You might be leaving Dubai permanently due to any reason and must be thinking about new adventures in a new country but before you catch your flight, you must take out ample time to close all the accounts here. It is crucial to secure every end before leaving Dubai, in order to avoid any future legal complications. To ensure a smooth transition from Dubai to any other country, we are sharing a comprehensive checklist that can also guarantee peace of mind with a smooth exit from the country.
Cancelling your visa
Visa cancellation should be the first thing on your to-do list before leaving Dubai. As soon as you plan to leave Dubai permanently, inform your employer because it is compulsory to cancel your visa and your dependents’ visas before leaving this country.
You will be required to hand over your passport (temporarily) to the employer, while your visa is cancelled. On the contrary, in case you fail to do so, it can lead to a delay in your departure. No matter under what circumstances, you are leaving Dubai but keep visa cancellation on top priority.
You get 30 days to live in the country after the visa cancellation, during which you can complete several other tasks.
Inform your landlord
When you decide to leave the UAE, you must find out the requirement to terminate your tenancy. You know the duration of the notice period but speak to your agent or directly to the landlord to end this lease term, amicably. It is also important to give notice to your landlord because at the end of the notice period, you need to obtain an Ejari clearance certificate and also from the utility providers to cancel your tenancy contract.
Do not forget to ask for the remaining rent cheques and get your security deposit back from the landlord. The security deposit will be given back, if you return the property in the best condition.
Clearing debts and sorting out your finances
When you no longer intend to use your bank accounts in Dubai, be sure to close your bank accounts and clear all outstanding debts, before leaving the country. The failure to do so is considered a criminal offence that may end in a prison sentence. To close your bank accounts and clear your debts, you need to:
- Visit the bank and close your bank account, following the complete bank account cancelation process.
- Clearing the credit cards’ debt can be tricky, so it must be handled two to three months before leaving the country.
- Complete the settlement by canceling bank loans and overdrafts
- Do not forget to get a bank clearance letter and submit it to your employer.
Settle all utility bills
You are likely to have internet and phone contracts along with water and electricity services. Contact the customer services department of every utility provider and request them to draft a final bill for your services.
Exit the connection and make sure at the time you exit the property, you do not have any outstanding payments to make.
School Transfer Certificate
If you have school-going children, you will have to collect a “School Transfer Certificate” before leaving Dubai. To get your child enrolled in any school, you will have to furnish proof and it is nothing else than this certificate.
Sell, ship or donate the belongings
You must have several things in your possession including furniture, appliances and other household items. Before moving to another country, it is important to think about the things that you can take along, things that you can sell in Dubai and things that you would like to donate.
To transport items from Dubai to your home country, you can hire the services of a reliable shipping company. We suggest you to take quote from different shipping companies in Dubai, to crack a reasonable deal. You can also take suggestions from your friends and family members, who have been through this process earlier.
To sell your items, you can check buying and selling pages on social media platforms or utilize the services of professional online groups, from where you can find direct buyers.
If you think that you have some quality items that are neither being sold nor being shifted, you can consider donating them to a UAE registered charity.
Sell your car
Selling your car before leaving Dubai is another essential thing to do. Nowadays, you can find several channels to avail of this option – depending upon how you would like it to be.
Get your car serviced and cleaned by a professional auto service provider. Take high-quality pictures and upload the specification and detail about your car to any online car sale service website, Facebook pages and also send them to WhatsApp groups to maximize the reach.
However, if you do not want to sort it out yourself, you must consider selling your car to a car dealer – who can buy your car at a reduced rate but take responsibility to sell it ahead.
Here, we reach at the wrap of the “to-do things” checklist before leaving Dubai. All the experts recommend getting clearance and paying all outstanding payments including outstanding traffic fines and cancelling Salik before exiting the country.
If your exit is properly planned, you must start the entire process (gradually), yet six months in advance to complete everything timely and peacefully.
