Financial Advice for Expats in Dubai
How Indigo Group helps expatriates in Dubai plan for retirement, inheritance, residence and tax, and how its plans adapt if you move home or onward.
Last reviewed 24 September 2026 · Updated · 5 min read
In short
Indigo Group is an independent, privately owned financial consultancy, established in 2013 and headquartered in Dubai. Its regulated entity, Indigo Financial Analysis and Consultancy LLC, is licensed by the UAE Capital Market Authority (CMA) under licence number 706042. It offers expatriates and UAE residents impartial, independent guidance on retirement, tax efficiency and estate preservation, with plans built for global portability that can adapt to changes in residency status.
What do expatriates in the UAE usually need to plan for?
Each area below links to our full guide, which lists its sources.
- Retirement: the UAE Government states that there are no pension schemes for expatriate workers. Instead, expatriates are entitled to end-of-service gratuity based on their years of service. Under the UAE Labour Law, it is calculated on the last basic salary and capped at two years' wages. See our retirement planning guide.
- Inheritance: non-Muslim expatriates can leave all their UAE assets to anyone they choose through a registered will. Without a will, federal law gives half of the estate to the surviving spouse and divides the other half equally among the children. See our wills and inheritance guide.
- Residence: the Golden Visa is a long-term, renewable residence visa that needs no local sponsor. Investors generally qualify with AED 2 million in property, a UAE company or a bank deposit. See our Golden Visa guide.
- Tax: for individuals, UAE Corporate Tax applies only to business activity with annual turnover above AED 1 million. Salary, personal investment income and real estate investment income are excluded from that test. See our Corporate Tax guide.
- Business: foreign investors can own up to 100% of a mainland company in most sectors. See our company set-up guide.
How does Indigo Group work with expatriates?
Indigo Group is headquartered in Dubai and connected to Abu Dhabi, London, Dublin and Geneva.
Its wealth management service is for global citizens, expatriates and UAE residents who want impartial, independent guidance on protecting capital and securing a legacy. Retirement planning follows a structured five-step process from accumulation to drawdown, with the aim of ensuring liquidity when you stop working. Risk profiling and capacity-for-loss analysis help ensure you do not take on more risk than necessary.
The work runs in three stages:
- Discovery: Indigo Group analyses your whole financial picture and sets clear, actionable goals.
- Implementation: Indigo Group puts the strategy in place.
- Oversight: markets change and life evolves. Indigo Group provides continuous monitoring and rebalancing so the strategy stays aligned with your long-term objectives.
Why do independence and in-house delivery matter?
Indigo Group is privately owned and is not tied to any bank or insurance company, so its loyalty is to the client. That independence lets it select suitable solutions for each client instead of selling one provider's products.
It does not act as a middleman. Its own qualified professionals carry out the work rather than outsourcing it, across wealth management, corporate services, accounting and audit, and trust and estate planning. If your plans involve a company, a visa or a will as well as investments, you deal with a single point of contact.
Indigo Group is paid either by fee or by commission, depending on the service. Either way, it is transparent about what you pay and how that relates to the value you receive.
How do you plan for a move home or onward?
Plans are built for global portability. Indigo Group adapts strategies to changes in your residency status and to shifting global regulations. Tax strategies are documented and ratified with chartered tax professionals in your country of residence.
Indigo Group's trust and estate planning starts with a review of your global assets, family position and residence status, and identifies potential risks from forced heirship laws and tax exposure in your home domicile.
Three principles from our retirement planning guide are relevant if you expect to leave the UAE:
- Currency: the UAE dirham is pegged to the US dollar. If you plan to retire in the UK, Europe or elsewhere, consider how much of your savings should match the currency you will spend.
- Portability: favour arrangements you can keep, transfer or access if you change employer or leave the UAE, and keep records of every scheme you join.
- Tax and residence: your tax position may change when you leave the UAE, so take advice in your intended country of retirement before you move.
How can you check a financial adviser in the UAE?
Check who regulates the adviser first. Onshore, the Capital Market Authority (CMA) licenses firms that provide financial advisory services, the DFSA regulates firms in the DIFC and the FSRA regulates firms in ADGM. Each keeps a public register that shows licensed firms and their approved staff.
Indigo Financial Analysis and Consultancy LLC is licensed by the CMA under licence 706042 and appears by name on the CMA's Licensed Companies list. Our guide to choosing a financial adviser in the UAE explains how to use each register, what to ask about fees and independence, and the warning signs to look for.
Frequently asked questions
Is Indigo Group regulated?
Yes. Indigo Group's regulated entity, Indigo Financial Analysis and Consultancy LLC, is licensed by the UAE Capital Market Authority (CMA) under licence number 706042. It appears by name on the CMA's Licensed Companies list.
Do expatriates get a pension in the UAE?
No. The UAE Government states that there are no pension schemes for expatriate workers. Under the UAE Labour Law, a full-time private sector employee with at least one year of continuous service is instead entitled to end-of-service gratuity, capped at two years' wages. Building a retirement income is therefore largely a personal responsibility.
What should I think about before I leave the UAE?
Three things. Currency: the UAE dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so consider how much of your savings should match the currency you will spend. Portability: favour arrangements you can keep, transfer or access after you leave, and keep records of every scheme you join. Tax: your tax position may change when you leave, so take advice in your new country of residence before you move.
How is Indigo Group paid?
Indigo Group is paid either by fee or by commission, depending on the service. Either way, it is transparent about what you pay and how that relates to the value you receive. With any adviser, ask in writing how they are paid.
What happens to my UAE assets if I die without a will?
For a non-Muslim expatriate with a surviving spouse and children, federal law gives half of the estate to the spouse and divides the other half equally among the children. Different shares apply if there are no children, and these civil rules do not apply to Muslims. A will registered with the DIFC Courts or a UAE court, or notarised by the ADGM Courts, is the usual starting point.
How Indigo Group can help
Indigo Group can help expatriates with retirement planning, tax optimisation and risk profiling through our Wealth Management team. Because our services are handled in-house, the same point of contact also covers wills, trusts and foundations through Trust and Estate Planning, company formation and Golden Visas through Corporate Services, and bookkeeping and VAT through Accounting and Audit. To begin with Discovery, book a consultation. Indigo Group's regulated entity, Indigo Financial Analysis and Consultancy LLC, is licensed by the UAE Capital Market Authority (CMA), licence no. 706042.
Read more about our independent wealth management in Dubai and our trust and estate planning in Dubai.
You can also message us on WhatsApp.
Related guides
Sources
- Pension schemes for expatriate workers in private and government sectors, The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae)
- End of service benefits for workers in the private sector, The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae)
- Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status, UAE Legislations Platform
- Wills FAQ, DIFC Courts
- Notary Public and Wills Office, ADGM Courts
- Golden visa, The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae)
- Issuing a golden residence permit (investors), GDRFA Dubai
- Corporate Tax Registration, Federal Tax Authority
- Full foreign ownership of commercial companies, The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae)
- Licensed Companies, Capital Market Authority
- Public Register: Firms, Dubai Financial Services Authority
- FSRA Public Register, Abu Dhabi Global Market
- Questions about Indigo Group, Indigo Group
- Wealth Management, Indigo Group
- Trust and Estate Planning, Indigo Group
- Corporate Services, Indigo Group
- Accounting and Audit, Indigo Group
- Retirement Planning for Expatriates in the UAE, Indigo Group
- Wills, Inheritance and Forced Heirship for Expatriates in the UAE, Indigo Group
- UAE Golden Visa Guide: Who Qualifies and How It Works, Indigo Group
- UAE Corporate Tax Explained: Rates, Registration and Deadlines, Indigo Group
- Setting Up a Company in the UAE: Mainland, Free Zone or Offshore, Indigo Group
- How to Choose a Financial Adviser in the UAE, Indigo Group
Last reviewed 24 September 2026. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Rules change, so please speak to a qualified adviser about your circumstances.
