The UAE has been ranked the seventh best destination for expatriates to live and work, based on the high quality of life it offers and job opportunities, according to a report by global network InterNations. It was 10th on the index last year.
Panama topped the global list, with Colombia and Mexico in second and third, respectively, InterNations said in its annual Expat Insider 2025 report released on Tuesday.
Asian countries dominate half of the list, with Thailand and Vietnam fourth and fifth on the index. Also in the top 10 were China, Indonesia, Spain and Malaysia.
Some of the worst-ranked places for expats were Kuwait, Turkey, South Korea, Finland, Germany, the UK and Canada.
InterNations polled 10,085 people in 46 countries, asking questions based on five categories: quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance and an expats' essentials index, which covers digital life, administration, housing and language.
“A high quality of life [ranked second] and no issues when it comes to the expat essentials [first], such as housing and language, mean that the UAE once again places in the top 10 of the Expat Insider survey, ranking seventh out of 46 destinations in 2025," said InterNations, which has more than 5.7 million members.
"The working abroad [fifth] and ease of settling in [11th] indexes are nothing to scoff at either."
The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, has introduced several economic, legal and social reforms in recent years to strengthen its business environment, boost foreign direct investment, attract skilled workers and provide incentives to companies to set up or expand their operations.
In 2019, amendments were introduced to the golden visa initiative to simplify the eligibility criteria and expand the categories of beneficiaries.
The 10-year visa is granted to investors, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals who earn a monthly salary of more than Dh30,000 ($8,167), as well as exceptional talent, scientists and professionals, outstanding students and graduates, property investors, humanitarian pioneers and front-line heroes.
A green visa provides a five-year residency for skilled employees without the need for a sponsor or employer. The minimum educational level is a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and the salary should be no less than Dh15,000.
The UAE introduced a one-year digital nomad visa in March 2021 that allows people to live in the Emirates while continuing to work for employers in their home countries.
Dubai also offers a five-year retirement visa for expats older than 55.
Expats said it was easy to obtain a visa in the UAE, find housing and live without speaking the local language, InterNations said. The country also ranked first for the online availability of administrative and government services, it added.
The UAE came second globally in the quality of life category, after Spain, and was top in the subcategory of personal safety, while it ranked second in infrastructure for cars and political stability.
Watch: Changes to the UAE's Golden Visa eligibility criteria
About 82 per cent of expats in the UAE said they are satisfied with the quality of health care. The country also scored highly for the availability of leisure options.
The country ranked fifth in the working abroad index, which covers career prospects, salary and job security. Foreign workers rated the country’s economy and job market positively.
Work remains a major motivation for relocating to the UAE, with 58 per cent of expats naming job-related reasons, InterNations found.
For the second year in a row, respondents rated the UAE’s economy as the best in the world. They ranked the Emirates’ job market as the third best globally and second best for personal career opportunities. Up to 78 per cent of expats said moving to the UAE had improved their career prospects, compared to the global average of 55 per cent, InterNations said.
Around three quarters of respondents said they feel welcome in the UAE and agree people here are friendly towards foreign residents, it added.
The best destinations for expats in 2025
- Panama
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- China
- UAE
- Indonesia
- Spain
- Malaysia
