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Migrating to HIBR — overview

HIBR offers free white-glove migration on every tier — Lite, Pro, and Enterprise — from any UAE accounting or ERP tool. This page is the help-center summary. For the full step-by-step migration story, see the main migration hub.

Updated May 2026 8 min read For: HIBR Lite + Pro + Enterprise

How migration works at a glance

The migration path doesn't depend on which product you're leaving. It depends on what category of source system you're moving from, how much history you want preserved, and how much hands-on help you want from us.

From a cloud SMB accounting tool

~7–12 day playbook. CSV / API exports + UAE VAT history rebuild + tax-code mapping. Most-common UAE SMB migration. AI agent handles most of it; you review the COA mapping.

Best fit: any HIBR tier
Read full guide →

From a desktop accounting product

~12–14 day playbook. Multi-company consolidation common. XML / proprietary-format export approach preserves group hierarchy + cost-center allocations.

Best fit: Pro or Enterprise
Read full guide →

From a POS-first system

~10-day playbook. SKU catalog with variants, opening stock, sales history with cashier + terminal, payment-mix breakdowns, daily Z-reports. Paired with whatever accounting record you currently use.

Best fit: Pro
Read full guide →

From spreadsheets or your accountant's records

~7-day playbook. Last filed VAT 201 + supporting workbook becomes opening balances. Outstanding invoices become AR; outstanding bills become AP; stock takes become inventory openings.

Best fit: Lite or Pro
Read full guide →

From an enterprise ERP / multi-entity group

30-day discovery + 30-day migration project. Multi-emirate / multi-entity consolidation. Custom COA mapping, dedicated CSM-led migration, three training sessions. All bundled into Enterprise — no separate fee.

Best fit: Enterprise (annual prepay only)
Read full guide →

Have a non-standard source system or unique constraints (custom-built ERP, paper records, multi-currency holding company, multi-jurisdiction filing)? Email hello@hibr.ai with your current setup + entity count + history depth and we'll scope the migration with you — no charge for the conversation.

What gets migrated — 8 data domains

Every HIBR migration path preserves these 8 data domains:

  1. Chart of accounts — full hierarchy preserved with optional remapping to HIBR's UAE-default chart
  2. Customers + suppliers — including TRN, contact details, payment terms, opening balances, customer category (B2B / B2C / Free Zone)
  3. Products + services — including VAT treatment, default GL account, units of measure, opening stock
  4. Open invoices + bills — all unpaid items at cutover with payment status preserved
  5. VAT history — past VAT 201 returns and per-transaction VAT codes for audit continuity (per FTA Decision 2/2019 retention requirements)
  6. Inventory balances — quantities + values at cutover with FIFO or weighted-average costing method preserved
  7. Bank balances — opening balances with last-reconciled date
  8. Employees + payroll history — Emirates ID, MOHRE labour card, IBAN, salary structure, year-to-date earnings

White-glove vs self-serve — what your tier includes

 Lite (199/mo)Pro (499/mo)Enterprise (14,990/yr)
Migration playbook PDF
CSV import templates
Email support during cutover
Guided 60-min screen-share sessions2 sessionsUnlimited
HIBR pulls + maps data on your behalf
Side-by-side trial balance verification
Dedicated onboarding lead30 days
30-day parallel-run with old system
Multi-entity consolidation
Custom field mapping for non-standard charts

Typical timelines per source

SourceTypical timelineWhy
other UAE accounting tools7 daysBoth products UAE-built, data already in UAE shape
other UAE accounting tools10 daysClean QBO exports + UAE VAT re-mapping
other UAE accounting tools10 daysStandard cloud exports + multi-currency handling
other UAE accounting tools12 daysStandard CSV exports + UAE VAT re-mapping
other UAE accounting tools14 daysXML export + multi-company consolidation common
other UAE accounting tools / other enterprise ERPs / D365 BC21-45 daysPartner-customization layers + richer underlying data require case-by-case handling
Best window to cut over: the start of a VAT quarter (Jan / Apr / Jul / Oct for quarterly filers) or the start of a fiscal year. Mid-quarter cutover requires running both systems in parallel for the partial period, which doubles the reconciliation work. Plan the migration calendar with this in mind.

The migration flow at a glance

  1. Days 1-2 (Pre-migration) — Health-check the source system. Resolve known data issues. Decide cutover date.
  2. Days 3-5 (Export) — Export master data + transactional data + attachments from source product
  3. Days 6-9 (Import to HIBR) — Upload via migration wizard. Chart of accounts mapping. Field mapping confirmation. Transactional import in chronological order.
  4. Days 10-11 (Reconcile) — Trial balance compare. VAT 201 history compare. Variance investigation.
  5. Day 12 (Cutover) — Stop posting in source. Activate HIBR bank feeds + VAT engine. Issue first HIBR invoice.
  6. Days 13-20 (Stabilize) — Daily trial balance for first week. Issue first VAT 201 preview at end of week. Keep source available read-only.

FAQ

Is HIBR migration really free?

White-glove migration is included free on Pro and Enterprise tiers — no separate migration fee. Lite tier customers self-serve from the migration playbook documentation. The cost of migration is included in the monthly subscription on the higher tiers.

How long does a typical migration take?

Single-entity UAE SMB with 1-3 years of history: 7-14 calendar days from kickoff to cutover. other UAE accounting tools is fastest (7 days, UAE-shaped data). other UAE accounting tools takes longest (14 days, multi-company consolidation common). Multi-entity groups: budget 21-30 days.

What data gets migrated?

8 data domains: chart of accounts, customers + suppliers, products + services, open invoices + bills, VAT history, inventory balances, bank balances, employees + payroll history. All migrated with full audit trail preserved.

Do I have to stop using my old system during migration?

No. Migration runs in parallel. You keep entering transactions in your old system while HIBR ingests historical data. On cutover day, you stop posting in the old system and start in HIBR. Enterprise tier extends parallel-running for 30 days post-cutover so your team can double-check entries.

What happens to my VAT 201 history?

HIBR rebuilds your VAT history transaction-by-transaction from your source data. Past quarters filed at FTA remain on FTA's side — HIBR gives you the same numbers in queryable form. Going forward, the next VAT 201 is generated by HIBR's engine. We never modify a past period you already submitted to FTA.

What if migration takes longer than estimated?

If migration runs over because of something on our side (data-quality issues we should have flagged earlier, integration not ready), the additional time is free. If it runs over because the source data is incomplete or you need to involve a tax agent, additional white-glove time may be charged on Enterprise tier (Lite + Pro extensions absorbed).

Can I migrate from a non-listed source (other UAE accounting tools / other enterprise ERPs / Microsoft D365 BC / other enterprise ERPs)?

Yes — on Enterprise tier, case-by-case. These migrations require more upfront scoping because the source data is richer and partner-customization layers vary by deployment. Email hello@hibr.ai for a scoping conversation.