GCC Expat Salary Calculator

GCC relocation checklist

Decided the move is right for you? This checklist puts the admin in the order it needs to happen, slowest first. Ticks save in your browser; print it if paper is more your thing.

For how these steps actually play out, read The first 90 days in Doha.

The long poleCertificate attestation, explained once

Your degree — and for family visas, your marriage and children's birth certificates — must be attested before a GCC work or dependant visa is issued. It's a chain of stamps, each one confirming the last, and it commonly takes 4–8 weeks end to end. Start it the day you sign the offer.

1. Home-country verificationSome countries require a solicitor/notary to certify the document first; others go straight to step 2. UK degrees usually go direct.
2. Foreign-ministry legalisationYour home country's foreign office confirms the document (UK: the FCDO Legalisation Office; many countries call this an apostille). Days to a couple of weeks.
3. Destination-country embassyThe Qatari/UAE/Saudi (etc.) embassy in your home country adds its stamp. Fees and turnaround vary widely — this is usually the slowest link. Saudi degree-holders often also need Cultural Bureau verification.
4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after arrivalA final MOFA stamp in-country (MOFAIC in the UAE). Your employer's PRO normally handles this one.

Attestation agencies will run the whole chain for a fee — often worth it for the embassy queue alone. Get quotes from two; prices vary more than service does.

Phase 1 · 3–6 months outDocuments & clearances

• Review the offer against real costsRun it through the salary calculator — including school fees, education allowance, and what you'll keep paying at home.
• Start attestation: degree(s)The chain above. Longest lead time on this page.
• Start attestation: marriage & birth certificatesNeeded for spouse and child sponsorship. Same chain, same timescale — run them together.
• Police clearance certificateACRO in the UK, FBI check in the US, equivalents elsewhere. Some countries require this attested too — check before sending.
• Passports: 6+ months validity, spare pagesRenew early for everyone travelling — visa stamps need blank pages.
• Apply to schoolsGood international schools waitlist. Budget for application, assessment and deposit fees — the one-off costs section of the calculator has a line for these.
• Medical records & prescriptionsCopies of vaccination records, ongoing prescriptions with generic names, and a supply to bridge arrival. Check your medications are permitted — some routine ones are controlled in the GCC.

Phase 2 · 1–2 months outVisa, logistics & notice

• Employment visa processingEmployer-led: they'll request attested documents, photos, sometimes a pre-arrival medical. Your job is fast turnaround on whatever the PRO asks for.
• Shipping quotes — decide what actually movesSea freight takes 4–8 weeks; air is fast and expensive. Furnished rentals are common — often less should ship than you think.
• Give notice: job, landlord, utilities, subscriptionsDecide what continues at home — the calculator's home-commitments section is effectively this list with numbers on it.
• Book flights & temporary accommodationMany packages include arrival flights and 2–4 weeks' hotel — confirm before paying yourself.
• Driving licence prepSeveral GCC states convert licences from certain countries directly; others require a local test. An International Driving Permit covers the gap on arrival. Read Driving in the Gulf as a newcomer.
• Home-country tax positionResidency rules, departure forms (e.g. UK P85), and what your GCC income means at home. An hour with an expat-tax adviser pays for itself.

Phase 3 · Final weeksMoney

• Set up international money transfer before you flyBank branch rates are consistently the worst way to move salary home. Compare a specialist provider for the mid-market rate — while you still have your home bank's security devices to hand. Read Sending money home without losing on every transfer.
• Tell your home bank, keep an account openYou'll want it for the commitments you're keeping. Update your address and check your cards won't be blocked abroad.
• Arrival floatFirst salary can be 4–6 weeks away and deposits come first. The calculator's one-off costs section tells you the number; have it accessible, not all in cash.
• Bridge insuranceTravel/health cover from departure until the employer policy activates. Once it does, check what that policy actually covers.

Phase 4 · First month in-countryArrival admin

• Arrival medical & biometricsBlood test and chest X-ray for the residence permit; employer arranges, usually in week one. Read The first 90 days in Doha and Health insurance and having a baby in the Gulf.
• Residence permit & national IDQID in Qatar, Emirates ID in the UAE, Iqama in Saudi. Nothing else works without it — banks, tenancies, even some SIMs. Everything renews later: see Everything renews: the Gulf admin calendar.
• Local SIMAirport counters do tourist SIMs; switch to a resident plan once your ID exists.
• Local bank account & salary letterNeeds your ID and a salary certificate from HR. Salaries pay through regulated wage systems, so this unblocks everything. Before you take any credit, read Your salary certificate, and the debt trap and Clear your debts before you resign.
• Housing: lease, deposits, utilitiesHow rent is paid depends on the country. Check the usual pattern for yours in the table after this list. It is the arrival float's main job.
• Final MOFA stamps & family sponsorshipThe last attestation link, then dependant visas. Your PRO drives; you supply documents and patience.
• Convert your driving licenceDirect exchange or local test depending on nationality and state. Read Driving in the Gulf as a newcomer.

How rent is paid, by country