In 2019, there were around 26,000 Australians living in the UAE; over 16,000 lived in Dubai.
There are several reasons why Aussies choose to leave their homeland and relocate halfway across the world.
For many, the UAE offers better quality of life. Compared to Western countries, it’s much more affordable to live a luxurious life in the UAE than it is back home.
The UAE is also a tax-free nation, giving single folks and young families plenty of opportunities to save money.
If you’re relocating to the UAE from Australia, here are a few things you need to keep in mind:
Managing Finances
One of the main reasons Australians move to the UAE is to build wealth. Dubai is the Middle East’s economic hub and is home to the regional headquarters of hundreds of multinational corporations.
Australian expatriates in the UAE are typically employed in the private sector, where they’re offered lucrative salary packages that cover the costs of everything from accommodation to school fees.
If your primary reason for moving to the UAE is to save money, you’re going to need to open a bank account. There are banks from all over the globe in the UAE, but opening a bank account in a bank that is available in Australia can make your life slightly easier.
The Perfect Accommodation
Your experience as a UAE resident is largely dependent on where you choose to live. Dubai has a wide range of residential communities that cater to expatriates, each offering various amenities, such as community swimming pools, gyms, mini-marts and more.
It’s best to work with a trusted broker to help you find an apartment or house after moving to the UAE.
International Schools
Contrary to what many expatriates believe, the UAE has a massive network of top-rate international schools that follow international curriculums.
Expats can find schools that teach in English, German, French, Spanish and other common languages. International education in the Middle East isn’t cheap, but many companies provide packages that cover the cost of school education, so parents don’t have to worry about paying out of their pockets.
Residential Visas
Australian citizens don’t require visas to enter the UAE; however, they need residential visas to stay and work like all other expatriates.
Residential visas come in the form of student visas, employment visas, family visas, business visas, and retirement visas.
Most employers offer visa processing services for all international workers they hire.
Attestation Agencies in Dubai
All Australian citizens moving to the UAE to pursue higher education and employment and business purposes must submit attested legal documents.
Australian families with children must provide attested birth certificates for their kids to prove that they’re related. Australian expats moving to the UAE on employment or business visas must submit attested educational and commercial documents.
The Australian certificate attestation procedure has several stages. Australian government bodies must authenticate all documents before they’re forwarded to the UAE and submitted to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
The UAE’s document attestation procedure is complicated; expats can benefit from hiring professional attestation services to guide them through the process.
Let’s take a closer look at the Australian certificate attestation process:
Australian Certificate Attestation Procedure
Regional Level
Like with some other countries, any documents issued in Australia must be authenticated at the regional level before being forwarded to federal bodies. At the regional level, the certificate is handed over to a Notary Public who authenticates the certificate.
Educational certificates can be verified by universities as long as they adhere to the Chamber of Commerce’s guidelines.
State Government
At the state level, Australian certificates are legalized by three main departments: the State Home Departments (SHD), Human Resource Dept. (HRD), and finally, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia
Once state-level authorities have authenticated the documents, they can be submitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT).
Only after DFAT has authenticated the documents can the Australian-issued certificates be used abroad.
UAE Embassy Attestation
Once Australian authorities have authenticated the documents, they’ll need to be submitted to the UAE Embassy in Canberra for authentication.
UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
In the last stage of legalization, your Australian certificates will be submitted to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). You’ll have to submit passport size photos and copies along with the original certificate.
After you pick up your attested certificates, you can use them to apply for a residential visa in the UAE.
How Long Does the Australian Certificate Attestation Process Take?
It takes a little longer to get Australian documents attested because the process requires some extra steps.
You can take some of the load off your shoulders by hiring a documentation attestation company in the UAE.
Why Hire a Document Attestation Agency in the UAE?
Having such a large expatriate population, the UAE has many attestation companies that provide convenient relocation services for international citizens.
These companies are experts in UAE immigration; they are up-to-date with the country’s rules and regulations and the expertise needed to complete the attestation process on time.
Moving to another country is stressful; hiring an attestation company to take care of the paperwork frees up time for other tasks. Qualified and experienced documentation attestation companies in the UAE build robust networks over time, allowing them to facilitate attestation services safely.
They provide real-time tracking services, so you can always monitor the progress. Find an attestation services company, submit copies of your document and ask for a free quote.
Instead of finding the service fee of each authority involved in the attestation procedure, your attestation company will sum the service fee, typing fee and other costs and give you a quote.
Once you make the payment and send them your documents, the attestation process can begin right away.
Experienced attestation companies will ensure you get your documents in time for your visa application.
Hire a document attestation company today; It’s the easiest way to get your papers in order!
The author of this post is a long-time resident of the UAE and a contributor for Benchmark Attestation in Dubai that offers timely certificate attestation for Australian certificates for UAE residential visas.