From 1 January 2025, Dubai/Abu-Dhabi is no longer a concern with regards to health insurance, as it is now a nationwide, legal requirement. All private-sector employers in the seven emirates are now required to provide insurance for all workers before a residence visa can be issued or renewed — and it isn’t as simple as a mere headache. It involves blocked visas, visa renewals that are denied, and fines, which go up to AED 150,000 per month depending on the emirate.
If you’re not certain your current policy actually meets the legal minimum, this is worth five minutes of your time.
The Law, in plain terms
Over two decades the UAE has built its health insurance scheme in stages.
Abu Dhabi — mandatory since 2006 under Law No. 23 of 2005, enforced by the Department of Health (DoH). Employers here must also cover the employee’s spouse and up to three children under 18.
Dubai — mandatory since 2014 under DHA Law No. 11 of 2013, enforced by the Dubai Health Authority. Every employer would be required to cover staff salary of AED 4,000/month or less with at least the Essential Benefits Plan (EBP).
Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah — mandatory nationwide since 1 January 2025, following a UAE Cabinet decision that closed the last gap in coverage.
In all emirates, the following is the important principle – the minimum annual benefit paid per employee is AED 150,000 and the employer is not allowed to withhold this from an employee’s salary.
What Happens If You Get This Wrong
It’s not a ‘renew it in the end’ thing. Non-compliance carries real, immediate consequences:
- Residence visa applications and renewals get blocked at the source
- Monthly fines that scale up to AED 150,000 depending on the emirate and duration of non-compliance
- In rare instances, their labour cards are suspended.
- Trade license renewal complications
For a growing business juggling payroll, visas, and operations, an out-of-date or non-compliant policy is one of the easiest things to miss — and one of the most expensive to miss.
Why “Cheapest Policy” Is the Wrong Question
Most business owners shop for insurance the same way they’d shop for office supplies — lowest price wins. But the real cost of a policy shows up at claim time, not at purchase time. A policy that’s technically compliant but backed by a weak hospital network or slow claims process can leave an employee waiting on treatment during an actual emergency — which defeats the entire purpose of having coverage.
The right question isn’t “what’s the cheapest EBP-compliant plan?” It’s “what’s the most efficient plan for my team’s actual profile”.
This Is Where Devenir Makes It Simple
Getting compliant coverage shouldn’t mean navigating three different regulators and a dozen insurer websites on your own. Through Devenir’s partnership with Oriental Insurance — a group with over 65 years in the market, 400+ collaborative partners, and a 98% customer satisfaction rate — we handle the entire process for you:
- Confirming exactly what coverage your business is legally required to provide, based on your emirate and employee salary bands.
- Matching your team to the right plan tier (from EBP-compliant essentials to enhanced corporate plans like Oriental EBP Plus, with access to networks like Mednet and NAS TPA).
- Managing renewals so you’re never caught off guard by a lapsed policy at visa renewal time
- Supporting your team directly if a claim needs to be filed
Don’t wait for a blocked visa renewal to find out your coverage isn’t compliant.
Get a free health insurance compliance check for your business →
Sources: Dubai Health Authority Law No. 11 of 2013; Abu Dhabi Department of Health Law No. 23 of 2005; UAE Cabinet Decision (effective 1 January 2025) extending mandatory coverage nationwide.
