All employers in Dubai are legally required to arrange health insurance for their employees. This insurance may not include everything you require, so you need to take your personal preferences into consideration. If you are self-employed you are required to get cover for yourself.
An employer may not arrange cover for additional family members, if so you will be legally responsible to get cover for:
- Unemployed family members (spouse, children, etc)
- Domestic help (maid, gardener, cleaner, etc.)
Those earning less than AED 4,000 per month, children, unemployed family members and domestic help can meet the insurance requirements by taking out the Essential Benefits Plan (EBP). Coverage is limited, so most expats opt for a more comprehensive private plan.
Essential Benefits Plan
This plan is only offered by a selected group of ‘Participating Insurers ’ and provides minimum coverage:
- Emergency medical treatment in the whole of the UAE
- Access to basic health care services within the Emirate of Dubai
- Variable coverage for chronic and pre-existing conditions (compare providers)
- Limited maternity care
You need to take into account the limitations of this plan. For example, there are co-payments for many things, there’s an annual claim limit of only AED 150,000 and the maximum coverage for childbirth is AED 10,000. In short, if you have a serious accident or encounter medical complications, the plan will not cover you.
Getting the full package
Most expats opt for more extensive international health insurance . International plans are more flexible, comprehensive and offer a greater range of benefits. They allow you to get specialised health care with higher claim limits, dental care and maternity care that will cover you if there are complications.
For more information about health insurance in Dubai, visit the UAE government website .
