Leaving Dubai? See what to do, and when.
Enter your handover day. Every task, from lease notice to the last refund, gets a real date.
Store it, ship it, or sell it?
Most people answer this too late and pay for it. Work it out from two questions, then look at the arithmetic. A 50 sq ft room at Vachi's published rate costs AED 6,900 for six months and AED 13,800 for a year, before cover. Set that against what the furniture would cost you to buy again.
| Your situation | Usually the right call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Back inside a year | Store | Buying a home's worth of furniture twice nearly always costs more. Compare storage. |
| Might come back, might not | Store a little, sell the bulk | Keep what you could not replace. Pay for the smallest size that holds it and set a date to decide. |
| Gone for good, things worth keeping | Ship | Storage only delays the shipping bill and adds rent. Talk to a mover first. |
| Gone for good, nothing special | Sell or give away | Start listing six weeks out, because big items block your permit and your mover dates. |
Four things that must happen in order
The DLD tenancy guide says the final water and electricity invoice is presented along with the settlement when a contract ends. DLD tenancy guide
A sponsor must cancel a spouse's and children's visas first. u.ae residence visa
The work permit cancellation needs a letter from you saying you have been paid. That is our reading of the wording, not a quoted rule. u.ae residence visa
DEWA pays by IBAN in the account holder's name, and Empower will not refund a power of attorney. DEWA move-out guide Empower final bill form
The guides
- Leaving Dubai checklistEvery task by lead time, with official sources. Print it.
- DEWA move out and final billFees, timing and how fast the deposit comes back.
- Ending a tenancy and EjariWhat the law says about notice, and what it does not say.
- Cancelling a visa and exitingOrder of steps, grace periods, gratuity, debts.
- Storage when leaving DubaiEleven operators and what each one will put in writing.
- Short term storageBetween flats, renovating, or away for a few months.
- Furniture storageRoom sizes by home, and what heat does to wood and fabric.
Looking for a price to start from? Vachi's price list is one of the few that prints every size with VAT included.