Is health insurance mandatory for a domestic worker in the UAE?
Yes. Domestic worker health insurance is mandatory in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where a sponsor must hold the health cover for a domestic worker before the worker's residence permit is issued or renewed.
Learn About Health Insurance Understand your mandatory health insurance requirements in the UAE.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) states that from 1 January 2025 employers must buy a policy before a residence permit is issued or renewed for private sector employees and domestic workers (MoHRE, December 2024).
The UAE government portal describes the system as mandatory in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The portal says the system "will extend to private sector workers in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah" (UAE government portal, updated 8 September 2026).
The system does not apply to work permits issued before 1 January 2024 that remain valid, and it applies at renewal. The steps for the visa itself are in the guide to health insurance for a UAE residence visa.
Who arranges a domestic worker's health insurance?
The sponsor arranges the cover when no employer does. A household that employs a nanny, driver, cook or housekeeper is the sponsor in that case.
In Dubai, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) sets a minimum standard of cover for employers and for residents who sponsor family members and household workers, and a sponsor arranges cover when no employer does (DHA, reported by Khaleej Times, 2022). In Abu Dhabi, employers and sponsors provide cover for employees and families (UAE government portal, 2025).
Which plan applies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates?
Dubai and Abu Dhabi each run their own minimum plan, and MoHRE's Basic Health Insurance Scheme is the plan the UAE government portal says will extend to the Northern Emirates.
Emirate | Plan | Who sets it | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|
Dubai | Essential Benefits Plan | Dubai Health Authority (DHA) | Dubai Health Authority sets the Essential Benefits Plan. The UAE health insurance law guide lists its terms. |
Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi Basic Plan | Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH) | The mandated insurer's published figures (plan sheet, consulted October 2026), not a DoH minimum: an annual limit of AED 250,000 per person, emergency cover within the UAE only, a six-month waiting period for pre-existing conditions, outpatient care fully covered in network, 70% pharmaceutical cover in network, and no dental or optical cover. |
Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah | Basic Health Insurance Scheme | MoHRE | Key limits are in the next section. |
The plan differs by emirate, so confirm the emirate first. The table lists the Dubai plan by name only, because the UAE health insurance law guide holds its terms. The Abu Dhabi limits are one insurer's published figures, so check them against the plan you buy.
For Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, the UAE government portal's wording is the current published position (updated 8 September 2026). A sponsor in one of those emirates confirms the current position with MoHRE before buying a policy.
What MoHRE's basic package covers, and what it does not
MoHRE's basic package costs AED 320 per year, covers people aged 1 to 64 and sets a co-payment on inpatient, outpatient and medication care.
MoHRE's scheme sets these terms. The Dubai and Abu Dhabi plans are separate. The table below follows MoHRE's announcement of 16 December 2024 and the UAE government portal.
Term | What the package sets |
|---|---|
Price | AED 320 per year |
Inpatient co-payment | 20%, capped at AED 500 per visit and AED 1,000 a year including medications. Above that cap, the insurer pays 100%. |
Outpatient co-payment | 25%, capped at AED 100 per visit. No co-payment on a follow-up for the same condition within 7 days. |
Medication co-payment | Capped at 30%, with an annual cap of AED 1,500 |
Chronic conditions | No waiting period |
Ages | 1 to 64. Over 64 needs a medical disclosure form and recent medical reports. |
Network | 7 hospitals, 46 clinics and medical centres, 45 pharmacies |
Dependants of the worker | The same benefits and pricing, as the policy specifies |
Read the table in two parts. The first rows set what the household pays: AED 320 per year, then a co-payment on inpatient, outpatient and medication care. The caps limit that cost: AED 1,000 a year on inpatient care including medications, and AED 1,500 a year on medications.
A 46-clinic network and a 20% inpatient co-payment make this a minimum-compliance plan, not comprehensive care. For many households it is the right purchase. A sponsor who wants wider benefits can compare market pricing in the guide to UAE medical insurance prices.
How to buy a policy for a domestic worker
Since 1 January 2025, a sponsor buys the MoHRE package from an accredited insurer, through the Insurance Pool website, a smart application or a business service centre (MoHRE, 2024).
Confirm the emirate and the plan that applies.
Choose an accredited insurer.
Apply with the worker's details.
Pay for the policy.
Keep the policy certificate for the residence permit application.
Step 1 comes first because Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates are not interchangeable. The plan, the insurer's network and the limits all follow the emirate.
Contact Us Speak with a HAYAH advisor about your coverage needs.
Policy term and visa cancellation
A policy under MoHRE's scheme lasts two years, and the second-year premium can be refunded if the visa is cancelled (MoHRE, 2024).
The price of MoHRE's basic package is AED 320 per year, and the policy runs for two years. The refund applies to the second-year premium when the visa is cancelled.
What to check before choosing a plan
Compare any plan on five points: the annual benefit limit, the co-payment per visit, the network, the waiting period for pre-existing conditions and the age band.
Annual limit: the most the policy pays in one year.
Co-payment: the share of each visit the household pays.
Network: the hospitals, clinics and pharmacies where the policy applies.
Waiting period: the time before cover starts for pre-existing conditions.
Age band: the ages the policy accepts.
You should read the policy schedule for these five points before you buy. A comprehensive plan differs from a minimum plan on most of them. The guide to health insurance in the UAE covers the whole topic.
Arranging health cover through HAYAH
HAYAH, a UAE-licensed life and health insurance provider regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE, offers MyHEALTH for UAE residents aged 65 or below, subject to full medical underwriting.
A HAYAH advisor explains MyHEALTH's benefits and underwriting steps and answers questions about your own coverage needs. Underwriting means HAYAH reviews your medical history before it offers cover, so the advisor walks through that review with you.
Compare Individual Plans Individual health plans for UAE residents aged 65 or below, subject to medical underwriting.
Frequently asked questions
Is health insurance compulsory for a domestic worker in Dubai?
Yes. Health insurance for a domestic worker is mandatory in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. From 1 January 2025, employers must buy a policy before a residence permit is issued or renewed for private sector employees and domestic workers (MoHRE, December 2024).
Who arranges a domestic worker's health insurance, the sponsor or the worker?
The sponsor arranges it when no employer does. In Dubai, DHA sets a minimum standard of cover for employers and for residents who sponsor household workers (DHA, reported by Khaleej Times, 2022). In Abu Dhabi, employers and sponsors provide cover (UAE government portal, 2025).
How much does MoHRE's basic package cost?
MoHRE's basic package costs AED 320 per year (MoHRE, December 2024). The policy runs for two years, and the second-year premium can be refunded if the visa is cancelled. The package covers ages 1 to 64, and dependants of the worker receive the same benefits and pricing, as the policy specifies.
Does a domestic worker over 64 need different cover?
The basic package covers ages 1 to 64. Over 64, MoHRE requires a medical disclosure form and recent medical reports (MoHRE, December 2024). Check the age band, the annual limit and the waiting period for pre-existing conditions on any plan you compare before you buy.
Do the Northern Emirates require health insurance for domestic workers?
The UAE government portal describes the system as mandatory in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The portal says the system "will extend to private sector workers in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah" (UAE government portal, updated 8 September 2026).
Sources and regulatory references
This guide draws on MoHRE, the UAE government portal, DHA, DoH and the Central Bank of the UAE licence statement.
MoHRE announcement (16 December 2024)
UAE government portal, "Getting a health insurance" (updated 8 September 2026)
DHA statement reported by Khaleej Times (2022)
Abu Dhabi Basic Plan sheet from the mandated insurer (consulted October 2026)
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or insurance advice. Health insurance regulations, costs, and plan terms change regularly. Always verify current requirements with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH), or a licensed insurance advisor before making coverage decisions. HAYAH Insurance is licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE).