Quick answer: health-insurance obligations in the UAE depend on the emirate and sponsorship/employment setup. Dubai employers must provide compliant cover for employees; sponsors are generally responsible for dependants if the employer does not cover them. Abu Dhabi has its own mandatory insurance framework. Since 1 January 2025, the federal basic health-insurance scheme also extended mandatory employee/domestic-worker coverage to Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
Last verified: 1 October 2026. Always check the current policy terms and emirate-specific regulator rules before assuming who must pay for a particular family member or category of worker.
Dubai: employers cover employees
Dubai’s mandatory health-insurance framework requires Dubai-registered employers, including free-zone companies, to provide compliant health insurance for their employees. DHA material describes a minimum standard of cover and makes clear that employees should not be left without required cover.
What about spouses and children in Dubai?
Do not assume an employer must automatically cover every dependant. DHA guidance says employers are encouraged to cover spouses and dependants, but if the employment contract does not provide that benefit, the sponsor is generally responsible for arranging the dependant’s insurance.
This distinction matters when comparing job offers: “health insurance included” may refer only to the employee unless family coverage is specifically stated in the contract or benefits schedule.
Abu Dhabi: employer and sponsor responsibilities
Abu Dhabi has its own Department of Health insurance rules. DoH regulations place responsibility on employers or sponsors for required health-insurance costs for people under their employment or sponsorship. Abu Dhabi also offers different product structures for different eligible groups, including flexible health-insurance options in defined cases.
Because Abu Dhabi rules are not identical to Dubai’s, use DoH guidance for an Abu Dhabi residence/employment case rather than relying on a Dubai-specific policy explanation.
Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, RAK and Umm Al Quwain
MOHRE’s Basic Health Insurance Scheme covers private-sector employees and domestic workers in Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain. The extension became mandatory from 1 January 2025.
MOHRE states that employers are responsible for the financial obligation of the policy when issuing or renewing residence permits. The basic package is currently listed at AED 320 per year, with defined co-payments and coverage limits.
What the AED 320 basic package currently includes
| Area | Current MOHRE scheme terms |
|---|---|
| Annual policy price | AED 320 |
| Inpatient care | 20% co-payment, capped at AED 500 per visit and AED 1,000 per year under the scheme |
| Outpatient care | 25% co-payment, maximum AED 100 per visit |
| Medication | 30% co-payment, with annual cap/limits under the scheme |
These figures are for the federal basic package targeted at the five emirates above. They are not a universal price for every UAE health-insurance policy.
When does the insurance requirement affect residence renewal?
MOHRE states that, under the federal scheme, employers must purchase the policy as part of the residence-permit issuance or renewal process. Workers with older valid permits were brought into the requirement when the relevant residence permit came up for renewal.
What to check in your own policy
- Which emirate regulates your policy.
- Who is the policyholder: employer, sponsor or you.
- Which hospitals and clinics are in-network.
- Co-payment and deductible amounts.
- Medication coverage.
- Maternity coverage and waiting periods, if relevant.
- Dental and optical exclusions or add-ons.
- Emergency treatment rules.
- Whether spouse/children are actually named on the policy.
- Policy expiry date relative to visa/residence renewal.
Common newcomer mistakes
- Assuming Dubai rules apply to all seven emirates.
- Assuming an employer-paid employee plan automatically includes family.
- Checking only the policy price and not the network/co-payments.
- Waiting until a residence-renewal deadline to discover the policy has expired.
- Using the AED 320 federal basic-package price as if it were the cost of every UAE plan.
Related reading: our detailed AED 320 basic-insurance guide, First 30 Days in the UAE and the UAE hub.
Official sources
- MOHRE: Basic Health Insurance Scheme
- Dubai Health Authority
- Department of Health Abu Dhabi: health-insurance FAQs
