Family, Business and Wealth Relocation Services

Supporting families, business owners, entrepreneurs, HNWIs, UHNWIs and their trusted representatives

Our relocation services are intended for clients who need more than general advice about moving. They require confidential coordination that accounts for family, business, wealth, assets, staff, documentation and lifestyle.

We work with affluent families, business owners, entrepreneurs, investors, holders of international assets, families with children, Single Family Offices, personal assistants, private-infrastructure managers and trusted representatives of principals.

We are particularly valuable when relocation involves several interconnected areas: personal tax status, banking, UAE residency or a Golden Visa, children’s education, property, business establishment or transfer, household staffing, international accounts, investment portfolios, assets, corporate structures and post-relocation support.

We also support long-term international mobility rather than only one-off moves: living between the UAE and other countries, seasonal residence in Dubai, split-family relocation, children studying overseas, establishing a second residence, maintaining an international household team and managing private infrastructure across multiple locations.

From jurisdiction and visa strategy to family settlement, business launch and recurring operations

Relocation Strategy

Defining objectives, jurisdiction, timeframes, priorities and the sequence of actions

The first step is to determine what the relocation must achieve. For one family, the priorities may be children’s education and quality of life. For another, they may be UAE tax residency, banking infrastructure, the business environment, healthcare, safety, logistics, climate, investment opportunities or access to the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

We help define the criteria for selecting the appropriate UAE emirate, free zone or mainland arrangement and compare options based not only on formal requirements but also on practical suitability: residency and Golden Visa routes, cross-border tax consequences, banking acceptability, schools, property, the business environment, documentation requirements, administration costs, family lifestyle, staff availability and long-term implications for wealth.

The result is a strategic relocation memorandum covering the recommended UAE options, principal advantages and limitations, sequence of steps, critical dependencies, required advisers, documents, timeframes and an initial risk map.

Coordinating external advisers on UAE residence visas, Golden Visas, Emirates ID and supporting documentation

For affluent clients, relocation to the UAE may involve investor, entrepreneur, employment, property-owner, family-sponsored or Golden Visa routes, depending on eligibility and objectives.

Through the Catamaran Family Office network, we can engage specialised UAE immigration advisers and lawyers. They help assess available visa categories, eligibility criteria, timeframes, document packages, financial requirements, restrictions and potential risks.

Our role is to coordinate the process: gather the initial information, align documentation, connect immigration matters with tax, banking, property, schooling, business establishment and family logistics, and provide clear oversight of deadlines and dependencies.

Coordinating tax advice on UAE residency, international assets, reporting and cross-border implications

Moving to the UAE may change the tax status of the client and family members, the treatment and reporting of income, obligations relating to overseas accounts and companies, the taxation of investment portfolios, controlled foreign company rules in relevant home jurisdictions, succession implications and banking compliance requirements.

We do not replace specialist tax advisers. Our role is to engage the appropriate professionals and coordinate their recommendations within the overall UAE relocation strategy. Where necessary, specialists from the UAE and other relevant jurisdictions are involved to ensure that tax, banking, corporate and family decisions do not conflict.

This approach is especially important where the client owns a business, international investment portfolios, property, trusts, foundations, holding structures or income-producing assets in several countries, or holds multiple citizenships or residencies and intends to transfer wealth to the next generation.

Preparing the client and documentation for UAE banking onboarding, enhanced due diligence and ongoing compliance reviews

Opening and maintaining UAE bank accounts for affluent clients requires careful preparation. Banks may request evidence of source of wealth and source of funds, tax residency details, ownership structures and supporting documentation concerning businesses, investments, property, transactions, trusts, foundations and family companies.

We help organise the banking process by identifying the required documentation, preparing a consistent source-of-wealth narrative, creating ownership charts, aligning tax and legal explanations, engaging relevant banking and compliance advisers, and anticipating questions that UAE banks may raise.

The aim is to improve the client’s bankability, reduce the risk of delays, inconsistent explanations and repeated requests, and ensure that the banking infrastructure meets the family’s actual needs after relocation.

Coordinating the search, lease or acquisition, preparation and management of a UAE residence

For an affluent family, UAE property is not merely a market asset. It is the family’s future living environment: neighbourhood, security, children’s schools, travel times, staff accommodation, privacy, guest arrangements, transport, healthcare, sport, services, household management and long-term suitability.

We can coordinate rentals or purchases through local brokers and advisers, arrange due diligence, and align the property decision with children’s education, household operations and family requirements.

Once a property has been selected, the residence may need to be prepared before arrival. This can include recruiting staff, arranging cleaning and procurement, hiring a driver, nanny or house manager, coordinating maintenance and interiors, establishing security arrangements and implementing recurring household procedures.

Coordinating schools, nurseries, universities, tutors and family adaptation programmes

When children are part of the relocation, education becomes a central workstream. The family must select the emirate, neighbourhood, school or nursery; assess British, IB, American or other curricula; consider the language environment and admissions requirements; meet application deadlines; prepare the child; and support adaptation after the move.

We can engage international education specialists, tutors, language teachers and school or university advisers. We can also help organise children’s development, sports, hobbies, holiday programmes and day-to-day support.

For affluent families, education cannot be separated from private infrastructure. The school affects the choice of neighbourhood, housing, parents’ schedules, staffing, transport routes, drivers, additional tutors and the child’s long-term educational pathway.

Coordinating corporate, tax, banking and operational matters when the owner or business moves to the UAE

For a business owner, relocation nearly always extends beyond a personal move. It is necessary to assess how UAE residence and business presence may affect company ownership, tax obligations, the place of effective management, banking, contracts, the team, reporting, asset structures and the owner’s personal status.

Through the Catamaran Family Office network, we can engage external advisers specialising in UAE mainland and free-zone company formation, corporate law, taxation, bookkeeping, payroll, employment law, compliance, banking, licensing, economic substance and local operations.

We coordinate these specialists so that the business relocation is aligned with the owner’s personal move, the family’s tax position, banking infrastructure, assets and long-term strategy.

Recruiting household teams, private staff and specialists for family life in the UAE

After relocation, the family needs staff who understand the UAE market, local culture and employment requirements while meeting the client’s expectations for service, confidentiality and personal compatibility.

Very Important Personnel recruits staff for private families, homes, residences and private infrastructure in the UAE and internationally. Roles may include estate managers, house managers, family and personal assistants, lifestyle managers, nannies, governesses, tutors, chefs, drivers, butlers, housekeepers, travel assistants and other private-service professionals.

We can also assist with the adaptation of an existing team when staff relocate with the family. This requires careful consideration of UAE immigration status, work permits, sponsorship, employment rules, insurance, accommodation, schedules, responsibilities, service standards and local working practices.

Engaging specialised UAE and international professionals and coordinating their work

Relocation requires professionals across multiple disciplines: UAE immigration lawyers, tax advisers, corporate lawyers, banking experts, compliance specialists, property and education advisers, insurance professionals, accountants, employment lawyers and international structuring specialists.

Through the Catamaran Family Office network, relevant external advisers can be engaged in the UAE and other jurisdictions. We do more than provide a contact: we integrate advisers into the project’s overall logic by defining the assignment, aligning expectations, gathering information, coordinating communication, connecting recommendations and presenting a clear picture to the client.

This reduces the risk of fragmented decisions and helps the family see one coherent management framework rather than a collection of separate opinions.

Household recruitment, a family-office approach and access to specialist advisers across jurisdictions

Very Important Personnel and Catamaran Family Office operate as an integrated ecosystem supporting affluent clients. This makes it possible to treat UAE relocation not merely as a move, but as a transformation of the infrastructure surrounding the family, wealth, business, assets, property and long-term interests of the principal.

Very Important Personnel handles recruitment: household staff, assistants, nannies, tutors, estate managers, butlers, and Home Office and Family Office employees.

Catamaran Family Office helps coordinate strategic workstreams: UAE immigration and residency, tax, banking onboarding, KYC/AML, legal matters, corporate structures, assets, compliance, reporting, UAE business formation and launch, economic substance and cooperation with external advisers.

Specialist professionals and partners across 50 jurisdictions may be engaged through the Catamaran Family Office network. This does not imply a universal solution for every country. Relevant expertise is selected for each assignment based on jurisdiction, client status, family composition, assets, business interests and relocation objectives.

Relocation Geography

Selecting the UAE base and international advisers according to the family’s, business’s and wealth objectives

We support relocation projects centred on Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other UAE emirates, while engaging external advisers for the client’s other relevant jurisdictions.

Depending on the client’s circumstances, the wider geographic scope may include the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Monaco, Cyprus, Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Malta, the United States, Singapore and other jurisdictions.

We do not promote one universal solution. Comparisons are based on practical criteria: legal status, cross-border tax implications, banking, legal certainty, schools, healthcare, property, international travel connectivity, safety, the business environment, economic substance, administration costs, family lifestyle and the long-term sustainability of the arrangement.

Creating the conditions for a smooth move, children’s adaptation and continuity of lifestyle in the UAE

Family relocation requires close attention to detail. It involves not only visas, documentation and property, but also children, schools, language, lifestyle, healthcare, staff, security, leisure, transport routes and everyday logistics.

We help families progress from the initial idea of moving to practical daily life in the UAE. Support may include selecting the emirate and neighbourhood, defining the immigration strategy, finding a home, organising documentation, managing banking matters, selecting schools, recruiting tutors, drivers, nannies and a house manager, implementing household processes and providing post-relocation support.

If the family relocates partially or lives between the UAE and several other countries, we help establish infrastructure so that each location is ready for arrival and staff, advisers and providers operate in a coordinated manner.

Coordinating legal, tax, banking and operational matters for business owners moving to the UAE

For a business owner, relocation may affect the place of effective management, ownership structure, corporate administration, contracts, taxation, bank accounts, the team, payroll, licensing, economic substance, reporting and the owner’s personal status.

We can coordinate UAE corporate lawyers, tax advisers, accountants, banking specialists, compliance experts and business-establishment consultants.

The owner’s personal relocation and business decisions must be aligned. Otherwise, decisions concerning the family, tax residency, banking, business operations and assets may create inconsistencies or unintended consequences.

Coordinating advice on assets, tax implications, accounts, reporting and compliance

Before moving to the UAE, it is important to assess how the relocation may affect family assets: bank accounts, investment portfolios, property, companies, trusts, foundations, business interests, income from different countries, reporting obligations and compliance requirements.

Through Catamaran Family Office, we can organise external advice on international tax planning, legal structuring, compliance, banking, reporting, asset protection and private wealth management.

This work helps the client understand the consequences before making key decisions: whether and when UAE tax residency may arise, which accounts are required, how to prepare for banking due diligence, which structures should be reviewed, which assets create reporting obligations and where local legal or tax opinions are necessary.

Recruiting new staff in the UAE and helping existing teams adapt

For an affluent family, quality of life after relocation depends on how quickly a reliable household and private-service infrastructure is established. Even with visas completed and property secured, a family may face operational disruption without a dependable household team.

Very Important Personnel recruits staff for families in the UAE: nannies, governesses, tutors, housekeepers, maids, house managers, chefs, drivers, butlers, personal assistants, family assistants, travel assistants, lifestyle managers, waitstaff, close-protection personnel, residential security staff and other specialists.

We can also train new or existing staff in household standards, communication protocols, butler service, wardrobe care, table service, cleaning procedures and the specific requirements of the family.

From initial assessment to establishing family life and business operations in the UAE

The process begins with a confidential consultation. We discuss the relocation objectives, family composition, preferred UAE emirate, timeframe, business, assets, tax questions, documentation, children’s education, property, staffing, banking requirements and the expected level of support.

We then prepare a relocation map. It covers the principal project workstreams, sequence of actions, responsible specialists, potential risks, documentation, deadlines, dependencies and matters requiring local UAE or international expertise.

Relevant advisers are then engaged through the Very Important Personnel and Catamaran Family Office ecosystem: UAE immigration lawyers, tax professionals, banking advisers, property brokers, education consultants, corporate lawyers, compliance experts, recruitment specialists and local service providers.

We then coordinate implementation: managing communication, assisting with document collection, aligning workstreams, monitoring deadlines, organising staff recruitment, supporting household and private matters and, where required, continuing as the family’s post-relocation coordination team.

Engagement Formats

From a focused review to comprehensive relocation coordination

Relocation Consultation

Assessing the objectives, risks, timeframes and necessary workstreams

A consultation is suitable for clients considering a move to the UAE who want to understand where to begin. We help identify the key questions: emirate, visa or Golden Visa route, taxation, children, property, business, banking, staff, assets and timing.

Reviewing the family’s, business’s, assets’, documents’, tax and staffing position

A relocation audit is appropriate when the client already has several advisers, has selected Dubai or another UAE emirate, or has partially begun the process. We help identify gaps, inconsistencies, risks, missing documents and issues that have not yet been considered.

Project-Based Relocation Support

Coordinating a specific move, structure launch or defined set of workstreams

Project-based support is appropriate when the client needs to arrange a family move, obtain UAE residency, select a school, secure a property, prepare for banking, establish a business, recruit staff or complete several related tasks within a defined timeframe.

Comprehensive Relocation Support

Coordinating key processes through a single point of contact

The comprehensive format is intended for families and business owners who wish to delegate management of the relocation to a professional team. We coordinate immigration, tax, banking, legal, educational, household, staffing and private workstreams.

Handling sensitive information about the family, business, wealth, accounts and documentation with discretion

The relocation of an affluent family or business owner involves substantial confidential information. The process may cover assets, accounts, source of wealth and source of funds, business structures, tax status, family documents, property, travel arrangements, staff, children’s schools, legal matters and relocation plans.

We agree the communication framework in advance: who receives documents, which channels are used, what information is shared with external advisers, who signs NDAs, where the data room is maintained, how access is restricted and who is authorised to communicate on the client’s behalf.

Information is available only to participants whose involvement is necessary for the relevant task. Where required, we can implement a restricted working format, a limited adviser group and a strict need-to-know principle.

Particular attention is paid to compliance. UAE banks, immigration authorities, free zones, corporate registries, legal structures and tax advisers may request evidence, documentation and explanations. We help organise the process so that the client is prepared for these requests and understands the sequence of actions.

Combining private recruitment, a family-office approach and international adviser coordination

We understand the private-service environment, recruit staff for affluent families, and work with household teams, Family Offices, business owners, property, children, international matters and confidential processes.

The Catamaran Family Office ecosystem enables us to engage external advisers across jurisdictions and coordinate specialists according to the client’s specific requirements. This is particularly valuable when UAE relocation simultaneously involves tax, banking, legal, immigration, educational, property and staffing matters.

Our approach combines one coherent strategy, personal support, discretion, attention to detail and the ability to connect the family’s everyday life with the UAE’s legal, tax, banking and operational environment.

Request a Relocation Consultation

Tell us which UAE emirate you are considering and what needs to be arranged for your family, business or wealth

If you are planning to relocate your family, business, staff or private infrastructure to Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE, begin with a confidential consultation. We will discuss your objectives, preferred location, timeframe, documentation, property, children, banking, tax, business, staffing and required level of support.

The Very Important Personnel and Catamaran Family Office ecosystem will help assemble a professional team around your relocation and structure the process so that the move is not a fragmented collection of tasks, but a coordinated private project.