Leaving the UAE? Here is the "Exit Emirates Easily" (E3) checklist.

It is done. You have made the decision to leave the UAE, for whatever reason. For the purposes of this piece, let us assume that you have decided this voluntarily, as opposed to being made redundant and having to leave. In the latter scenario, things are rushed and sometimes not very pleasant. However, if you have decided to leave proactively, there are a few things you should take care of before you go. Keep in mind that you ideally need around three months to execute a smooth and well-planned departure from the United Arab Emirates, so forward planning is critical.

Here is the Exit Emirates Easily (E3) checklist: 

1.      Get your credit report. Until you know exactly what liabilities are showing on your report, you cannot possibly close them all properly. The result of errors in your report might cause you to become an unwilling defaulter, which can and will become an issue for you later, even after you reach home.  

2.      Contact the banks. Start closing credit cards, closing and consolidating bank accounts and lines of credit or overdraft facilities. Closing a credit card and having it reflected in your credit report can take up to three months, so start early! For each credit facility, make sure you document the closure with the bank and get a “No Liability” letter that reflects that. Keep those letters safely, forever. Seriously.

3.      Contact the schools. You will need Transfer certificates from the Ministry, and you can request these documents through the school. However, these need time, so give yourself at least 8-12 weeks to get the paperwork. In addition, you should contact the School Board wherever you are heading to, and make sure that you have a list of all their transfer requirements. Sometimes they need documents that are easy enough to request while you are here, but a pain to get when you are not.

4.      Sell the car(s). This is something that is often neglected until the last minute, and can cost you a lot of money if you leave it too late. My advice is – once you have decided to leave, sell your vehicle unless you are planning to ship it back home with you and avail duty free import in your home country. Then you will need to apply for export permits and plates, and go through that process, but you can get your movers to guide you in this, or even manage the process for you.

5.      Manage the Landlord. You need to provide your property manager with at least two months’ notice period in writing. During this time, you should take care of any minor repairs yourself, so that when you hand over the apartment, you can ask for your Security Cheque back. Most landlords will appreciate your managing the process proactively, and not give you a hard time in returning your cheque. Make sure you get it back, because it is a liability for you, and a bounced cheque is the last thing you want to be worrying about as your countdown to ‘D for Departure’ Day continues. Get a clearance letter (or No Dues letter) from them once you are done to indicate that your liabilities with them are closed. Unfortunately, due to points #6 and #7 below, you may need to rent an apartment, book a hotel or stay with a friend for your last couple of weeks to ensure that you get all your clearances before you leave.

6.      Manage municipal clearances. Unfortunately, applying in advance for municipal clearances (DEWA, SEWA etc.) is not a thing in the UAE, so after you get your clearance letter from the Landlord, apply for your municipal account closure. At the same time, you can apply for a refund of your deposit, which may be issued in cash or in the form of a cheque in your name, so you may need a functioning bank account to deposit this.

7.      Get Telco (Etisalat / Du) clearances. This can be quite challenging, but here is what I suggest. Close your home phone, internet and cable TV connections well in advance. They will take ages to verify the closure of your account and related services, and they may come up with contract issues that you are not aware of, or have forgotten about. Just in case, be prepared to pay heavily to settle your account early. In the meantime, convert your post-paid mobile services to pre-paid. Again, this can be a time-consuming process, but once you are done, you can keep your number and just recharge as you go. All of this is inconvenient, but allows you freedom of action.

8.      Plan the logistics of the move. Start contacting moving companies, and request quotes. Negotiate, but do not compromise on the quality of the services, or the insurance you buy. Get end-to-end services if you can afford to, because they come in really handy on arrival, where they will put up your frames, install appliances, and much more. Book one-way tickets, and maybe plan a stopover somewhere on your way home. Enjoy planning the trip – make a stressful time slightly less stressful by giving your family something to look forward to on the way back.

9.      Take care of the pet(s). This is an emotional area, and one that all too often is badly managed. Each summer, the papers are full of stories of pets abandoned at shelters, in parks, even in building parking lots. Don’t be that person. Please find your pets a suitable home proactively, because they have done nothing to deserve abandonment.

10.  Repatriate the help. If you have enjoyed house help during your stay in the UAE, send them off gracefully, and in a timely way. Do not leave it too late, because if they panic at the thought of returning to their home countries, they may abscond, leaving you with the painful task of police reporting. This is not a headache you need in your final days in the Emirates.

11.  Visa cancellation. You should start this process 3-4 weeks before your planned departure dates. Once your visa is cancelled, you have 28 days to leave the country. Keep in mind that should an emergency arise, and you need to overstay slightly, you can. You will pay some fines at the airport for the overstay, so make sure you have cash or credit with you when you do leave.

12.  Sell miscellaneous items. After the packing is done, there will still be some stuff left over in your apartment. Put it on social media, or dubizzle. Be prepared to leave the bulk of it behind, or call a charity and have them come and pick it up. Any cash offered is always just a bonus, so take it and blow it on chocolate or a ticket to win a car at the airport. You never know, right?

13.  Manage your social media. Enjoy your last few days. Walk on the beach. Meet your friends for a shisha night and take loads of selfies. Upload said pictures immediately. Make plans to stay in touch. Buy lots of dates and other knickknacks to hand out to friends and family when you get back. You probably have already, but buy more. You do not want to forget Aunt Ethel, because you will never hear the end of it. Also, remember to update your status, because it will not be real to your family and friends until you do, right?

14.  Get your credit report one more time. Make sure that all your liabilities are in order, because as soon as you get back to India or Ireland and apply for any form of credit, you will be asked for your credit report. You will want that report to be a true reflection of your credit history, so make sure that it is.

That’s it. You are out of here. But never for ever. So… see you later? Travel safe!

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While Omar does work for the Credit Bureau, the views mentioned above are entirely his own and do not reflect the views of the Bureau in any way, shape or form. If you like his writing style, please feel free to buy his very short but very interesting book on Branding, available here: https://bit.ly/BuildingBrandYOU.