Healthcare and Health Insurance in the UAE

The UAE has a high-quality, modern healthcare system with excellent hospitals, short waiting times and a strong private sector. Most residents see doctors through an insurance plan arranged by their employer, so the key to a smooth experience is understanding what your plan covers, where you can go and what to do in an emergency.

This guide covers mandatory insurance in each part of the UAE, public and private care, emergencies, pharmacies and prescriptions, the visa medical test, mental health, children's vaccination and maternity. Figures are as of 2026, so check with the regulators named below for current details.

Who regulates healthcare

Healthcare is regulated at emirate level, plus a federal ministry.

Area	Regulator
Dubai	Dubai Health Authority (DHA)
Abu Dhabi	Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH)
Northern emirates	Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) and local authorities
Federal	MOHAP sets national policy, licenses medicines and manages the public hospitals of the northern emirates

Mandatory health insurance

Dubai

Health insurance is mandatory for every resident of Dubai. The employer must provide cover for employees, and the sponsor must pay for dependants such as a spouse and children. The minimum is the Essential Benefits Plan (EBP), which has an annual limit of AED 150,000 and covers inpatient and outpatient care, emergency treatment, maternity, and certain preventive care, with co-payments for outpatient visits and medicines. Employers can offer richer plans. Without valid cover, visa issuance and renewal can be blocked and fines apply.

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi also requires every resident to have insurance. Emirati nationals are covered by the Thiqa programme, and expatriates are covered by the basic plan and enhanced plans. Employers must insure their employees and, as a minimum, up to three dependants, and sponsors are responsible for their families. Insurance is linked to visa issuance and renewal.

Northern emirates

The northern emirates (Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah) have been rolling out mandatory private-sector health insurance, with stricter employer obligations coming in from 2025. In practice many employers already provide cover, particularly in Sharjah. Check MOHAP and your emirate's health authority for the current rules, and confirm in writing what your employer provides.

What the employer must do

• Provide health insurance for each employee, at no cost to the employee, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
• Renew it before expiry.
• Include dependants or ask the sponsor to arrange them, depending on the emirate.

If your employer does not insure you, report it to the health authority or MOHRE. Our labour law guide explains your wider rights.

Reading your insurance plan

Before you need care, look for these points.

• Network. Which hospitals, clinics and pharmacies are in your network, and whether you need pre-approval.
• Annual limit. The maximum the insurer will pay in a year.
• Co-payment and deductible. What you pay at each visit, and any annual cap on co-payments.
• Exclusions. Common ones include dental, optical, cosmetic treatment, and sometimes pre-existing conditions during the first year.
• Maternity. Waiting periods and the conditions for coverage.
• Direct billing. Whether the provider bills the insurer directly, which saves you paying upfront.

Keep your insurance card, or its digital copy, with your Emirates ID.

Public and private healthcare

Public hospitals

• Abu Dhabi: SEHA (Abu Dhabi Health Services Company) runs the main public hospitals and clinics, including Sheikh Khalifa Medical City and Tawam Hospital.
• Dubai: Dubai Health, which includes hospitals such as Dubai Hospital, Rashid Hospital and Latifa Hospital.
• Northern emirates: Emirates Health Services (EHS) operates public hospitals and primary care centres, such as Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah.

Public facilities offer emergency care, specialised treatment and primary care, and fees are usually lower than private rates. Expats pay fees, either directly or through insurance, while nationals receive subsidised or free care.

Private hospitals and clinics

The UAE has a large private sector, with international-standard hospitals, specialist clinics and family doctors across every major city. Private care generally has shorter waiting times, more choice of doctors and more comfortable facilities, and most insurance plans cover treatment there, subject to network and co-payments.

Which to choose

Situation	Suggested option
Routine check or minor illness	In-network private clinic or primary care centre
Emergency	Nearest emergency department, public or private
Complex or specialist care	A major hospital, public or private, with your insurer's approval
Low income or no insurance	Public primary care centre

Emergencies

• Ambulance: call 998 (or 999 for police, who will dispatch help).
• Police: 999. Fire: 997.
• Emergency departments treat life-threatening cases first, and a hospital must stabilise a patient regardless of insurance.
• Keep your Emirates ID and insurance card with you.

See the emergency page and the emergency numbers tool for the full list, and save them in your phone before you need them.

Pharmacies and prescriptions

Pharmacies are everywhere, and many are open late or 24 hours. Pharmacists can advise on minor ailments and dispense common medicines. Some medicines that are sold over the counter elsewhere need a prescription in the UAE.

Controlled medicines

The UAE has strict rules on controlled and psychotropic substances. Some common medicines abroad, including some painkillers, sleeping tablets, anxiety treatments and ADHD medication, are controlled, and bringing them in without proper documents can lead to serious penalties.

• Always carry medicine in its original packaging with a doctor's prescription and a letter stating the diagnosis and dose.
• Check whether your medicine is on the controlled list before you travel, and apply for prior approval on the MOHAP website where required.
• Never bring unmarked or unprescribed pills.
• Do not buy prescription-only medicine without a prescription from a UAE-licensed doctor.

Check the Ministry of Health and Prevention for the current list and the application process.

Medical fitness test for visas

Applicants for a residence visa must pass a medical fitness test at an approved centre. It typically includes a blood test and a chest X-ray, and screens for conditions such as tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis. Results arrive in one to two days. A positive result can lead to rejection of the visa or follow-up treatment. See the visas and residency guide and the moving checklist for where this step fits.

Mental health support

Mental health services are growing in the UAE, with private psychologists, psychiatrists and counselling centres, plus public services.

• National mental health support line: 800 HOPE (800 4673), run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention. It is free and confidential.
• Many insurance plans cover a limited number of therapy sessions. Ask your insurer.
• Employers and universities often offer an employee assistance programme or student counselling.
• In an emergency, go to the nearest emergency department or call 998.

Children: vaccinations and care

The UAE has a national childhood immunisation schedule, covering vaccines such as polio, measles, mumps and rubella, hepatitis B, and diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. Public health centres provide the vaccinations, and private clinics and paediatricians do too. Keep your child's vaccination card, because nurseries and schools ask for it at admission. See the schools and education guide for admission documents.

Maternity

Maternity care is excellent, with both public and private hospitals offering antenatal care, delivery and postnatal support.

• Check whether your insurance plan covers maternity, any waiting period and any limit on the benefit. Many plans require a waiting period or a higher plan level.
• Hospitals and insurers commonly ask for proof of marriage, so keep your attested marriage certificate with you.
• After birth, you register your baby, get a birth certificate and arrange a passport and residence visa within the time limits set by the authorities.
• Employees are entitled to maternity leave under the labour law, as explained in the working in the UAE guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is health insurance compulsory in the UAE?

It is mandatory in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and the northern emirates are extending mandatory cover to private sector employees. In practice, almost all residents have insurance linked to their visa.

Who pays for my family's health insurance?

In Dubai and Abu Dhabi the employer must cover the employee, and the sponsor is responsible for dependants, although many employers include family in the package. Check your contract.

What should I do in a medical emergency?

Call 998 for an ambulance, or go to the nearest emergency department. Emergency care is available to everyone, and the question of payment is dealt with afterwards.

Can I bring my regular medication into the UAE?

Often yes, but you must carry it in its original packaging with a prescription and a doctor's letter, and some medicines need prior approval from the Ministry of Health and Prevention. Check before you fly.

Where can I get mental health support?

Call 800 HOPE (800 4673) for free national support, speak to your doctor about a referral, or use your insurer's network to find a psychologist or counsellor.