Have you/would you move overseas without going over first for a visit?

[suebfg]

My other half has been offered a job in Dubai. We were hoping to have the opportunity to go over first for a visit, to check out schools and accommodation, but this is now not going to be possible in the timescales.

I've been to Dubai for a brief holiday about 10 years ago and my other half has been there lots of times on business. But it does seem a bit risky to take the plunge without going over first, particularly re the schools as DS is in a very good school in the UK.

Any thoughts appreciated.

I have posted before re Dubai. It has taken over 4 months for the offer to finally come through, maybe longer!

Ah yes

TBH would you have enrolled your ds in his English school sight unseen ?

Pre kids I would happily chuck a spare pair of pants in a carry on and jet off anywhere.

Now is different and Butterflies mentioned it and I agree my priority was schools and wether my children were happy to move. There was no way I was having crying children on the plane.

Personally I would not have moved without being ABSOLUTELY happy.

'TBH would you have enrolled your ds in his English school sight unseen ?'

No way, I visited lots of schools before settling on the current one. It almost feels like I'm destined for failure as I am so happy with the current school that it is going to be very difficult to match it.

Then you have your answer.
You either find a way of seeing schools out here or you don't go.

It seems that you will have little choice wrt schools, so I would ask myself: if I move to Dubai and am seriously dissatisfied with the school options available to us, what will I do? If you have an answer to that which seems viable to you, I would go ahead and try it.

I've lived in six countries in four continents, I have never visited a country first.

We are also thinking about moving to Dubai, and the lack of choices you have about schools is something that everyone mentions when you tell them you are thinking about Dubai.

We moved to Singapore without a prior visit. husband had been and I had spent 2 days there on a stop over 20 years earlier. Had a rough idea what it would be like and had been on expat web sites. It was fine. Depends on the place though, some places I would definitely have to visit first.

Think it's important thought to check out schools before hand. We had a small window to do that when we arrived and had a choice.