UAE expat group medical insurance is employer-arranged medical cover for expatriate employees working in the United Arab Emirates, and since 1 January 2025 providing health insurance has been mandatory for private-sector employees and domestic workers across all seven emirates. The obligation sits with the employer or sponsor: cover must be in place as a prerequisite for issuing or renewing an employee’s residence permit, and the cost cannot be passed on through salary deductions. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have operated mandatory employer schemes for years, while the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) basic health insurance scheme extends the requirement to Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Employers therefore face two related decisions in 2026: meeting the local mandate in each emirate where staff hold visas, and deciding whether a UAE-only policy is enough for employees who travel, relocate or need treatment options beyond the local network.
Educational country guide. This page explains published insurance rules and the documents an employer should check. For policy purchase in this market, contact an insurer or intermediary authorised to arrange local cover. Elev8’s country list for insurance enquiries defines the markets handled by its brokerage service.
UAE employer health insurance rules by emirate (2026)
| Where the visa is issued | Who the employer must cover | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Employees | The employer provides at least the required local benefits. Family members are insured by their sponsor, which for dependants’ visas is usually the employee. |
| Abu Dhabi | Employees and their families | Employer cover extends to the employee’s spouse and up to three children under 18. |
| Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah | Private-sector employees and domestic workers | Covered by the federal basic health insurance scheme from 1 January 2025, with benefit limits and charges set by the applicable basic policy. |
The mandate is enforced through immigration: a compliant policy is checked when an employee’s residence permit is issued or renewed. In practice this means the requirement reaches each employee at their next visa event, and cover dates should be aligned with permit dates so renewals are not delayed. Employers with staff elsewhere in the Gulf face similar employer-funded rules; the Saudi Arabia expat group medical insurance guide explains the CHI mandate and compares the GCC schemes.
Who must provide health insurance in the UAE?
Employers are responsible for insuring their private-sector employees, and sponsors are responsible for insuring domestic workers. The employer pays the premium in full; recovering the cost through salary deductions is prohibited. Free-zone and mainland arrangements can differ in the details of the applicable scheme, so employers with mixed workforces should confirm which regulator and minimum-benefit rules apply to each visa before renewing.
What does the MOHRE basic health insurance scheme include?
The federal basic scheme is a safety-net package for private-sector employees and domestic workers in the emirates that previously had no mandate. Its published terms are:
- Premium: AED 320 per year per insured person.
- Benefit limits: confirm the separate inpatient and outpatient limits in the current policy schedule.
- Inpatient care: 20% co-payment, capped at AED 500 per visit and AED 1,000 per year; amounts above the cap are covered in full.
- Outpatient care: 25% co-payment, capped at AED 100 per visit.
- Medications: 30% co-payment, capped at AED 1,500 per year.
- Policy validity: two years, with the second-year premium refundable if the visa is cancelled.
- Purchase route: the DubaiCare network or other approved suppliers.
The basic package sets a floor, not a ceiling. Employers can buy richer cover, and many do for professional and internationally mobile staff, as long as the policy meets the applicable local minimum.
Do UAE employers have to cover dependants?
Obligations differ by emirate. In Abu Dhabi, employer cover extends to the employee’s family: a spouse and up to three children under 18. In Dubai, the employer’s duty covers employees themselves, and family members are insured by their sponsor, usually the employee. Under the federal basic scheme in the other emirates, the mandate covers employees and domestic workers, and family cover remains the sponsor’s decision. Many international employers extend dependant cover voluntarily as part of the benefits package; our expat family insurance guide explains what that typically involves for relocating households.
Is a local UAE policy enough for an expat team?
Check the geographical limits of each UAE policy with its authorised local provider. Ask which hospitals are in the network, how overseas treatment is handled and what happens when an employee relocates. The policy schedule sets the benefit limits and any patient contribution.
Employers with staff who work in several countries should ask a locally authorised provider how the policy handles overseas treatment and relocation. The international group medical insurance guide explains benefits to check. Local requirements and any additional policy need separate written confirmation.
UAE group cover checklist for employers
- Map where every employee’s residence visa is issued; the mandate applies emirate by emirate.
- Confirm each policy meets the local minimum benefits for that emirate.
- Check dependant obligations in Abu Dhabi: a spouse and up to three children under 18.
- Budget for the employer to pay premiums in full; salary deductions are prohibited.
- Align policy start and renewal dates with residence-permit issue and renewal dates.
- Decide which employee groups need international group medical cover above the local minimum.
- Keep joiner, leaver and location records consistent across payroll, PRO services and the insurer.
- Re-verify the current rules before each renewal cycle; schemes and minimums can change.
UAE employer health insurance FAQs
Can an employer deduct UAE health insurance costs from an employee’s salary?
No. The employer or sponsor bears the cost of the required cover, and deducting the premium from wages is prohibited under the scheme. Because the requirement applies when residence permits are issued or renewed, the premium should be budgeted as a standard employment overhead rather than passed to staff.
Is health insurance required to obtain or renew a UAE residence visa?
Yes. Since 1 January 2025, holding compliant health insurance has been a prerequisite for issuing or renewing the residence permits of private-sector employees and domestic workers across the UAE. Employers should align policy start and renewal dates with permit dates so that visa processing is not delayed by a lapsed policy.
Does a UAE group policy cover employees outside the UAE?
Local mandatory plans are built around treatment inside the UAE and generally provide little or no routine cover abroad. Employees who travel for work, split time between countries or relocate mid-assignment usually need an international group medical plan alongside local compliance cover; the international group medical insurance guide compares how those programmes are structured.
Check the UAE policy documents
Check the current requirements with the relevant regulator and a locally authorised provider. Ask for the policy wording and written confirmation of employee and dependant eligibility. The international group medical insurance guide explains general benefit terms for further reading.
Last updated: September 1, 2026. Published by Elev8 Insurance. Country sales wording updated on 20 September 2026. Coverage, eligibility, underwriting, benefits and premiums vary by insurer, policy and jurisdiction.
Sources: Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation — The Basic Health Insurance Scheme and launch announcement (16 December 2024); UAE Government portal — Getting a health insurance. Requirements verified on August 25, 2026.
Related GCC employer guides
- GCC employer health insurance mandates: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait compared.
