Moving to Dubai: visas, admin steps and transferring money from Switzerland 2026 Guide

Why does Dubai attract so many Swiss residents?

The answer fits in one sentence: the United Arab Emirates levy no personal income tax, while offering a standard of living and a legal certainty comparable to those of a Western country. For a Geneva executive taxed at the ordinary rate, or for a self-employed professional in Vaud, the difference in net income is immediate and significant.

But the phrase "tax-free haven" is misleading if you stop there. Since 2018 the country has built an indirect and corporate tax framework that has to be factored into your calculation.

The condition that governs everything else

The income tax exemption is not triggered because you hold an Emirati visa: it is triggered because you have stopped being a Swiss tax resident. As long as you keep a domicile or a qualifying stay in Switzerland, your unlimited tax liability continues, whatever the country in which your salary is paid.

In practice this means notifying your municipality of your departure, being removed from the residents' register, terminating your lease or renting out your home, and building a genuine base in the Emirates. On their side, the Emirati authorities issue a Tax Residency Certificate from 183 days of presence over twelve months, or from 90 days if you have a permanent home and a professional or commercial activity locally.

Which residence visa should you choose for the UAE?

The short answer: four routes exist, and they differ less in duration than in who the sponsor is. A Swiss or European national enters the Emirates without a prior visa, but that visitor status allows neither working, nor signing an annual lease, nor opening a local bank account. The residence visa is therefore the first lock to open. The official, up-to-date list of categories is published on the United Arab Emirates government portal.

What changed on the Golden Visa in 2026

A February 2026 circular removed a constraint that had been blocking many applications: you no longer need to have paid 50 % of the property price to apply for a Golden Visa, provided the official value certified by the Dubai Land Department reaches AED 2 million. For an off-plan purchase, an Oqood certificate and a payment of at least 20 % are now enough to build the file.

What must you do once you arrive in Dubai?

The answer: a highly codified sequence of six steps, which in practice takes two to four weeks once the file is complete. It cannot be run in parallel — each step unlocks the next.

1. The entry permit. Your sponsor obtains an entry permit valid for 60 days, which starts the countdown for the whole procedure.
2. The medical test. Mandatory screening in an approved centre. The fitness certificate is issued within 1 to 2 days.
3. Biometrics and the Emirates ID. Fingerprints and photo at the official centre. The Emirates ID is your resident identity card: without it, no bank account, no phone plan, no DEWA contract.
4. Health insurance. It is mandatory across all seven emirates in 2026 and conditions both the issue and the renewal of the visa. In Dubai, cover is governed by the Dubai Health Authority, with a minimum annual benefit ceiling of AED 150,000.
5. The lease and Ejari registration. Every rental contract must be registered with the Ejari system, for around AED 220. Without Ejari you can neither open a DEWA account nor sponsor a family visa.
6. Utilities. Opening the DEWA account (electricity and water) with a refundable deposit of AED 2,000 for an apartment, AED 4,000 for a villa.

The entry cost not to underestimate

The Dubai rental market works on an annual basis, often settled in one to four cheques. On signature, budget for the security deposit (5 % of the annual rent for an unfurnished home, 10 % if furnished), the agency commission (5 % of the annual rent), Ejari and the DEWA deposit. For a one-bedroom apartment rented at AED 100,000 a year in Downtown Dubai, these upfront costs exceed AED 12,000, roughly CHF 2,700, on top of the first rent instalment.

It is precisely this first payment, made from a Swiss account while the local account does not yet exist, that costs the most in exchange fees. We come back to it in detail in the last section.

What happens to your OASI, your pension and your LAMal?

The answer hinges on a single criterion: the United Arab Emirates belong to neither the European Union nor EFTA. That "third country" status radically changes how your pension is treated compared with a move to Portugal or Spain.

The 2nd pillar: a full withdrawal is possible

When you leave Switzerland permanently for a country outside the EU and EFTA, your occupational pension assets can be paid out as a lump sum in full: mandatory and extra-mandatory portions alike. This is the major exception to the blocking principle. An expat moving to France or Germany, by contrast, sees the mandatory portion locked in a vested benefits account until retirement age.

The only condition is proof of permanent departure: removal from your municipal residents' register and actually leaving the country. The payment is subject to withholding tax on lump-sum pension benefits, levied in the canton where the pension or vested benefits institution has its seat, not in your canton of domicile. Since the gap between cantons is considerable, choosing your vested benefits foundation before leaving is a legitimate optimisation lever. Our guide on withdrawing the 2nd pillar, with a simulator, sets out how the calculation works.

OASI: the 12-month window

Your compulsory OASI/DI membership ends when you leave. You can, however, join the voluntary OASI/DI scheme, reserved for people domiciled outside the EU/EFTA — which is precisely the case in the Emirates. Three cumulative conditions apply: holding Swiss or EU/EFTA nationality, having been insured under OASI/DI for at least five consecutive years immediately before leaving compulsory insurance, and filing the application with the Swiss Compensation Office in Geneva within 12 months of that exit.

This deadline cannot be extended. After one year, the contribution gap becomes permanent and will translate into a reduced pension. To measure the impact of missing years on your future pension, see our guide on OASI and the 1st pillar.

LAMal and the 3rd pillar

The obligation to hold LAMal cover ends when you leave Switzerland. You must cancel your policy with your insurer by sending the departure certificate, otherwise premiums keep running. Your new cover will be the mandatory Emirati health insurance described above.

As for the tied 3rd pillar (pillar 3a), permanent departure from Switzerland is a ground for early withdrawal. As with the 2nd pillar, the capital is subject to withholding tax in the canton where the foundation has its seat. If you plan to use these funds for a property purchase, our guide on withdrawing the 2nd pillar for a property abroad describes the full mechanics.

What does living in Dubai really cost in 2026?

The short answer: the tax gain is real, but it is partly absorbed by housing, where apartment rents rose by around 29 % over the last observed year. Here are the orders of magnitude recorded in 2026, converted at an indicative rate of CHF 1 to AED 4.50.

A single person living on the outskirts therefore gets by on around AED 9,000 a month, roughly CHF 2,000, while a family of four in a central district easily exceeds AED 25,000 a month, close to CHF 5,550 — before private school fees, which are often the largest item after housing.

Measured against a Swiss salary, the maths remains favourable for high earners, since there is neither income tax nor compulsory social contributions deducted from pay. It is much less so for middle incomes with children in private schooling. To compare with your current benchmarks, our guide on the average salary in Switzerland provides reference figures by sector and canton.

How do you transfer money from Switzerland to Dubai?

The answer starts with one decisive monetary feature: the UAE dirham is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of 3.6725 AED per USD, and has been since 1997. It does not float. That means the only variable that really counts in your transfer is the quality of the CHF/USD rate you are given — the final conversion into dirhams is all but mechanical.

This CHF to USD route is the one ibani handles, covering 12 currencies: CHF, EUR, USD, GBP, CAD, SGD, HKD, JPY, NOK, NZD, SEK and TRY. The dirham is not on that list; in practice, the approach is therefore to convert your francs into dollars at the real market rate, then credit a USD account in the Emirates — most local institutions offer one — or let your Emirati bank handle the last conversion at fixed parity.

Where the money actually goes: two worked examples

The cost of exchange never shows on a statement, because it is built into the rate applied rather than billed as a separate line. Here is what it represents on the two typical transfers involved in a move to Dubai.

On the pension transfer alone, the gap therefore exceeds CHF 2,600 — which, at 2026 prices, is more than three months' rent on a one-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of Dubai. The ibani grid is degressive: 0.40 % up to CHF 10,000, 0.35 % from CHF 10,000 to 50,000, 0.30 % from CHF 50,000 to 100,000, 0.20 % from CHF 100,000 to 250,000, then 0.15 % above that. No account opening, account maintenance or transfer fees are added on top.

Keeping a foot in Switzerland: the personal Swiss IBAN

A recurring difficulty when moving to the Emirates is the transition period: you are no longer a Swiss resident, your Swiss bank may close or heavily price your account, and your Emirati account will only exist once you have your Emirates ID. This is where a free personal Swiss IBAN becomes useful — it lets you keep receiving a final salary payment, pension capital or a tax refund in CHF, then convert it and send it to your Emirati account once that is open.

ibani is a Swiss financial intermediary based in Geneva, not a bank: the aim is not to replace your local institution in Dubai, but to bridge your Swiss francs and your new life in dirhams, at the real market rate. You can test the exact amount you would receive with our currency converter before opening any account.

Finally, if your plans involve a return or asset movements in both directions, the same logic applies the other way round. Our guide on repatriating funds from a non-EU country to Switzerland covers the same questions of supporting documents and compliance, applied to the reverse flow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a visa to move to Dubai when you live in Switzerland?

Yes. Swiss and European Union nationals enter the United Arab Emirates without applying for a tourist visa in advance, but that status allows neither working nor signing an annual lease. To settle, you need a sponsored residence visa: the 2-year employment visa sponsored by your employer, the 5-year self-sponsored Green Visa for freelancers and skilled professionals, or the 10-year Golden Visa, open in particular to property investors from AED 2 million. The visa always comes with a medical test, biometrics, an Emirates ID and local health insurance.

Can you withdraw your Swiss 2nd pillar pension when moving to Dubai?

Yes, and this is a major difference compared with a move to the European Union. The United Arab Emirates belong to neither the EU nor EFTA: when you leave Switzerland permanently, your occupational pension assets can be paid out as a lump sum in full, mandatory portion included. The only condition is proving a permanent departure, meaning deregistration from your municipal residents' register and actually leaving the country. The capital is subject to withholding tax levied in the canton where the pension or vested benefits institution has its seat, and rates vary widely from one canton to another.

Do you pay tax on your salary in Dubai in 2026?

No. In 2026 the United Arab Emirates levy no personal income tax: salaries and private investment income are not taxed. However, a 5 % VAT applies to most goods and services, a 9 % corporate tax hits the share of profit above AED 375,000, and Dubai charges a municipal housing fee of 5 % of the annual rent, billed monthly through the DEWA electricity bill. The income tax exemption only takes effect if your departure from Switzerland is genuine and documented.

What monthly budget do you need to live in Dubai in 2026?

Housing dominates the budget. In 2026 a one-bedroom apartment rents for around AED 8,700 per month in central districts such as Downtown Dubai or the Marina, and about AED 4,000 per month in outlying areas. Excluding rent, the cost of living is roughly AED 4,150 per month for a single person and AED 14,500 for a family of four. On arrival, add the security deposit of 5 % of the annual rent, the agency commission of 5 %, the Ejari registration of about AED 220 and the DEWA deposit of AED 2,000 for an apartment.

How do you transfer money from Switzerland to Dubai at the best rate?

The UAE dirham has been pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of 3.6725 AED per USD since 1997. The most efficient route is therefore to convert your Swiss francs into US dollars at the real market rate, then credit a USD account in the Emirates, with the final conversion into dirhams happening at a near-fixed parity. ibani handles 12 currencies, including CHF, EUR and USD, with a transparent exchange margin of between 0.40 % and 0.15 % depending on the amount, and no transfer or account maintenance fees. On pension capital of CHF 200,000, the gap versus a typical bank margin of 1.5 % exceeds CHF 2,600.