The 2026/27 guide for people moving to the UAE
Every time-sensitive claim carries a tag. [LAW] means a law or cabinet decision. [OFFICIAL] means a government website. [MARKET] means insurer, broker or hospital published information. [REPORTED] means credible press or industry reporting that we could not confirm on a primary government page. [ESTIMATE] means our own working, with assumptions shown.
NMC Healthcare and Pacific Prime are Relocate2UAE partners. We name them where they are genuinely useful and say so each time. Partners do not see or approve this guide before publication, and nothing here is paid placement.
See who has to insure each person in your household, what the legal minimum is, and roughly what you will pay. Then grade the plan your employer is offering.
| Person | Who pays | Legal minimum | Est. per year |
|---|
Estimate only, for a healthy household with no claims history. Real premiums depend on the insurer, network and underwriting. [ESTIMATE]
Answer from the Table of Benefits (TOB), not the one-page summary. If you do not know an answer, choose "Not stated": that is a question for HR.
Pacific Prime is a Relocate2UAE partner and a health insurance broker with an office in Dubai. It can compare local, dependant and international plans for the household above.
Compare plans with Pacific PrimeNMC Healthcare is a Relocate2UAE partner with hospitals and clinics across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman. Its site filters by insurer.
Find an NMC hospital or clinicGeneral information only, not insurance, legal or medical advice. Rules last checked 3 October 2026 against u.ae, MOHRE and EDE; some Dubai and Abu Dhabi plan details are industry-reported. Confirm with your employer, insurer or a licensed broker. Relocate2UAE accepts no liability for decisions made using this tool. Nothing you enter leaves this page; your answers are saved only in this browser.
The UAE does not have one national health system for residents. It has three regulatory zones, and your zone is set by the emirate that issued your residence visa, not where you happen to live or work.
| Zone | Health regulator | Insurance law | Who regulates your plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Dubai Health Authority (DHA) | Dubai Law No. 11 of 2013 | Dubai Health Insurance Corporation, part of DHA |
| Abu Dhabi (including Al Ain and Al Dhafra) | Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH) | Abu Dhabi Law No. 23 of 2005 | DoH |
| Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah | Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) and Emirates Health Services | Cabinet decision extending mandatory cover from 1 January 2025 | MOHRE sets the employer obligation; plans sold through approved suppliers |
[LAW] [OFFICIAL: u.ae, MOHRE]
Three things follow from this. First, a plan that satisfies Dubai does not automatically satisfy Abu Dhabi, so if your visa moves between emirates your insurance may need to change too. [REPORTED] Second, doctors and hospitals are licensed by the same regulators, so a Dubai-licensed clinic is not automatically in an Abu Dhabi plan's network. Third, the insurer itself must be licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE, which took over insurance supervision from the former Insurance Authority. [OFFICIAL: CBUAE]
Government hospitals (SEHA in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Health in Dubai, Emirates Health Services in the Northern Emirates) and private groups (NMC Healthcare, Mediclinic, Burjeel, Aster, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, American Hospital Dubai and many others) both treat insured expats. What matters to you is not public or private, but whether a facility is in your plan's network.
Hospitals and clinics in Dubai and Abu Dhabi check insurance electronically against the Emirates ID, and Emirates Health Services is phasing out its separate physical health card. [REPORTED] Carry your Emirates ID to every appointment and keep a photo of your insurance card or e-card in your phone.
| Dubai | Abu Dhabi | Northern Emirates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee's own cover | Employer pays [LAW] | Employer pays [LAW] | Employer pays, from 1 January 2025 [OFFICIAL: MOHRE] |
| Spouse and children | Visa sponsor pays (usually you) [OFFICIAL: u.ae] | Employer or sponsor must cover 1 spouse and up to 3 children under 18 [OFFICIAL: u.ae] | Dependants can join the basic package at the same price; sponsor arranges [OFFICIAL: MOHRE] |
| Domestic workers | Sponsor pays | Sponsor pays | Sponsor pays [OFFICIAL: MOHRE] |
| Legal floor product | Essential Benefits Plan (EBP), AED 150,000 annual limit | Basic plan for lower earners; enhanced plans above that | Basic Health Insurance package, AED 320 a year |
| Maternity in the floor product | Yes, with limits [REPORTED] | Yes [REPORTED] | No [OFFICIAL: MOHRE] |
| Pre-existing conditions | Covered; first-time joiners can face up to six months' wait, emergencies still covered [REPORTED] | Covered, terms vary by plan [REPORTED] | Covered with no waiting period [OFFICIAL: MOHRE] |
| Penalty for no cover | AED 500 per uninsured person per month [REPORTED] | Fines apply; amounts reported inconsistently, check DoH [VERIFY] | Residence permit not issued or renewed [OFFICIAL: MOHRE] |
People whose work permits were issued before 1 January 2025 did not need the new policy straight away. It must be bought when their residence permit is next renewed. [OFFICIAL: MOHRE]
They are on separate schemes (Thiqa in Abu Dhabi, Enaya and Saada in Dubai). If a page tells you that expats "get Thiqa", it is wrong.
Your employer must insure you. Your spouse and children are your responsibility as their visa sponsor, and their insurance must be in place before their residence visas are issued. Many employers include families as a benefit, so check your offer letter. If it says "medical insurance" without "and dependants", assume it is you alone and budget for your family. [OFFICIAL: u.ae]
Your employer (or you, if you sponsor them yourself) must insure one spouse and up to three children under 18. A fourth child, children over 18 and parents are on you. [OFFICIAL: u.ae]
You buy your own cover and cover for everyone you sponsor. The Golden Visa does not include health insurance. [REPORTED]
Parents need their own policy, and premiums for people over 60 are much higher than for working-age adults. Get quotes before you apply for the visa, because the premium can change whether sponsorship is affordable at all. [MARKET]
In Dubai, a newborn must be added to a policy within 30 days of birth. [REPORTED] Do this in the first week, not the fourth: until the baby is on a policy, a neonatal stay can be billed to you.
The sponsoring household pays. In the Northern Emirates the AED 320 basic package was designed for this group. [OFFICIAL: MOHRE]
Paul Phillips FCA, on what the family insurance bill looked like for his own household when relocating to Abu Dhabi, and the one question he wishes he had asked HR. 40 to 70 words. Approved wording only.
The minimum plans are there to protect the public system, not to give you a private-hospital experience. Knowing exactly where they stop is the best way to decide whether to top up.
The EBP is the product for employees earning AED 4,000 a month or less, and its benefit table is also the minimum standard every Dubai policy must meet. The current table was issued in DHA General Circular 03/2024 and widened from 1 January 2025. [REPORTED]
Premiums for EBP-level employee cover are reported at roughly AED 550 to 750 a year, with dependants from about AED 630 up to AED 2,500 depending on age. [REPORTED]
What that means in practice. The maternity limits are well below what a delivery costs at most private hospitals in Dubai (see section 9), and the network is narrow. If you are planning a pregnancy or want a choice of hospital, EBP-level cover is not enough on its own.
This is the clearest of the three, because MOHRE publishes the terms directly. [OFFICIAL: MOHRE]
Other, richer plans are sold in the Northern Emirates too. The AED 320 package is the floor, not the only choice.
Abu Dhabi's basic plan applies to lower earners, historically defined by DoH as a monthly salary under AED 5,000, or under AED 4,000 plus accommodation. [REPORTED: Gulf News citing DoH] Everyone above that threshold is placed on an enhanced plan, whose benefits vary by insurer and employer. Basic plans include maternity and are largely restricted to Abu Dhabi providers. [REPORTED] Secondary sources quote different minimum annual limits for Abu Dhabi plans (AED 150,000 and AED 250,000 both appear), so rely on your own policy's Table of Benefits rather than a headline figure. [VERIFY]
There is no official price list above the minimum plans. The ranges below are our working from insurer and broker published prices in 2026, for a healthy person with no claims history. Treat them as a budgeting tool, not a quote. [ESTIMATE]
| Type of cover | Adult 18 to 39 | Adult 40 to 59 | Adult 60+ | Child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal minimum (EBP, AD basic, NE basic) | AED 320 to 750 | AED 320 to 1,200 | AED 320 to 2,500 | AED 320 to 1,000 |
| Enhanced UAE-only, mid network | AED 3,000 to 7,000 | AED 5,000 to 10,000 | AED 9,000 to 20,000 | AED 1,500 to 4,000 |
| Comprehensive, wide network, low co-pay | AED 7,000 to 14,000 | AED 10,000 to 20,000 | AED 18,000 to 35,000 | AED 3,000 to 7,000 |
| International (UAE plus worldwide) | AED 12,000 to 25,000 | AED 18,000 to 35,000 | AED 30,000 to 60,000+ | AED 5,000 to 12,000 |
What moves the price most: age (the biggest single factor), the hospital network, co-payment and deductible levels, maternity benefit, area of cover (UAE only, regional, worldwide excluding the US, worldwide), and whether you are joining a large group scheme or buying alone. Premiums have also been rising; industry reporting put average 2026 increases at around 10 to 12%. [REPORTED]
A Dubai family: two adults aged 38 and 36, children aged 7 and 4. The employer insures the working parent. The family buys enhanced UAE-only cover for the other three, mid network, with maternity for the non-working parent. At the middle of our ranges that is about AED 5,000 plus two children at about AED 2,750 each, so roughly AED 10,500 a year. The same three people on the minimum product would cost closer to AED 2,000, but with a narrow network and capped maternity. [ESTIMATE] Our Health Cover Checker runs this calculation for your own household.
Offer letters say "comprehensive medical insurance" about plans that range from excellent to barely above the minimum. Ask HR for the Table of Benefits (TOB) and the network list before you accept an offer or sign up dependants. Then check these twelve lines.
Annual limit
AED 150,000 is the Dubai floor. For a family with young children, AED 1 million or more gives real headroom.
Network tier
Plans are sold on tiered networks, often with names like General, Comprehensive, Premier or VIP. Check that the hospitals nearest your home and the one you would want for a birth are listed at your tier, not just under the insurer's name.
Area of cover
UAE only, or wider? Most employer plans are UAE only, with emergency cover abroad for a limited number of days.
Outpatient co-payment
Is it a percentage (20% of a specialist bill) or a flat fee (AED 50 a visit)? Is there a per-visit cap?
Deductible
A deductible is what you pay before the insurer pays anything. Some plans have one on outpatient visits only.
Medicines
Co-insurance percentage and annual cap. Chronic medicines can hit a low cap within months.
Maternity
Limit for normal and caesarean delivery, waiting period (commonly 10 to 12 months on individual plans), and whether it covers the spouse or only the employee. [MARKET]
Newborn cover
Is the baby covered from birth, and for how many days before you must add them?
Pre-existing and chronic conditions
Covered from day one, after a waiting period, or subject to a sub-limit?
Mental health
Included since 2025 in Dubai's minimum, but sub-limits are often small. Check the number of therapy sessions allowed. [REPORTED]
Dental and optical
Often limited to emergency or basic dental, with optical excluded. Many families buy these separately or pay as they go.
Direct billing or reimbursement
In-network, most plans settle directly with the hospital. Out of network, you pay and claim back, usually at a lower rate.
Tip. Ask one direct question in writing: "If my wife gave birth by caesarean at [named hospital], what would we pay?" The answer tells you more about the plan than the brochure does.
If your plan leaves gaps, you have four routes.
Many group schemes let you move family members to a higher tier and pay the difference. Group pricing is usually cheaper than buying alone, and group plans are often less strict about pre-existing conditions.
This is the common Dubai route. Insuring your spouse and children on the same insurer and network as your own plan makes family appointments simpler.
Worth it if you travel often, want treatment in your home country, or may leave the UAE within a few years. Check the plan is approved for UAE visa purposes; some international plans need a local compliant policy underneath.
A broker compares several insurers' plans for your situation. Brokers in the UAE must be licensed by the Central Bank. [OFFICIAL: CBUAE Rulebook] They are usually paid commission by the insurer, so the service is typically free to you. Ask any broker which insurers they place business with, and ask to see the full Table of Benefits for each plan they recommend, not only the summary.
Pacific Prime is a Relocate2UAE partner and an international health insurance broker with an office in Dubai. It can compare local UAE plans, dependant cover and international plans for your household, and is a sensible first call if your employer plan does not cover your family or you are self-sponsored. As with any broker, ask for the Table of Benefits for each option and check the maternity waiting period in writing. [MARKET]
Visit pacificprime.aeIn the private sector you can usually book a general practitioner or specialist directly, without a referral, as long as they are in your network. Some lower-tier and basic plans require you to see a GP first or use a specific clinic. Check your plan's rules before booking a specialist. Hospital websites and apps let you book online and filter by insurance.
Bring your Emirates ID. Reception checks your cover and tells you the co-payment. For planned procedures, scans and many specialist treatments, the clinic sends a pre-approval request to your insurer; do not go ahead with anything expensive until it is approved.
Pharmacies are everywhere and many are open 24 hours. Prescriptions are usually filled against your insurance at the pharmacy attached to or near the clinic. Some medicines that are over the counter at home need a prescription here, and some are controlled (see section 11).
Most insurers and hospital groups offer video or phone consultations. The Northern Emirates basic package includes telehealth with no co-payment. [OFFICIAL: MOHRE]
Your insurer's app is usually the fastest way to see your network, submit a reimbursement claim and track approvals. In Abu Dhabi, the TAMM government platform brings together health and residency services; in Dubai, DHA runs its own app for health services. [MARKET]
[OFFICIAL: u.ae]
Including, among many others:
| Emirate | Hospital | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | NMC Royal Hospital DIP (partner) | Dubai Investments Park |
| Dubai | NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Nahda (partner) | Al Nahda |
| Dubai | American Hospital Dubai | Oud Metha |
| Dubai | Mediclinic City Hospital | Dubai Healthcare City |
| Abu Dhabi | NMC Royal Hospital Khalifa City (partner) | Khalifa City |
| Abu Dhabi | Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi | Al Maryah Island |
| Abu Dhabi | Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SEHA) | Al Mafraq |
| Sharjah | NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah (partner) | Rolla |
[MARKET: hospital websites, September 2026] Emergency services change; confirm on the hospital's own site before relying on this list.
The UAE has a large private hospital sector and several government networks. Rather than rank hospitals, which depends on what you need, we suggest choosing in this order: (1) which hospitals are in your network at your tier, (2) which are close to home and to school, (3) which have the specialism you are most likely to need (maternity, paediatrics, a chronic condition). If international accreditation matters to you, check a hospital's current status on the Joint Commission International website; accreditation is granted to specific facilities for set periods, so a group's badge does not cover every branch.
NMC Healthcare is a Relocate2UAE partner and one of the UAE's largest private healthcare groups, with 41 hospitals and clinics listed across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman. [MARKET: nmc.ae] Its larger sites include NMC Royal Hospital Khalifa City (a 200-bed tertiary referral centre with a 24/7 emergency department and a cardiac unit), NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah (152 beds, with ICU, NICU and PICU and a wide range of paediatric subspecialties), NMC Royal Hospital DIP and NMC Specialty Hospital Al Nahda in Dubai, NMC Royal Hospital Abu Dhabi, NMC Specialty Hospital Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Hospital Mohammed Bin Zayed City, NMC Mother and Child Hospital in DIP, and NMC Specialty Hospital in Al Ain. NMC's site lets you filter by emirate, speciality and insurer, and book online. [MARKET: nmc.ae] Before booking, give your insurer the exact branch name: approval for "NMC" does not always cover every branch or doctor.
Find an NMC hospital or clinicDubai
American Hospital Dubai (Oud Metha), Mediclinic City Hospital and Mediclinic Parkview, King's College Hospital London in Dubai Hills, Saudi German Hospital, Aster and Prime hospitals, and the Dubai Health government network including Rashid and Latifa hospitals.
Abu Dhabi
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (Al Maryah Island), Burjeel Medical City and Burjeel Hospital, Mediclinic Airport Road, Healthpoint (Zayed Sports City, part of M42), Danat Al Emarat women and children's hospital, and SEHA's Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City and Tawam Hospital (Al Ain).
Northern Emirates
University Hospital Sharjah, Al Qassimi Hospital, and Emirates Health Services hospitals across Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, alongside private groups.
The UAE is strict about medicines that are sold freely elsewhere. Some common painkillers, sleep medicines, ADHD medicines and anxiety medicines are controlled here. Getting this wrong at the airport is one of the few relocation mistakes that can become a legal problem.
For children on ADHD medicine or anyone on long-term psychiatric medicine, also book a local specialist early: a UAE prescription is needed to continue treatment once your home supply runs out. Our Before You Arrive checklist includes this step in the pre-move timeline.
Maternity is where the gap between the legal minimum and what families expect is widest.
You will pay these prices if you are between policies, out of network, or treated for something your plan excludes. They vary widely by facility, doctor seniority and complexity. Always ask for a written estimate before planned treatment. [ESTIMATE, based on 2026 hospital price lists and insurer published guides]
| Service | Typical private price |
|---|---|
| GP consultation | AED 250 to 500 |
| Specialist consultation | AED 400 to 900 |
| Emergency department visit (before tests) | AED 600 to 1,500 |
| X-ray | AED 150 to 400 |
| MRI scan | AED 1,500 to 3,500 |
| Basic blood panel | AED 200 to 600 |
| Normal delivery package | AED 12,000 to 25,000 |
| Caesarean delivery package | AED 20,000 to 40,000 |
| Hospital room per night | AED 1,000 to 3,500 |
| Dental check-up and clean | AED 250 to 600 |
Dubai added mental health benefits to the minimum standard from 2025. [REPORTED] In practice, sub-limits on employer plans are often small, and some therapists do not bill insurance at all. If ongoing therapy matters to you, ask for the exact outpatient mental health limit and the number of sessions covered.
Diabetes, asthma, thyroid conditions and similar long-term conditions are covered by UAE plans, but first-time joiners in Dubai can face a waiting period of up to six months, with emergencies still covered. [REPORTED] The Northern Emirates basic package covers chronic conditions from day one. [OFFICIAL: MOHRE] If you are moving from one UAE policy to another with no gap, ask the new insurer to confirm in writing that no new waiting period applies. Bring enough medicine to bridge any waiting period and your first specialist appointment.
Complain to the facility first, then to the regulator that licensed it (DHA, DoH or MOHAP).
Your old employer's cover ends when your visa is cancelled or transferred. Try to start the new policy the day after the old one ends, because a gap can restart waiting periods for pre-existing conditions and maternity.
Your policy must meet the new emirate's rules. Start the switch before the visa transfer, not after. [REPORTED]
Cancel dependant policies you bought yourself when their visas are cancelled; ask about pro-rata refunds. The Northern Emirates basic package refunds the second year's premium if the visa is cancelled. [OFFICIAL: MOHRE] If you are going home, check when your home country's cover starts and consider short-term international cover for the gap.
A Relocate2UAE family (named, with consent) on one thing about UAE healthcare that surprised them in their first year, positive or negative. 40 to 70 words.
A licensed UAE broker or insurer spokesperson (on the record) on the most common gap they see in employer plans for relocating families. 40 to 70 words.
For doctors, nurses and allied health staff who will work here.
Which office handles birth registration and residency.
Medical records, medicines and vaccination records to pack.
Insurance and the Emirates ID in the order they happen.
Sponsoring dependants and budgeting for family cover.
Where health insurance sits in a full household budget.
The medical fitness test and insurance for residence visas.
We checked every rule in this guide against official sources where they exist: the UAE Government portal (u.ae), the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Basic Health Insurance Scheme page), the Emirates Drug Establishment (personal medicine import permit), the Central Bank of the UAE Rulebook (insurance broker licensing), Sanadak (complaint rules), and Abu Dhabi Law No. 23 of 2005. Where the regulator's own document could not be accessed (DHA General Circular 03/2024 on the Essential Benefits Plan), we used consistent reporting from several insurers and brokers and tagged those claims [REPORTED]. Hospital details come from the hospitals' own websites in September 2026. Price ranges are our own estimates from published insurer, broker and hospital prices, with assumptions stated.
This guide is general information to help you ask the right questions. It is not medical, legal, insurance or financial advice, and it is not a recommendation of any specific policy. Rules, prices and hospital services change, sometimes without notice. Before you buy cover, accept a job offer or travel with medicines, confirm the details with your employer, your insurer or a licensed broker, and the relevant authority (DHA, DoH, MOHAP, MOHRE or EDE). Relocate2UAE is not responsible for decisions made on the basis of this guide. NMC Healthcare and Pacific Prime are Relocate2UAE partners; see our partners page for how partnerships work.
If anything in this guide isn't clear, or you want tailored advice for
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