Everything you need to know before leaving UAE

Whatever may be the reason you have decided to leave the UAE — end of your visa or work contract, return home or moving to another country, there are things to take care before you catch your flight.

We have put together an essential checklist of everything you need to have in place before you leave to ensure your exit UAE as easy and smooth as possible.

Cancel your UAE employment visa

As soon as you make your decision to leave UAE, you must inform your employer, or your visa sponsor, so your visa is properly cancelled first. Failure to do so can delay your departure and get you marked as an absconder in the immigration system.

Clear your debts in UAE

Clearing all your pending payments should be your top priority. Non-payment of a debt is a criminal offense and could lead to arrest and a prison sentence. You can even be stopped from leaving UAE right in the airport if you try to jet off without putting your finances in order first. Event if you manage to leave before clearing all your depths, it may get you in the future, should yo decide to revisit UAE as a tourist, or even find yourself in a transit flight through one of UAE airports.

Get what you are owed

Firstly, make sure you give your employer the required period of your statutory notice. From here, you should request your gratuity payment from your place of work. Such matters will be dealt with by your company’s human resources department.

Sell your car in UAE

If you own your vehicle in UAE, selling it is fairly straightforward. You can place a classified advert, use one of numerous local online platforms or simply put notices advertising its sale in your building, place of work or on the windscreen of the car itself.

If you have your car on finance, you must speak to the bank with whom you have the loan. If you have a loan to repay, get the buyer to purchase the car in a lump sum, giving you the necessary funds to clear the debt.

Close your UAE bank account

Ensure that you close all bank accounts that you no longer intend to use ahead of your exit. Visit your branch and fill out a closure form. Many banks will be able to give you the cash sum of your balance, although if you have active accounts in another part of the world, such as the country of your next destination, it makes sense to transfer the funds instead. Make sure you clear up all loans with the bank prior to requesting the closure and bring your passport and Emirates ID with you.

End your tenancy contract

Make sure to read the fine print on your UAE tenancy contract. The clauses are likely to include the number of months’ rent you will be expected to pay for breaking your tenancy agreement. It can be up to three months, but it may be possible to negotiate a better deal with your landlord. Another possibility is finding a tenant to take over your lease — if possible, the landlord may agree to end your tenancy without a fee.

Settle all pending bills

You are likely to have phone and TV contracts as well as water, electricity and air conditioning services to sort out (DEWA in Dubai, SEWA in Sharjah, ADEWA in Abu Dhabi, etc). Contact the customer services department of your service providers to request a final bill and make sure you have no outstanding payments to make.

Take your kids out of school

Don’t forget to obtain a transfer certificate from your school to be able to prove that your child has completed certain number of study years there. According to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai, you require to get a “student leaving certificate” from your school, which will confirm your child’s education history. You will also need to discuss whether tuition fees paid in advance will be returned if you are leaving before the end of the academic year.

These are the essential steps you are advised to take before leaving UAE. Missing some of them may result unexpected and unwanted problems either on departure, or even in the future, if you ever decide to revisit Emirates as a tourist, or even use one of UAE airports for your transit elsewhere. Thus, you are advised to take care of everything before you go.