Some transactions get flagged if your address changes unexpectedly.
Medical
- See your GP and dentist before you leave. UAE private healthcare is expensive without insurance.
- Get 3-6 months of any chronic medication scripts sorted before you go.
- Collect copies of all medical records, vaccination certificates and your children's immunisation cards.
- Some UAE employers require a medical certificate. Ask your HR contact.
Other admin
- Notify your medical aid and cancel it properly (or keep it active for visits back to SA).
- Cancel or pause: gym memberships, subscriptions and debit orders you will not need.
- Vehicle: sell or arrange storage. You cannot easily import and re-register an SA car in the UAE.
- Notify SASSA if you receive any grants.
- Inform your children's school with enough notice to get transfer certificates and school reports in English. You will need these for UAE school admission.
Information correct as of June 2026. SARS guidance from sars.gov.za. Document timelines from SAPS, DHA and SAQA.