06-11-2019
Doctor Expat sat down with our CEO Kaneez Nabijee to discuss her advice to doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals that wished to relocate to the UAE in 2020.
What advice would you give someone who was thinking about relocating to the UAE?
Do it! I left the UK about a decade ago and relocated to the UAE and I have loved every minute of it. Not only can you enjoy the benefits of fabulous sunshine for most of the year, but the fact that your earnings are tax free is such an incredible incentive. I know plenty of people that have relocated here to work for a couple of years because they know that they can earn and save a significant sum of money whilst working here.
In terms of practical advice though, I would say first you need to check that you are actually eligible to work in the UAE, and if so, which parts of the UAE you are eligible to work in. It is definitely worth getting your documents checked before you start applying for licenses as the application process can be costly, so you are best finding out that you meet all the criteria before you begin.
How long can the process take?
From deciding that you are serious about working in the UAE to actually starting a job there can takes months. Obviously there may be factors at play for the person applying in terms of their own availability, but from our perspective the timeline would follow this sort of outline. First, they would need to get a professional license in place, be it DHA, HAAD, MOH or DHCC. This can take anything up to six months. If they work with us, we can normally get that down to around 8 weeks as we are dealing with those authorities everyday and we know the pitfalls to avoid. Once they have the professional license in place, only then can they apply for jobs. People often ask, “why can’t I apply for a job before I have my license?” The honest answer is that employers in the UAE just aren’t interested in people who don’t have their license in place, as they know how long the process can take. However, once you have you license in place, an agency like Doctor Expat would be able to reach out to the hundreds of hospitals and clinics that we work with throughout the UAE to put you forward for positions as (or even before) they become available.
What about the non-work side of relocating?
This can often be a very daunting side of thinking about moving to another country. People can be worried about finding a school for their children or finding a property to live in. That’s why I started the Relocation Guidance package. This allows either myself or Mario (our Head of Recruitment) to have in-depth conversations with you about the realities or relocating, as well as how and where to arrange the personal aspects of your life over here. Both Mario and I are British Expats, so we fully understand what those relocating are going through.
If you would like to discuss any of the above in more detail, please email us to get in touch.