Reviewed by Stan, Head of Hiring Department, TLNT.aeA family that moves to Dubai lands in a new city with a list of forty tasks and no routine: housing viewings, school places, Emirates ID and bank appointments, utilities, cars, a nanny and a housekeeper to find, a new doctor, a new everything. One parent usually starts a demanding job the same month. A relocation assistant does not do the paperwork for the family and does not replace the employer's visa process, but coordinates all of it so nothing is missed and the parents are not the project managers of their own move. This guide explains what such an assistant takes over, when the role turns into a house manager or a hybrid assistant, what it costs as a market estimate, how to check the person and where the boundaries are.
Talk to usThe first months of a move are a sequence of appointments that depend on each other. Without one person holding the plan, the week looks like this.
The role is coordination, not representation. The family and the employer sign, attend and decide; the assistant makes sure the right documents, times and people come together.
In the first months a personal or relocation assistant is enough. Once the move is done, the role either ends, shrinks to a part-time personal assistant, or grows into a house manager or a hybrid assistant who also supports one parent's business. Salaries are a market estimate in AED per month, total package, basic salary plus allowances; the employer also pays visa, health insurance and gratuity provision.
| Type | Fits when | AED per month |
|---|---|---|
| Personal assistant | the first three to six months: viewings, schools, appointments, set-up | 5,000 - 10,000, senior 12,000+ |
| House manager | the household is set up and needs one person over staff, vendors and the home | 10,000 - 20,000, orientation |
| Hybrid multi-assistant | one parent needs business support and the family needs household coordination | 10,000 - 18,000, senior 18,000 - 25,000 |
| Family office assistant | private wealth, several properties, confidential matters | 12,000 - 20,000, senior 20,000 - 30,000 |
| Virtual assistant | research, lists and bookings before the family arrives | 3,500 - 8,000 part-time, orientation |
Look for people who have already done a Dubai relocation for a family or an executive: personal assistants of expatriate families, relocation coordinators, hotel or residence concierges, house managers. Language matters: the person must write to schools and landlords in business English and, for a Russian-speaking family, speak Russian fluently with the parents and the children.
A relocation assistant sees passports, salaries, bank letters and the children's routines. The family controls what is shared and how.
TLNT is a hiring consultancy for private households and small businesses. For a family moving to Dubai we help define the role for the first months and after, set the salary range as a market estimate, find and assess candidates with a practical skills assessment on tasks like the ones above, and prepare a clear offer. We also help families find a nanny, a housekeeper, a private driver, a private chef, a house manager or a hybrid assistant. The family makes the hiring decision and agrees the terms with the candidate itself; the person is employed directly by the family or the family's company, the employer sponsors the visa and we give a step-by-step checklist. We do not provide visa or relocation paperwork services.
Our fee is fixed for each role and agreed before the search starts. A 10% prepayment of the fee starts the search, the rest is due once the person has started work. If it does not work out, we find a replacement free of charge; the period is set in the contract. Consulting and CRM projects are priced after a free review.
For the first three to six months, often yes, if both parents work or one starts a demanding job on arrival: housing, schools, Emirates ID and bank appointments, utilities, cars and household hiring all land at once and depend on each other. A single coordinator saves wasted trips and missed slots. After the move the role can end, shrink to part-time or become a house manager or hybrid assistant.
Market estimate: a personal or relocation assistant 5,000 - 10,000 AED per month and 12,000+ for a senior one; a house manager 10,000 - 20,000 AED as an orientation; a hybrid multi-assistant who also supports a parent's business 10,000 - 18,000 AED, senior 18,000 - 25,000 AED. Total package, basic salary plus allowances; the employer also pays visa, health insurance and a gratuity provision.
Our fee is fixed for each role and agreed before the search starts. A 10% prepayment of the fee starts the search, the rest is due once the person has started work. If it does not work out, we find a replacement free of charge; the period is set in the contract.
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Message on WhatsAppReviewed by Stan, Head of Hiring Department, TLNT.aeCite as: TLNT.ae, "Assistant for a family relocating to Dubai the first months, which type fits and what it costs", 2026, https://tlnt.ae/en/guides/assistant-for-a-relocating-family-dubai/. Prepared by TLNT.ae, a hiring consultancy working in the UAE since 2022.