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Settling in

Settling in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is tackled in order: the employer-sponsored residence visa, each person's medical test and Emirates ID, health insurance, then housing, banking and the car. The French twist: your consular paperwork is handled by the Consulate General in Dubai, an hour's drive away, or during consular tours at the Alliance française. Here is what we would have liked to know before arriving, checked against official sources.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival: visas, Emirates ID and the consulate

In the UAE, everything flows from the residence visa: the employer sponsors the employee, then the employee sponsors spouse and children. The French consular register is filled in online in ten minutes, and the Dubai consulate validates it.

Good to know

  • For a scouting trip or a visit, French citizens need no visa: 90 days at most in any 180-day period, with a passport valid at least six months on entry (three months if you already hold a residence permit). Source
  • The sponsored residence visa is issued for 1, 2 or 3 years; it requires a medical fitness test for those aged 18 and over, a security check and an Emirates ID application. It is automatically cancelled after more than 180 consecutive days outside the country. Source
  • A resident can sponsor their spouse, sons under 25, unmarried daughters and children with special needs, whatever their job title, from a salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 with accommodation provided; family members aged 18 and over also take the medical test. In Abu Dhabi, the competent authority is the ICP. Source
  • The Emirates ID is mandatory for all residents, children included: apply online with the ICP or at an accredited centre, with a visit to a service centre for biometrics; it is renewed up to six months before expiry, with a daily late fee. Source
  • For a first residence visa application, the Emirati authorities require a certificate of good conduct: the French criminal record extract must be legalised, translated and attested, following a procedure that differs if you are still in France or already in the country. Source
  • Registration with the French consular register is free, valid 5 years and done online on service-public.fr: French ID, proof of residence in the UAE, recent photo; your consulate then contacts you to validate, and you can link children and spouse to your file. Source
  • The embassy's consular section in Abu Dhabi does not handle French nationals' administration: it deals with visas for France. Passports, ID cards, civil status and the register fall to the Consulate General of France in Dubai, which also comes on consular tours to the Alliance française in Abu Dhabi to take and hand over passport and ID card applications. Source
  • Week 1, in order: entry permit arranged by the employer, medical test, biometrics for the Emirates ID, residence visa; then health insurance card, bank account, SIM card, Tawtheeq-registered lease and utilities, and registration with the French consular register.

Addresses

  • Consulat général de France à Dubaï

    Consulate

    Al Habtoor Business Tower, 32e étage, Dubai Marina, Dubaï

    Your town hall and prefecture: passports, ID cards, civil status, legalisations, school grants. Open Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 13:00 and 13:40 to 16:00, Friday until 15:45; check whether your procedure needs an appointment. An hour's drive from Abu Dhabi.

    Website Source

  • Ambassade de France à Abou Dabi, section consulaire

    Consulate

    Etihad Towers, Office Tower 3, 22e étage, Corniche West

    Open Monday to Friday. Its consular section administers foreigners (visas for France, talent passports) and does not handle French nationals' paperwork; for a serious emergency, follow the site's 'En cas d'urgence' section.

    Website Source

  • Tournée consulaire à l'Alliance française d'Abou Dabi

    Consulate

    99, Villa A1, Al Qou' Street, Al Bateen

    Several times a year, the Dubai consulate receives in Abu Dhabi, by appointment, to take passport or ID card applications and hand over ready documents (the last announced tour: Friday 23 October 2026, 9am to 5pm). Digital identity certification is not offered there.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

Abu Dhabi is an island city stretching over forty kilometres: French families spread between the centre (Khalidiya, Al Bateen, Al Mushrif around the Lycée Louis-Massignon), Saadiyat around the Lycée Théodore-Monod, and the compounds of Khalifa City, Al Raha and Yas. The lease is annual, paid by cheques, and registered with Tawtheeq.

Good to know

  • Despite a recent rise, Abu Dhabi rents remain broadly more affordable than Dubai for comparable homes, and homes are more spacious; the city is less dense and family life is seen as simpler and calmer. Source
  • In Abu Dhabi, the landlord must register the lease in the Tawtheeq system, a condition for connecting water and electricity; the tenant provides passport, residence visa and Emirates ID, pays by post-dated cheques, and an agency commission may reach 5% of the rent. Disputes go to the Rent Dispute Settlement Committee. Source
  • A municipality fee of 5% of the rental value is added to the tenant's monthly water and electricity bill, spread over twelve months: budget for it. Source
  • The embassy reminds that rents are generally set for one year and paid in advance, a check-in inventory is essential, heating is useless and air conditioning essential, and a furnished market exists. Mail goes through a PO box, as street addresses are little used. Source
  • Choose your home according to school and office: public transport is limited to the bus, every family has at least one car, and the length of the city makes journeys frequent and sometimes long. Outlying compounds offer a pool, tennis and gym; the centre and the Corniche, towers and neighbourhood life. Source
  • The Lycée Louis-Massignon runs school transport, which widens the choice of neighbourhood; the Salama app from Abu Dhabi Mobility lets parents track the bus in real time and be notified when the child boards and alights. Source

Addresses

  • Al Mushrif, Al Rawdah et Al Karamah

    Neighbourhood

    The historic French heart: the Lycée Louis-Massignon on Rabdan Street, Umm Al Emarat Park, villas and older compounds, hospitals nearby. Central and family-friendly.

    Source

  • Khalidiya, Al Bateen et la Corniche

    Neighbourhood

    The Alliance française, Al Bateen Beach, the Corniche by bike and towers with a view: high-rise flats, everything on foot, many French speakers.

    Source

  • Saadiyat

    Neighbourhood

    The Lycée Théodore-Monod (Al Dhiba Street), the Cultural District and its museums, Kai Beach and recent villas: the choice of families on the north of the island.

    Source

  • Al Reem Island

    Neighbourhood

    Recent towers, promenades and parks, shared bikes, a stone's throw from the Al Maryah business district: handy for parents working in town.

    Source

  • Khalifa City et Al Raha

    Neighbourhood

    On the mainland, towards the airport: big villas and compounds with pools, international schools, NMC Royal Hospital and the Al Raha waterfront; further from the French lycées, more space.

    Source

  • Yas Island

    Neighbourhood

    The leisure island turned residential: beach, Yas Mall, theme parks and marina at the foot of the buildings; a holiday feel, at a distance from the French lycées.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

A mobile contract and utility meters wait for the Emirates ID; in the first weeks, your passport and visa are enough for a prepaid SIM. On the insurance side, two are compulsory: health and third-party car cover.

Good to know

  • Two operators share the market, Etisalat (e&) and du; internet traffic is filtered and some calling services work poorly. A prepaid SIM activates in minutes, a contract plan waits for the Emirates ID. Source
  • Health insurance is compulsory: in Abu Dhabi, the employer or sponsor covers the employee, one spouse and up to three children under 18. Read the policy before signing the employment contract: maternity, dental, optical and clinic network vary enormously. Source
  • Third-party car insurance is compulsory; tenant's home insurance is not, but it is recommended, as is family liability cover. Source
  • Water and electricity are opened in the tenant's name, on presentation of the residence card and the Tawtheeq-registered lease; the municipality fee is added to this bill. Source

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Banking and money

A local account opens once you have the Emirates ID and is used for everything: salary, rent, water and electricity, school. Day to day, people mostly pay by card or phone, and transfers between UAE accounts are instant.

Good to know

  • To open an account, banks ask for the Emirates ID, residence visa, passport, a salary certificate or employer letter and sometimes proof of address. You apply in a branch, online or in the app; approval takes from a few hours to a few days, and many banks require a minimum monthly balance. Source
  • Without the Emirates ID, some banks start the file with the visa, but full activation usually waits for the physical card. For the first weeks, keep your French bank card and tell your bank you are moving. Source
  • Day to day, the vast majority of payments are made by card or phone (contactless, mobile wallets); cash is mostly used for tips. Source
  • Aani, the Central Bank's instant payment platform, lets you move money between UAE accounts in seconds, 24/7, using a mobile number, email address or QR code, from participating banks' apps. Jaywan, the national payment card, is being rolled out gradually by banks; since August 2026, both can also be used to pay federal fees and fines. Source
  • Since 2026, banks no longer send SMS codes for online payments: you approve the purchase in your bank's app, with a fingerprint, face recognition or PIN. Install the app and set up biometrics before your first online purchase. Source
  • To send or receive money with France, expats use their bank's international transfer, an exchange house or an online transfer service. Compare the exchange rate and intermediary fees, which make most of the difference. Source
  • Keep your French account: tell your bank before leaving, as it must become a non-resident account, and some products such as the LEP savings account must be closed. Reopening a French account from abroad is harder. Source
  • Two pitfalls: the minimum salary or balance some banks require, or fees apply, and bounced cheques, which quickly become expensive. Read the account terms before signing. Source

Addresses

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Getting set up

Abu Dhabi has a large IKEA store on Yas Island and two smaller ones, at Dalma Mall and Al Wahda; the major furniture, grocery and appliance chains deliver to your door. Second-hand sales between departing expats help you get set up quickly.

Addresses

Getting around with children

Abu Dhabi runs on cars: buses exist, clean and cheap, but there is no metro or tram, and distances are long. Children aged ten and under ride buses free, the French licence is exchanged without a test, and Darb tolls only apply at peak hours.

Good to know

  • The bus costs AED 2 on boarding plus 5 fils per kilometre, capped at AED 5 per trip; children aged ten and under travel free, and a transfer within the hour is not charged again. 7-day and 30-day passes exist. Source
  • You pay with the Hafilat card, never cash: the anonymous card costs AED 10, is valid sixteen years and is sold at station machines, SPAR cooperatives, Lulu or online; residents can request a personalised card with their Emirates ID. Source
  • Official taxis are booked on 600 535 353 or in the Abu Dhabi Taxi app; Careem and Uber also operate. They carry no child seat: bring your own for little ones. Source
  • Once you are a resident, you need an Emirati licence. The French licence is on Abu Dhabi's list of accredited countries: exchange without a test, after an eye test at an approved optician, with the original licence and its Arabic translation, copies of passport and Emirates ID and two photos; apply online on TAMM or with Abu Dhabi Police. Source
  • Behind the wheel, seatbelts are compulsory for the driver and all passengers, phones are banned, and alcohol is zero, whatever the amount; after an accident, call 999 and wait for the police, garages require their report. The embassy flags the Abu Dhabi to Dubai motorway as particularly dangerous. Source
  • The Darb tolls on the bridges onto the island charge AED 4 per pass at peak times, 7am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm, except Sundays and public holidays; outside those hours it is free, and daily caps have been removed. Source
  • To Dubai without a car: the E100, E101 and E102 buses leave daily from Abu Dhabi Main Bus Station for AED 25; the cycle paths of the Corniche, Reem, Yas, Saadiyat and Khalifa City have shared bikes. Source

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Admin: taxes, Emirates ID and the consulate

No income tax, no French-style social security: the Emirates ID and the insurance card stand in for everything. On the French side, the Dubai consulate remains your town hall, and your French taxes are handled from France.

Good to know

  • The UAE levies no personal income tax; a 5% VAT applies to goods and services, and corporate tax only concerns businesses. Your gross salary is therefore your net salary. Source
  • The Emirates ID, issued by the ICP, is the key to every public and private procedure; it expires with the visa, is renewed from six months before the deadline and costs AED 20 per day of delay beyond one month, capped at AED 1,000. Source
  • Government offices generally work from 7:30 to 14:30; the weekend has been Saturday and Sunday since 1 January 2022, and many procedures are done online through the TAMM portal and the UAE PASS digital identity. Source
  • What the Dubai consulate general does for the French of Abu Dhabi: passports and ID cards (including on tour at the Alliance française), civil status, register, legalisations, elections, exceptional social aid, and means-tested school grants for accredited schools, provided you are on the register (SCOLAIDE campaign from 16 July to 25 September 2026 for the 2026-2027 school year). Source
  • What it does not do: Emirati visas and residence permits (ICP), legal advice, translations, and it never covers your medical or repatriation costs, hence the importance of full cover. Source
  • A baby born in Abu Dhabi is declared at the Dubai consulate within 30 days, or its Emirati certificate ('Live Birth Notification') legalised by the UAE foreign ministry is transcribed free of charge by post; without this transcription, no French passport. Source
  • On the French tax side, notify your tax office of your departure and new address: any French-source income (rent, for example) is still declared in France, with the non-residents tax service. Source

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Budget: what costs more, what costs less

Abu Dhabi costs less than Dubai and Paris for an expatriate family, but two items weigh heavily: rent and school. On the other side, no income tax, cheap petrol and affordable domestic help. No precise figures, but here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

  • In Mercer's cost of living ranking for expatriates, Abu Dhabi ranks well behind Dubai (the most expensive city in the Middle East) and behind Paris: comparable to a large French city, markedly cheaper than London. Source
  • Housing: the biggest item, recently rising but still more affordable than Dubai for bigger homes; add the 5% municipality fee on the electricity bill, a possible agency commission and a year paid by cheques. Source
  • School: all schools charge fees and are expensive, French lycées and international schools alike; fees are regulated by ADEK and can be looked up school by school. See our school fees page. Source
  • Health: insurance is provided by the employer for the employee, one spouse and three children under 18; beyond that, or for a better network, it is at your expense, and each consultation often carries a co-payment. Source
  • Transport: petrol costs about half the French price and the bus next to nothing (free for children), but a car is indispensable: purchase or long-term lease, insurance, Mawaqif parking and Darb tolls at peak hours. Source
  • Taxes: zero income tax and 5% VAT, against 20% in France: gross salary is net, which offsets a good part of rent and school. Source
  • Childcare: domestic help is very easy to find, and far cheaper than in France; hiring a full-time nanny makes you an employer, with a contract on the official template, one rest day a week, 30 days' paid leave, health insurance and a return ticket every two years. Source
  • Leisure: the Saadiyat museums are free for under-18s, the Grand Mosque and public beaches free or nearly so, but theme parks, beach clubs and restaurants are expensive. Groceries: comparable to France in the big chains, markedly dearer for products imported from Europe and for alcohol. Source

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Abu Dhabi will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Ambassade de France aux Émirats arabes unis, la section consulaire
  2. 2 Ambassade de France, inscription au registre des Français
  3. 3 Portail u.ae, visa de résidence des membres de la famille
  4. 4 Portail u.ae, dispositions générales du visa de résidence
  5. 5 Portail u.ae, louer un logement
  6. 6 Abu Dhabi Mobility, tarifs des bus
  7. 7 The National, échanger son permis de conduire aux Émirats
  8. 8 Portail u.ae, la banque aux Émirats

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