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Health insurance for employee residence visas in the UAE

Employers in the UAE must provide health insurance for the staff they sponsor, and the policy is checked when a residence visa is issued or renewed. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have their own health insurance laws. Since 1 January 2025 a basic scheme also covers private sector employees and domestic workers in the other emirates.

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At a glance Fact sheet

Dubai
Health Insurance Law No. 11 of 2013, with minimum cover set by the Dubai Health Authority
Abu Dhabi
Law No. 23 of 2005 on health insurance, regulated by the Department of Health
Other emirates
Basic scheme for private sector employees and domestic workers since 1 January 2025
Who pays
The employer. Dubai and Abu Dhabi bar passing the cost on to the employee
When it is checked
When the residence visa is issued and each time it is renewed
Dependants
Rules differ by emirate, so check before the family visa file starts

Overview

Health insurance used to be a matter for each emirate. Abu Dhabi made it compulsory first, Dubai followed, and for years employers elsewhere had no such duty. That changed on 1 January 2025, when a basic health insurance scheme was extended to private sector employees and domestic workers in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

The practical effect is the same everywhere. Valid cover is a condition for issuing or renewing a residence visa, and an application without it does not go through. For an employer, that makes the policy a part of the visa file, with the same weight as the medical fitness test or the Emirates ID application.

The details still depend on where the visa is issued. Dubai sets a minimum level of benefits and bars employers from deducting premiums from pay. Abu Dhabi also requires employers to cover the employee's spouse and up to three children under 18. The basic scheme in the other emirates runs for two years. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.

How Caliph helps with visa-linked cover

Policy and visa move together

We tell you at which point of the visa file the policy has to be active, so the application is not returned for missing cover.

The rule for your emirate

A Dubai visa, an Abu Dhabi visa and a Sharjah visa each follow a different scheme. We apply the one that matches where the residence is issued.

Dependants are not forgotten

Family members need cover for their own residence visas. We explain who is responsible for it in your emirate before the family file starts.

Renewals on one calendar

Policy expiry is tracked with the residence visa and the work permit, so cover does not lapse between renewals.

Leavers handled properly

When an employee leaves, the policy is closed alongside the visa cancellation. Under the basic scheme the premium for the second year can be refunded.

What to have ready

  • The employee's passport copy and photo
  • The entry permit or current residence visa details
  • The Emirates ID number, if the person already has one
  • The employee's salary and job title, which insurers ask for when quoting
  • The company's trade licence and establishment card
  • Passport copies and details of any dependants to be covered
  • A medical disclosure form and recent medical reports for older applicants, where the insurer asks for them

Insurers set their own document lists. Your consultant tells you what the visa file needs the policy to show.

How cover is lined up with the visa

  1. We identify the scheme

    Your consultant checks the emirate of the visa and tells you which law or scheme applies and what the minimum cover is.

  2. You choose a plan

    You select a plan from a permitted insurer or an approved channel. We explain what the visa application needs it to show.

  3. Member details are submitted

    Employee and dependant details go to the insurer exactly as they appear on the passport and the visa file.

  4. The policy is issued

    The insurer issues the policy or certificate, and the cover is recorded against the person.

  5. The visa application proceeds

    With cover in place, we submit or complete the residence visa issuance or renewal.

  6. The end date is recorded

    The policy end date goes on your calendar with the visa and work permit dates.

Good to know

  • For workers in the other emirates who already held a valid work permit when the basic scheme began, the requirement applies when their residence comes up for renewal.
  • The basic scheme is a minimum. It carries co-payments and does not cover everything, so many employers choose a fuller plan for some staff.
  • Insurance is provided by licensed insurers. Caliph's role is to coordinate the policy with your visa file.

Questions people ask

Is health insurance mandatory for a UAE residence visa?

For employees, yes across the country. Dubai and Abu Dhabi require it under their own laws, and since 1 January 2025 employers in the other emirates must buy cover for private sector employees and domestic workers before a residence permit is issued or renewed.

Who pays for employee health insurance?

The employer. In Dubai the employer bears the full premium and may not deduct it from the employee's salary. Abu Dhabi's rules also bar employers from passing the cost to employees. Under the basic scheme in the other emirates, the employer is responsible for the cost when the residence is issued or renewed.

Does my employer have to insure my family?

It depends on the emirate. In Abu Dhabi the employer covers the employee's spouse and up to three children under 18. In Dubai employers are encouraged to cover dependants, and where they do not, the sponsor of the family member must arrange it. Under the basic scheme, dependants can be added on the same terms.

What is the basic health insurance scheme in the northern emirates?

It is a mandatory package introduced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation with ICP and the Ministry of Health and Prevention. It applies to private sector employees and domestic workers in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, and the policy runs for two years.

What is the minimum cover required in Dubai?

The Dubai Health Authority sets a minimum package called the Essential Benefits Plan. Any plan an employer buys must meet or exceed it, and cover must come from an insurer or intermediary permitted to operate in Dubai. Your consultant explains what the visa file needs before you buy.

What happens to the policy when an employee's visa is cancelled?

The employee is removed from the policy when the employment ends. Under the basic scheme for the other emirates, the premium for the second year can be refunded if the visa is cancelled. For other plans, any refund depends on the insurer's terms, so ask before you buy.

Official sources

Reviewed by Caliph Business Solutions on . Rules differ by activity and by authority. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.

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