10 most common myths about Dubai
For you in this article we have collected the 10 most common myths about Dubai. Let's tell you a secret: we ourselves once believed some of them.
There is no property in Dubai for non-residents
That's a myth! There is property in Dubai for non-residents and for people without Arab Emirates citizenship. The entire city is divided into zones which are called lickhold and freehold zones. In the lickhold zones, there really is no property for non-citizens. A stateless person can buy an apartment there only as a long-term lease for 99 years. But know, these are mostly old neighborhoods that don't really interest to people coming here. A large part of Dubai is taken up by freehold areas. These are zones where a person without citizenship or even a residence permit can to acquire full ownership of housing in Dubai.
It is not allowed to have pets in Dubai
In the Arab Emirates, people's personal space and their dignity and inviolability. The government is very concerned about the comfort of the people and therefore in Dubai there is a division of residential buildings on the status of Pets friendly or non-Pets friendly. Each residential complex indicates this status. So if you are allergic or do not want to see a dog walking in your yard, then Choose a complex with a status without pets. If you You want to bring your pet or plan to have a four-legged friend, then consider homes where you can live with pets. There are plenty of those there are plenty of them. Therefore, it is possible to have pets in Dubai. В In this case, of course, you may have to change the house and move to a place where it will be allowed.
3 There are huge taxes in Dubai. You have to pay for literally everything, almost for air
This is a myth! Dubai with very low taxes, there used to be not even VAT. Now VAT is 5%. This is a very small percentage. In Russia, for example, it's 20%, which is four times more. The real estate tax is 4% On registration of the transaction. So after the purchase you have no taxes at all. This tax is paid once. No income tax, No tax on profits, dividends or salaries. And then there are free economic zones in Dubai zones which are called "Free Zones". Opening a business in Dubai, you you only pay money for the license and you can make absolutely any amount of money. Your tax amount will not change. The only unusual tax you may encounter is the tourist tax for staying in the country which is 15 dirhams per day per per person, which is about 300 rubles. Simply put, if you are going for 10 days, then keep in mind that you will pay for the stay of about 6,000 rubles for two. This tax is charged only to those who do not have a residence, ie with a residence permit living in Dubai, you would You would not pay this tax. That is why it is called a tourist tax.
4 In Dubai you can not drink alcohol, they pour only in bars, in the stores it not sold at all
That's a myth, too! About ten years ago it was like that. Alcohol was only allowed only in hotels, it was for tourists. But in the in the last ten years, things have changed a lot in Dubai. It doesn't look like like a city of strict Sharia law. Of course, in many ways, the rules remain are just as strict. For example, you can't take a naked picture on the balcony on the balcony naked. Drinking alcohol in public places not for that purpose, either. Driving drunk, fighting and stealing, there will be immediate deportation and even prison. But the government understands that their country's overly strict rules of their country don't suit everyone. That's why it has long been legal in Dubai to wear dresses with deep necklines, miniskirts, smoking and drinking alcohol.
Alcohol is sold in restaurants, bars, clubs, hotel lobbies and liquor stores. Yes, there are separate liquor stores. Alcohol is not sold on the shelves of grocery stores. You won't see huge "Wine" or "Beer" signs. They are inconspicuous stores with no signs, sometimes they're even in parking lots in shopping malls so as not to draw too much attention. The locations of of these stores you can see on Google maps, there are plenty of them. a lot of them. Prices are quite normal, everything is sold for all tastes, the main thing is not to forget your passport. don't forget your passport. But there is a peculiarity in Dubai. There are districts or shopping malls where they don't sell alcohol at all. For example, you won't you will not be able to drink alcoholic beverages in any of the restaurants in the Dubai Hills and you can not buy alcohol in Dubai Mall, they are prohibited.
5 It is impossible to get a residence permit in Dubai
Of course, this is a myth! It is very easy to get a residence permit in Dubai. More precisely, a visa for permanent residence. There are a few simple ways How to get a visa or residence permit, as you like to call it. You can Buy real estate worth from 205 thousand dollars. You can You can get a work visa by getting a job at a company. You can get You can get a student visa. You can get a family member visa if your spouse or spouse received a visa in one of the above ways, i.e. you have the opportunity to get a visa as a family member. In Dubai, these visas issued without restrictions and competitions, so getting a residence permit is really not difficult. And it is impossible to get citizenship.
For Over the past ten years, the government of the Arab Emirates has granted citizenship to only five well-known foreigners. One of them, incidentally, is Pavel Durov. The names of the other four are unknown, but We think they are also very famous and rich people. Citizenship Arab Emirates citizenship is obtained only at birth and citizens have enormous benefits and preferences. For example, a young couple, when register their marriage, they get a villa from the government. And the child has the right to any free higher education in any university in the world. Tuition will be paid from the state treasury. If you come to the Arab Emirates to work and live, not to exist on welfare, then there is no difference between citizenship or residency for you. You can reside in the country all year round, open accounts, study, and work, to receive medical care through insurance. In Dubai, expats 88% of expats live in Dubai, and there are a very large number of tourists, so you won't you won't feel like you're in the minority.
Dubai has very strict rules. You have to walk around the city in covered clothes
Of course this is a myth! For a long time now, Dubai, as a small separate state with very comfortable rules for people from all over the world. Of course, you will not be allowed to walk in a swimsuit outside the beach area, you'll be asked to cover up or dress down, but there's no restriction on the openness of of the outfits. Girls walk around in mini-skirts, short dresses and deep necklines. So don't bring floor-length dresses and closed shirts. This is a very normal tourist town where you can shorts and t-shirts can be worn.
Everything in Dubai is very expensive
Yes, it's certainly more expensive to live in Dubai than, for example, in Russia, but not more expensive than in Moscow. But Dubai has a very wide range of prices. You can, For example, you can go to a restaurant and eat for a couple of thousand rubles. Or you can go in in a restaurant and buy a bottle of water for 5,000 rubles. This is a city where a lot of rich people, so there are a lot of expensive services. But that doesn't But that doesn't exclude the presence of decent inexpensive restaurants and grocery with a price policy, like in Lenta or Okei. To live in Dubai on absolutely different amounts of money, but considering how much Dubai has of luxury, entertainment, cool cars, expensive fancy restaurants. Branded boutiques, you want to live here very cool and on a wide the high life here.
In Dubai it is impossible to sell an apartment
In general it seems to us that people who say such things are divided into two types. The first bought nothing more expensive than a winter jacket and argue from their couch about a bad investment. The second invested, but got the wrong the wrong realtors. But let's get this straight. If you have a good location, an adequate price in the market, then apartments sell for two to four weeks. Of course if you're going to sell an apartment in the suburbs for for a lot of money and expect to be in line for it, then your expectations will not be met.
Unfortunately in Dubai there is a lot of trash, the market is very touristy, a lot of crooks, unscrupulous realtors or just not competent. If you initially buy a "Shit", then, Of course for the expensive you will not sell it, and maybe not at all. sell. So just carefully choose the people with whom you work and analyze what you're buying and how much money you can really sell. Otherwise you will join the list of disappointed investors and and you will praise this market among the sofa experts.
9 In Dubai you cannot buy a SIM card or a car without a residence permit
You can buy a SIM card, but they will open it for two weeks. If want to use it longer, you have to go to the store and extend the use of the SIM card for two more weeks. И every time. You will get a SIM card for one year at a time when you get your permanent residency permit.
for one year at a time. But after one year you will have to come back and show your passport to prove that you are still using it. with your passport that you're still using it. This is to avoid so that you don't have too many mobile numbers. Dubai is a touristy city and a lot of people live for a while and then leave. And cars can only be bought with a residence permit. Because in order to get it registered, you have to buy insurance. And insurance can only get insurance if you have a residence permit. But to be honest, in Dubai. it's so profitable to rent a car that a lot of people don't even buy it and rent a car for a long period of time.
Paying for an apartment in Dubai from a Russian account, and paying in Dubai it is impossible to pay in Dubai except by cash, because we have switched off SWIFT
Let's start in order. It is possible to pay for the apartment in Dubai with the help of banks, that still have SWIFT transfers, like Gazprombank or MTS Bank. You open a domestic account, then a foreign currency account and you buy the currency you use to pay for your apartment in Dubai. And on the subject of paying for purchases in Dubai, remember a tiphack that you won't you won't find out anywhere else. You open a UnionPay card from Rosselhozbank (the cost of such a rubles) and also open an ordinary ruble card MIR also in Rosselhozbank. It is important! Only so it will be possible to make UnionPay card at any time. А MIR card you can replenish with any Russian card convenient for you bank or in cash through a branch. After you have credited card in rubles, you buy currency inside the application and can pay UnionPay card in any restaurant or store. The UnionPay system even cards issued in Russia in Dubai work fine in restaurants and stores.
Well, the last misconception is that renting a car in Dubai is very expensive. With abrc.ae car rental service in Dubai, you can rent a car from a budget car to a sports car for reasonable money.
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