Dubai Health Insurance Law

Makes health insurance compulsory for nationals, residents and visitors in Dubai. Employers must insure workers at their own cost, may not pass it on, and must keep cover valid; a policy is required to issue or renew residence permits. Fines run from AED 500 to 150,000, doubled for repeat offences. Implemented by DHA Administrative Resolution No. 78 of 2022.

Summary

Law No. 11 of 2013 makes health insurance compulsory in the Emirate of Dubai and puts the cost on employers and sponsors. Issued in Dubai on 24 November 2013, it came into force 60 days after publication in the Official Gazette (Article 32) and remains in force, administered by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) with the detail set by implementing resolutions of the Executive Council Chairman.

Article 4 applies the law across the whole Emirate, including special development zones and free zones such as the DIFC, to nationals, residents, visitors, employers, sponsors, insurers, claims management companies, brokers and healthcare providers. Article 6 prohibits any regulated health insurance activity without a one-year renewable DHA authorisation. Article 7 makes enrolment of nationals, residents and visitors mandatory and leaves the phasing of the roll-out to resolutions of the Executive Council Chairman. Article 8 sets the minimum each category receives: nationals the preventive and curative package set by the DHA, residents at least the basic coverage provided by their employer or sponsor, visitors DHA-approved emergency care. Article 9 allocates responsibility: the Government enrols nationals, employers enrol employees, sponsors enrol dependants who have no employer, and the enrolling party bears the cost.

Article 10 lists the employer's duties: enrol employees under the employer's own policy, bear the cost and not charge it to the employee, keep the insurance valid throughout the service period, pay emergency treatment costs for any uninsured employee, issue health insurance cards and produce a policy when issuing or renewing employees' residence permits. Article 11 imposes the same duties on sponsors for the people they sponsor. Article 17 provides that cover ends with the policy period, the beneficiary's death or the end of the relationship with the enrolling entity, with a resident whose permit is cancelled keeping cover for the period set by law. Article 18 makes anyone who breaches policy terms or gives false information pay the full cost of services at DHA rates. Article 21 lets the DHA make its dispute system a mandatory step before court or arbitration, and Article 28 has it coordinate with the permit authorities so that every residence permit holder has a valid policy.

Article 23 sets the sanctions: fines of not less than AED 500 and not more than AED 150,000 per violation, with the schedule fixed by resolution, doubled for a repeat within one year subject to a cap of AED 500,000, plus warnings, suspension of activity for up to two years and revocation of authorisation. Article 25 gives a written grievance to the Director General within 30 days, decided by a committee within 30 days. Article 27 gave existing policies and employers one year to comply after the law took effect. The DHA's current violations schedule is Administrative Resolution No. 78 of 2022, which is not listed on the legislation portal page.

Who it applies to

Every employer and sponsor in the Emirate of Dubai, including companies in DMCC, Meydan, Dubai South, IFZA, JAFZA and the DIFC, in respect of their employees and sponsored dependants; UAE nationals, residents and visitors as beneficiaries; and insurers, claims management companies, brokers and healthcare providers operating in Dubai, all under DHA authorisation.

Contents

English official text in 30 articles. Open the full text or jump to a provision:

1. Article 3 — This
2. Article 4 — This
3. Article 5
4. Article 6
5. Article 7
6. Article 8
7. Article 9 — Responsibility for enrolment in Health
8. Article 10
9. Article 11
10. Article 12
11. Article 13
12. Article 14
13. Article 15 — A Health
14. Article 16
15. Article 17
16. Article 18
17. Article 19
18. Article 20
19. Article 21
20. Article 22
21. Article 23
22. Article 24
23. Article 25
24. Article 26
25. Article 27
26. Article 28
27. Article 29 — All
28. Article 30
29. Article 31
30. Article 32 — This

Key provisions

Obligations and deadlines

• Enrol every employee in at least the DHA basic benefit plan under the employer's own policy (Article 10).
• Bear the full premium; do not charge any part of it to the employee (Article 10).
• Keep each employee's cover valid for the whole service period and renew before expiry (Article 10).
• Produce a valid policy when issuing or renewing each employee's residence permit (Article 10).
• Sponsors: insure dependants who have no employer cover on the same terms (Article 11).
• Pay emergency treatment costs for any employee or dependant left uninsured (Articles 10 and 11).
• Lodge any grievance against a DHA penalty within 30 days (Article 25).

Penalties

Article 23: a fine of not less than AED 500 and not more than AED 150,000 for each violation, with the specific amounts set by resolution; a repeat violation within one year doubles the fine subject to a cap of AED 500,000. The DHA may also issue warnings, suspend the violator's activity for up to two years and revoke its authorisation. Civil and criminal liability under other laws is unaffected.

History and citations

No amendments, repeals or cross-references recorded for this instrument.

“Cites” and “Cited by” are built automatically from references in the full texts held in this library; they cover only instruments in the library.

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