At the start of employment, travel tickets and related joining costs (visas and hotel accommodation, etc.) will be provided from your country of residence for yourself, your accompanying spouse and up to three accompanying dependent children, who are arriving to take up residence* (see definitions below) in the U.A.E.  Joining travel tickets and related costs are not paid for spouses or dependents who are not taking up residence in the U.A.E.

Human Resources will facilitate and make travel arrangements. Rest assured that we will do our best to ensure good connections and connection times; you will be consulted as much as possible. Under special circumstances, employees may arrange their own travel but be aware that air tickets issued in the U.A.E. are sometimes cheaper than in some other countries.

According to Zayed University policy, flights must be direct (or as direct as possible) from your point of departure to the U.A.E. We cannot book flights with layovers unless unavoidable or as specifically requested by the employee at his or her expense. Upgrades can be arranged at the employee’s expense.

In January and August, your arrival to the U.A.E. is specifically timed to coincide with our Orientation program. Your contract starts on the day you arrive in the country, therefore major changes to the travel date can result in missing part of the Orientation program, changing hotel bookings, and altering the contract. As a result, there is limited flexibility in travel dates.

Once your travel arrangements have been finalized, Human Resources will let you know how your ticket(s) will be issued.

*“Accompanying” refers to your spouse and dependent children (see definition below) who are joining you to take up residence in the U.A.E. These resident dependents will reside with you for at least seven months each year and will have a U.A.E. residence visa. 

*“Dependent” children are those who are less than eighteen years of age or children who are between eighteen and twenty three years of age and are continuing their studies on a full-time basis until the end of the first university stage or its equivalent.  Please be advised that it is not possible for male children of eighteen years and older to be sponsored for residence in the U.A.E. by their parents; they must be sponsored by the university they are attending in the U.A.E.

Hotels While Traveling

Where there are connecting flights, Zayed University will try to keep layover times to a minimum. If a connecting flight is not available, you will be notified of what arrangements the airline has made for overnight accommodation. Typical connections are within two to six hours.

Missed Flights/Changes

If you miss your flight, contact Human Resources immediately to ensure you will be met at the airport. We need to know your flight details, exact arrival date and time to ensure that your original employment visa and the visit visas for any family members will be available at the airport. Entering without an employment visa can result in problems and extra expenses.

Important Documents and Carry On

Important and original documents should be carried in your carry on luggage, not carried in your suitcases. Important documents include passports, visa copies, marriage and birth certificates, pet documentation, etc.  For more information on important documents click here.

We recommend you carry one to two days’ worth of clothing and toiletries in your carry on luggage in case luggage is lost en route or if you experience unexpected delays.