Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
United Arab Emirates or South Africa: which should you move to?
Two of Europe's top relocation targets, both with newcomer regimes. Here is how they compare on the taxes that move the needle.
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| Factor |  United Arab Emirates ↗ |  South Africa ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 0% | 45% |
| Corporate tax | 9%* | 27%* |
| Capital gains tax | None | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 0% | 20% |
| VAT / sales tax | 5% | 15% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | No | Yes |
| Foreign income | None | Worldwide |
| Headline expat regime | No personal income tax (Virtual Working visa) | Foreign employment income exemption (s10(1)(o)(ii)) |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 63 | 42 |
| Population | 11,513,149 | 64,747,319 |
| Area | 82,880 km² | 1,219,912 km² |
| Population density | 139/km² | 53/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 12 | 62 |
| Annual tourists | 8,084,000 | 8,919,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 83.1 yrs | 66.3 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 0.7 | 43.7 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 6.79 | 4.81 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 71/100 | 44/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~137 | ~79 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 385 Mbps | 49 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $2,402 | $537 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 57.19 | 27.72 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC+4 | UTC+2 |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| Official languages | 1 (Arabic) | 12 (English, South African Sign Language, Xhosa, Tsonga, Sesotho, Zulu, Venda, Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Southern Ndebele) |
Green = more favourable. Cost of living shown as a percentage of your home country (under 100% = cheaper than home). Tax data: compiled by us, being re-verified; cost of living: World Bank PPP; area & population: GeoNames; life expectancy & homicide rate: World Bank.
* United Arab Emirates: 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000, 9% above (Federal CT Law, effective 1 June 2023). Qualifying Free Zone Persons pay 0% on qualifying income and 9% on non-qualifying income. Natural persons with business turnover >AED 1M are in scope. 15% Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax (DMTT) for MNE groups with global revenue >EUR 750M from 1 Jan 2025. · South Africa: 27% for years of assessment ending on/after 31 Mar 2023. Small business corporations use tiered 0-27%.
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