Information that everyone needs about Dubai. Updated July 2009. Read before posting.

[CanadianJen]

Originally Posted by Andy Capp

Jen, Of course you'll be allowed to live here with your son - your name is on the birth certificate isn't it - and yes, you'll be able to sponsor him too.

You are his mother after all....

I had understood no single mothers? I saw another poster on here was pregnant in Dubai and would have to marry or be deported, do they accept mothers who already HAVE a kid only?

My son has his father's last name, and I have no marriage/divorce papers having been common-law. Is this an issue? I have sole custody, no contact, and my son's passport was granted via court order without the father's consent signature...

[Andy Capp]

Originally Posted by CanadianJen

I had understood no single mothers? I saw another poster on here was pregnant in Dubai and would have to marry or be deported, do they accept mothers who already HAVE a kid only?

My son has his father's last name, and I have no marriage/divorce papers having been common-law. Is this an issue? I have sole custody, no contact, and my son's passport was granted via court order without the father's consent signature...

Have you a birth certificate that states his name and you as the mother?

If so, you'll be fine.

The UAE don't prosecute you for what you did in another country you know - if that was so there'd be shedloads of expats in jail.

Don't worry.

[CanadianJen]

Originally Posted by Andy Capp

The UAE don't prosecute you for what you did in another country you know - if that was so there'd be shedloads of expats in jail.

Don't worry.

Thank you Andy, thank you very much for being my voice of reason. I'll be heading out for a visit next year, with my son, and will size it up from on the ground for longer plans at that time...

[spartan]

I imported my car from the US and it finally came in a couple of days ago.
What I was not aware of was the crazy/unorganized/bureucratic procedures for actually getting the car from the Jebel Ali Port to my house.

It was a very frustrating and time consuming exercise and I would recommend getting a clearing agent to do the job for you. If however, you have free time you may want to do it yourself and save yourself the money. If you do decide to go in this direction the following should help:

When your car arrives at the port, the forwarding agent will call you telling you that the car is here. They should give you the name of the local agent for the shipper where you can pick up your Delivery Order (DO).

First step is to pick up this DO. Expect to pay a fee (between 150-250 AED).

After you have collected the DO, you need to go to the Dubai Customs Building by Port Rashid (The buildings shaped like 2 ships) on Al Mina Rd between Khalid bin Al Waleed St (aka Bank Rd) and Kuwait Rd.

After parking find the 'Typing Center' located in sheds outside the main customs building. Here, for AED 5, the typists will type up an official Customs Declaration for you.

When in possession of this document, follow the masses to the customs area (for customers). Talk to the guy at the reception (or the security guard - he was more helpful) and tell them you have a car at the port and need a valuation. They will give you a reciept with a number on it. Proceed to the valuations desk (Booth 46 & 47). Wait for your number to come up.

When you go up, you have to have your DO, the Bill of Laden that you got from the shipper, the shippers invoice, copy of your passport (keep lots of these handy...both the front page and the residency stamp- you will need them throughout).

The guy at the desk will assess a value for your car, stamp the documents and give it back to you.

Take these documents and go back to the front desk. Talk to the same supervisor and tell him that you're bringing in a personal vehicle and that you need to pay your customs duty.

He will give you another reciept with a number on it. When your number gets called up take your documents with you. This next guy is going to print out some documents for you. This is also where you will have to pay the 5% customs duty (based on the value assessed by the 1st guy). Make sure you have cash on you, because they dont take checks.

After you get your paperwork, youre set to go to Jebel Ali. Heres where it gets a little tricky. Your car could be in one of two places. First try your luck at the CFS at Gate 2.

If you have never been to gate 2, follow sheikh zayed road to Jebel Ali and take the Jebel Ali Industrial Area/Jebel Ali Free Zone/Jebel Ali Port. You will start seeing signs for Gate 2. When you get closer to the gate, you will see a building that says CFS (Container Freight..soemthing). Park your car somewhere around there and go into. Go to the helpdesk on the right, here they will tell you if your car can be picked up there or not. If it is not there, as them if it is at the car yard by Berth 34 (It probably will be).

If it is at the car yard, get back into your car, do a u-turn and head back out towards sheikh zayed towards Abu Dhabi. Now take Gate 7. Go straight through the gate. Go straight through the first round about. At the next round-about, make a left. When the street ends, make a right. After a few hundred yards you will see a DP World/Dubai Customs bulding on your right that says "Documentation Section". Pull in here, park your car and go inside. Here you need to get a VCC (Vehicle Customs Clearance) document. Be prepared to pay another fee here.

After you have this documents, proceed up the same street about a half kilometer up, to the Vehicle Inspection building. Here you need to present the documents again.
At this point, if the customs agent is in a good mood he will clear your car. If however, he is in a not-so-good mood, he will ask that the container your car came in on be transported to CFS, where it will go through another inspection (you have to put down a AED 1000+ deposit here - it will get refunded though).

If and when you get the inspection done, you need to call your insurance company and tell them that you want to insure your vehicle that came in. They might do it over the phone and fax you an inurance certificate or you might have to go in.

After your car has been insured, you need to proceed to the nearest Police Station (Traffic Division). Here you will present all your documents yet again. This is where you are going to register your car and pick up your plates.

Once you are in posession of your registration and plates, go back to Jebel Ali. You may now screw on your plates and drive off with your car.


It seems like a lot of work, but really, If i knew these procedures before-hand, it would not have taken me more than a few hours.

Hopefully this comes in handy for someone. If you have any questions, please let me know and ill try and answer them to the best of my knowledge.

[Whitedove]

Hello everyone and I am glad I found this site before our move to Dubai Next month from California, US. I have a lots of questions and i would really need your advices and feedbacks as much as possible:
We just realised that The Magic jack isn't working in Dubai is that correct?
Once we went there for the orientation, we saw the Springs, but there were many Springs which one would you recomand?
What would be the best things we need to bring from the US that are very expenssive in Dubai besides the clothes?
We are planning to ship a container so is it worthed to fill it up with stuff like: furniture, baby food, and other stuff?
Thank you in advance for all your feedbacks?

[spartan]

Hi Whitedove,

Once you have posted 5 messages on this forum, your private messaging function will be activated. Once this is the case, message me and i can tell you how you can activate magic jack here, in Dubai. Such items are best discussed off the public forums because they can be tracked by the government.

Not too sure about the springs, I moved to Mirdif, which I've found to be great place to live.

You can opt to bring whatever you like...try and not bring electronics, because its a hassle trying to convert the power thing (110-220 volts). Also try and not bring anything more than is absolutely necessary because it seems like most houses dont have a lot of extra storage space (i miss having a basement).

Let me know if you have any questions and I will try and help as best as I can.

[Whitedove]

Thank you Spartan, I will defintly keep your contact cause we have a lots of question.

[Whitedove]

When we were in Dubai last month, we didnt get a chance to see Mirdif but I met an american lady at the Mall, she lives there as well and she likes. Do you think that this is a place for the american Expats?
Do you think Furniture is better bought in the US or over there ?

[nadia519]

wth!? Is the forum really tracked by the government ppl??

Originally Posted by spartan

Hi Whitedove,

Once you have posted 5 messages on this forum, your private messaging function will be activated. Once this is the case, message me and i can tell you how you can activate magic jack here, in Dubai. Such items are best discussed off the public forums because they can be tracked by the government.

[wishin_real]

HI lifetravel,

Am afraid u cant get a residence visa for them.
Expats in UAE are allowed to sponsor up to the 1st degree relations only.

You may bring them here by visit visa and that is for 3 months only.
I think it is now 2000 AED each per sponsored person plus AED 1,000 deposit which is refundable after person left UAE.