Health Insurance Mandatory For UAE

20 Feb 2013

The visitors to the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, should do well to note that health insurance for them has been made mandatory. The UAE government has signed an agreement with the Gulf-based Noor Takaful Islamic Insurance to issue health insurance policies to visitors. The policies bought by visitors will also be accepted if they meet certain criteria.

A senior official from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai explained that the rule for mandatory health insurance was implemented five years ago by the UAE government. Therefore, everyone applying for a visit or tourist visa to any of the Emirates needs to have health insurance, regardless of the nationality, age or gender. Only nationalities that can avail of visas on arrival are exempt.

As for Indians, they may get the visitor visa either in Delhi or Mumbai or those flying on Emirates ticket. Anyway you need to clarify the matter with the respective airline before flying.

Major-General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director-General of the GDRFA, has further explained that tourists and visitors can receive free treatment in case of emergency as per the visa health insurance rules and regulations. “A ministerial decision number 322 for the year 2008 makes health insurance mandatory to obtain any type of visit visa to the UAE. The rule came into effect in August in the same year,” he adds.