Are you looking for a life change by moving to Dubai? Do you want to know how to make sure you have good health coverage in your new home? Read on to learn all you need to know to make sure you’re protected in medical emergencies!
There are lots of things you need to take care of before you move to another country – have an established place to live, find work, understand all the paperwork, buy your plane tickets, dive into learning a new language…
But one of the many to-dos that often gets left to the wayside is sorting out your health insurance.
Dubai is both an emirate as well as the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (also called UAE). And although the United Arab Emirates gives free public health insurance to its citizens, you won’t be eligible for these benefits as an expat.
Beyond this, Dubai has a law that requires all residents to have health insurance, so it shouldn’t be something you forget to take care of! Luckily, that’s exactly what the list of plans and international health insurance companies below can help you do.
But before we get to your option for international health insurance as an expat in Dubai, let’s first talk a bit about how the health system in Dubai is structured, what the difference is between travel insurance and expat insurance, what the level of coverage that you’ll need is, and much more.
(And do be sure to stay until the end of the article for info on the different types of visas you can apply for to start living, studying, or working in the United Arab Emirates!)
Table of Contents
- 1 How does the health system in Dubai work?
- 2 Do expats need to have health insurance in Dubai?
- 3 As an immigrant in Dubai, should you get an international health plan like the ones recommended on the list below? Or should you get a national plan from the UAE?
- 4 Who can an international health insurance plan cover?
- 5 Why can’t I just get travel insurance for my move to Dubai? What’s the difference between travel insurance and expat insurance?
- 6 What are the 7 best health insurance options for expats and immigrants in Dubai?
- 7 Types of UAE visas you can apply for to live, work, and study in Dubai
- 8 Work visas in the United Arab Emirates
- 9 Student visas in the United Arab Emirates
- 10 To apply for a student visa in Dubai, you’ll need to follow these steps:
- 11 In conclusion…
How does the health system in Dubai work?
No matter the country you live in, you always need to be certain you know how the health system works. Especially in a place like the UAE, which doesn’t offer free healthcare to non-citizens.
However, Dubai does make its health structure available to everyone, including foreigners. In fact, Dubai is one of the most popular destinations for medical tourism in the world! But it’s not always cheap. This is also true for Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the largest emirate, and the second largest city.
Dubai, and the UAE at large, has one of the best public health systems in the world, offering high-quality treatments with top-of-the-line medical technology. To get access to medical services offered by the government, you’ll need to get a UAE health card. However, you can only get this after you’ve been given a national ID or residence card, so you’ll still need to get your own private health insurance plan before then anyway.
You can request your health card through the Dubai Health Authority website or at a medical center. To apply, you’ll need your national ID number and passport. You’ll also need to pay 320 AED if you’re above 18, or 120 AED for anyone under 10 years old.
My recommendation is to request a public health card as soon as you qualify, even if you have private insurance, since there may be certain treatments that your private plan doesn’t cover.
Beyond this, healthcare in Dubai is normally based around “family doctors” for non-urgent and outpatient care. Both adults and children can do these types of visits in hospitals or public or private medical centers. These visits include services like vaccines, prenatal clinics, and gynecological care. In the majority of cases, doctors will attend sick children without an appointment.
To continue, in a 2017 ranking of the top 50 countries with the best healthcare in the world, the United Arab Emirates claimed 24th place, just after countries like the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Canada.
Public hospitals in Dubai offer free emergency care to anyone who doesn’t have a health card. In which case, patients receive a provisional card as soon as they arrive at a hospital’s emergency department.
Although private facilities do also offer emergency treatment, these services can be pricey without comprehensive health insurance. And since the law that required that all residents have health insurance was passed, all hospitals began accepting health insurance cards and now charge insurance companies for any emergency services.
Do expats need to have health insurance in Dubai?
To put it simply: yes! Citizens of the United Arab Emirates have access to free healthcare. But as an expat or immigrant in Dubai, you will be required by law to have your own private health insurance.
That’s why it’s important to make sure you have health insurance coverage like one of the options I list below 😊
But beyond being a requirement, having an international health insurance policy can give you a lot of peace of mind. Especially when you’re in a new country that’s different from your own, with new laws, systems, and a language that you may not know, plus high healthcare costs.
So, having international health insurance coverage will help keep you safe in any unexpected situations or emergencies. Plus, there are a few other benefits of having an international insurance plan (as I’ll explain in the next section).
As an immigrant in Dubai, should you get an international health plan like the ones recommended on the list below? Or should you get a national plan from the UAE?
At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice that depends on your exact medical needs, the coverage you require, the length of your stay in Dubai, and the options available for national plans.
An international health insurance plan should be able to meet all of your coverage needs in Dubai. Though if you do choose to get an international plan, make sure to check with your local United Arab Emirates embassy to make sure it meets the minimum insurance coverage requirement.
I’ve never lived in Dubai or the UAE, so I don’t know enough about the national plans that might be available and thus can’t say too much about those.
With this in mind, below are some reasons that you may want to choose an international health insurance plan rather than seek out public coverage options:
- Depending on the policy you choose, an international health insurance plan can end up costing less per month
- International insurance policies are great if you have a shorter stay in Dubai since you can choose exactly how long you want your plan to be
- International insurance policies are more flexible since you can cancel or extend at any time
- An international insurance policy will give you coverage in other countries, not just in the UAE (that’s why they are called “international” insurance plans)
Who can an international health insurance plan cover?
The health insurance companies that I’ll list below are for the following citizens who live in Dubai as expats, immigrants, workers, or even students:
- Americans
- Canadians
- Australians
- Brazilians
- Citizens of the European Union (Portuguese, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Swedish, Belgian)
- Argentinians
- Brits (English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish)
- Kiwis/New Zealanders
- And for citizens of just about any other country
Beyond expats/immigrants who reside in Dubai, these insurance companies also work for residents who live in:
- The United States
- Canada
- Europe (the European Union or the United Kingdom)
- Japan
- Australia
- And for expats who live in just about any other country in the world
In general, since all these plans and insurance companies are international, they can be used by practically any person in any place since they have worldwide coverage!
Why can’t I just get travel insurance for my move to Dubai? What’s the difference between travel insurance and expat insurance?
Travel insurance is critical for any trip, given that it won’t just cover you in unexpected medical problems or emergencies, but also for issues with your trip like lost luggage or the cancellation of a flight.
That said, it’s important to know that travel insurance is not ideal for immigrants. Although you can find travel insurance policies to cover you for long periods of time, they are made for travelers with temporary stays in a country. Travel insurance coverage isn’t valid for long-term or semi-permanent stays in another country.
Plus, travel insurance won’t meet your health insurance coverage required by law to live in Dubai.
So, you’ll definitely want to choose a travel insurance plan that specifically covers expats. And that’s exactly what I’ll help you with in the list below.
What are the 7 best health insurance options for expats and immigrants in Dubai?
It can be very stressful to find the right insurance plan. With this in mind, take a look at the comparison table of the companies that I recommend below. This way, you can quickly see what the pros and cons are of each company and make the best choice for you!
After the table, I’ll give a longer description of each of the companies, their plans, major benefits, and much more!
That said, the biggest piece of advice I can give is to quickly get a quote with each of the companies on this list before you make your decision. It can take a bit of time, but at the end of the day, you can save a lot of money!
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| BENEFIT | LIMIT | LIMIT | LIMIT | LIMIT | LIMIT | LIMIT | LIMIT |
| Benefit Information | |||||||
| Medical Maximum | Unlimited (for the Platinum plan) | $8,000,000 | The site doesn’t specify | Unlimited | US$1,000,000 per year | The site doesn’t specify | $1,000,000 |
| U.S. In-Network Coinsurance | You choose. From 70%(100% thereafter) to 100% | 100% | No | 60% for maximum coinsurance and then 100% | Yes, for higher fees | Only in emergencies | Yes |
| U.S. Out-of-Network Coinsurance | You choose. From 70%(100% thereafter) to 100% | 90% to $5,000 (100% thereafter) | Yes, for higher fees | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Mental Health Availability | No waiting period | 12-month waiting period | Co-payment of $25 per visit, waived deductible | 75% up to 40 visits / 60% after that | No | Waiting period of 10 months | Depends on the plan |
| Mental Health Benefit | Inpatient and Outpatient: $5,000 lifetime maximum to paid in full depending on the plan | Inpatient and Outpatient: $50,000 lifetime maximum | Co-payment of $250 after deductible | 100% up to 60 days | International and ambulance: limit not specified | ||
| Inpatient Prescription Drugs | $500 to paid in full depending on the plan | Up to $8,000,000 | Yes | Complete reimbursement | Yes | Yes | |
| Outpatient Prescription Drugs | None, unless you buy the International Outpatient Option | Up to $8,000,000 | Complete reimbursement | Yes | Yes | ||
| Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains | Paid in full | Up to $8,000,000 | Yes | Up to $25,000 | No | Up to 10,000 euros | Yes |
| Accidental Death & Dismemberment | Depends on the plan | Rider available, limit depends on age. | $50,000 | Depends on the plan | |||
| Emergency Dental | Paid in full | Up to $8,000,000 | Optional | 1,000 per year, $ 200 per tooth | Yes, however you need to pay an extra fee on top of your plan | Depending on the plan, it’s unlimited | It has coverage in the Diplomat Long Term and Diplomat International plans |
| Treatment Necessary as Result of Terrorism | Up to the amount of the coverage | Rider available up to $50,000-lifetime maximum | Clause available up to maximum of $50,000 in lifetime payments | ||||
| Amateur Sports | Unlimited | Rider available up to $10,000 | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Newborn Care | |||||||
| Routine Nursery Care of a Newborn Child of a Covered Pregnancy | $25,000 to $156,000 depending on the plan | $1,000 additional deductible, $50,000 lifetime maximum, $200 wellness benefit for first 12 months | Yes | Depends on the plan | Can be unlimited depending on the plan | Can be unlimited depending on the plan | |
| Children born as a result of fertility treatment (such as IVF or surrogacy) | Only after the baby is 90 days old | Excluded | Depends on the plan | Excluded | No | ||
| Neonatal Intensive Care Unit | Check website for updated information | $250,000 maximum for first 31 days | No | Up to $250,000 for the first 31 days | No | ||
| Pre-existing Conditions | |||||||
| Pre-existing condition exclusion period | Conditions that are fully disclosed on the application and have not been excluded or restricted by a rider will be covered as any illness | Conditions that are fully disclosed on the application and have not been excluded or restricted by a rider will be covered as any illness | Conditions that are fully disclosed on the application and have not been excluded or restricted by a rider will be covered as any illness | Conditions that are fully disclosed on the application and have not been excluded or restricted by a rider will be covered as any illness | Conditions that are fully disclosed on the application and have not been excluded or restricted by a rider will be covered as any illness | Conditions that are fully disclosed on the application and have not been excluded or restricted by a rider will be covered as any illness | Conditions that are fully disclosed on the application and have not been excluded or restricted by a rider will be covered as any illness |
| Pre-existing condition look back period | Any time prior to effective date | Any time prior to effective date | Any time prior to effective date | Any time prior to effective date | Any time prior to the effective date | Any time prior to the effective date | Any time prior to the effective date |
| Pre-existing annual maximum once covered | Unlimited depending on the plan | Up to $8,000,000 | Unlimited depending on the plan | Unlimited depending on the plan | Full reimbursement | Unlimited depending on the plan | Unlimited depending on the plan |
| Pre-existing lifetime maximum once covered | Unlimited depending on the plan | Up to $8,000,000 | Unlimited depending on the plan | Unlimited depending on the plan | Full reimbursement | Unlimited depending on the plan | Unlimited depending on the plan |
Attention: This article and table are made for informational purposes as the information contained here is subject to changes and updates.
In my opinion, the best international health insurance companies for expats are:
- Cigna
- IMG
- Now Health
- Aetna
- SafetyWing
- Global Underwriters
- Foyer Global Health
1. Cigna 
First up, we have Cigna, a large American insurance company that’s also widespread in Europe. Cigna is a great choice when we talk about international health insurance.
With more than 60 years of operating on the market, Cigna is well-known for its insurance and has more than 170 million clients around the world. My partner, Nikki, actually purchased a health insurance plan from Cigna in order to qualify for her residence card in Sweden.
Cigna has a wide range of plans for you to choose from, including plans made specifically for expats (and which work great if you’re going to be moving to Dubai!), plus both individual and family plans).
One of the biggest advantages of an insurance plan with Cigna is that you can add benefits to your plan based on the specific medical care you need to have covered. You can choose from Cigna’s Silver, Platinum, or Gold plan, all of which include coverage in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.
If you’re looking for a cheap health insurance plan for Dubai, a great option is Cigna’s Close Care plan. This plan is the most budget-friendly one that Cigna offers since it only includes coverage for your home country and the country you’re a resident of (the United Arab Emirates, in this case).
Pros of an international health insurance plan with Cigna:
- Customer service available 24 hours 7 days a week
- Flexibility to make changes to and tailor the plan for your specific medical needs
- Includes coverage for Covid-19 and PRC tests
- No registration needed to get a quote
- They have a digital system that lets you easily find hospitals and clinics near you
- Normally, Cigna will pay health providers directly so you won’t need to request reimbursement
Cons of an international health insurance plan with Cigna:
- Some of their plans don’t cover maternity care
2. IMG 
One more well-known company in the world of international insurance is IMG, which has more than 25 years of experience and 3 subsidiaries worldwide.
IMG has several types of plans for you to choose from, whether as an individual or as an entire family. They also have a variety of plans made specifically for various types of travelers, including expats. You’ll see that you’ll have the option for both long-stay plans of a year or more as well as for much shorter time periods.
IMG’s website is easy to use and search plans on since you can use filters for date, plan length, destination, and much more. Beyond these filters, you can also add in personal details like your age and specific medical needs before seeing your coverage options.
This way, IMG can get you a personalized and detailed quote that lets you easily compare your options for plans and coverage and figure out which is best for you.
Just keep the specific details of each plan in mind since some of them don’t cover certain age groups and not all of them cover Covid-19.
Pros of an international health insurance plan with IMG:
- Customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Flexibility to customize your plan and coverage limits
- Ability to choose from more than 17,000 in-network doctors
Cons of an international health insurance plan with IMG:
- They don’t have Covid-19 coverage, depending on the plan
- They don’t offer coverage for individuals above 75
As the name implies, Now Health International has a clear mission: to offer a service that is efficient, affordable, and easily accessible. The company places great importance on establishing a strong customer relationship. They provide comprehensive and user-friendly plan information, and any queries or concerns are promptly addressed by their dedicated customer support team.
Now Health plans are designed with the specific needs of expatriates in mind, addressing the everyday challenges of living abroad. They aim to provide guidance and ensure access to high-quality healthcare services across the globe.
Pros of an international health insurance plan with Now Health:
- Customized plans according to your needs
- Clear information and excellent customer service team
- Provides coverage in 194 countries and territories
- Plans with high coverage routine maternity coverage
Cons of an international health insurance plan with Now Health:
- You must wait a 12-month grace period to use maternity coverage.
- In some procedures, it is necessary to use the company’s reimbursement system, which means that you would have to pay for your care initially
4. Aetna (acquired by Allianz) 
Aetna is a leader and award winner in the area of international insurance. If you’re in search of safety and credibility in your choice of insurance provider before your move to Dubai, Aetna is a good company to consider.
Although they don’t have a large variety of plans on offer, the ones they do have give you the flexibility to adjust and add on complementary coverage (like dental care). Depending on the policy, some include coverage of up to 5 million USD.
You can choose from family or individual plans, as well as include coverage for repatriation and medical evacuations.
As an expat, I can recommend the Aetna Pioneer plan. This plan has basic coverage of up to 1.75 million USD. Just fill out the short form on their website to get an exact quote and detailed information about all of the available policies.
Pros of an international health insurance plan with Aetna:
- Maternity care is covered
- Aetna has a mobile app to help you easily find nearby medical services and providers
- Short-, mid-, and long-term plans to choose from
- Customer services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Pre-trip assistance available to help answer your questions on things like vaccines and accessing regularly-used medications while traveling
Cons of an international health insurance plan with Aetna:
- Few plans to choose from
- Cost of plans above the average of the other companies on this list
5. SafetyWing 
SafetyWing is a popular and well-known company particularly for insurance for digital nomads, given that they have insurance plans specifically for remote workers and companies, expats, and digital nomads.
One of the advantages of SafetyWing is that its policies are a little more accessible and easier to understand than the other options on the market. SafetyWing also covers children aged 2-10 for free if their caretakers have a plan with them.
Each plan has a specific price that depends on your age. The cheapest SafetyWing plan doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, but it does have coverage of up to 250,000 USD. Though you do have the freedom to add additional pre-existing condition coverage separately if you need to.
What I like most about SafetyWing is that they offer 30 days of coverage for free in your home country for every 90 days that you use it overseas, like in Dubai or the EAU in general.
Pros of an international health insurance plan with SafetyWing:
- Modern, intuitive website that makes it easy to find policy info
- Customer services available 24 hours a day every day of the week
- 30 days of coverage given for free in your home country for every 90 days of coverage overseas
- They cover Covid-19 and treatments recommended by specialists
Cons of an international health insurance plan with SafetyWing:
- Plans aren’t quite as complete and tend to have lower coverage overall than some of the other options on this list
- The prices shown on the website don’t include taxes and fees
Global Underwriters is another well-known and very popular company when we talk about insurance. They have policies that serve immigrants, students, digital nomads, and expats with will be beginning a new life elsewhere in the world.
For anyone who is moving to Dubai, I recommend the Diplomat long Term or the Diplomat International Plan. Both have very complete medical coverage that in general includes all that an expat may need in their new home.
Pros of an international health insurance plan with Global Underwriters:
- Up to 1 million USD in medical coverage is included in the plans cited above, plus 1 million USD in coverage for cases of accidental death or dismemberment
- Client support available 24 hours a day each day of the week
- The plans I mentioned include emergency dental coverage, medical evacuation, and repatriation of mortal remains
Cons of an international health insurance plan with Global Underwriters:
- The Diplomat Long Term plan doesn’t protect travelers in Iran, Afghanistan, or Cuba
- The Diplomat International plan doesn’t have Covid-19 coverage
- Global Underwriters doesn’t work with residents of Australia, Iran, South Dakota, Maryland, or New York
Foyer Global Health is renowned for its international health insurance plans for travelers, expats, digital nomads, and immigrants.
They are a company with many, many plans to choose from (probably more than any other company you’ll find out there), as well as being a trustworthy organization (they are part of the larger European Foyer Group).
Pros of an international health insurance plan with Foyer Global Health:
- All plans include coverage for dental surgeries, appointments, and treatments
- Customer service available online by email or by phone 24/7
- Includes pre-trip preparation support on vaccinations and in preparing a first aid kit
- Coverage available for evacuation and repatriation
Cons of an international health insurance plan with Foyer Global Health:
- The limits of their plans aren’t very clear
Bonus
– GeoBlue 
GeoBlue has spent 20 years providing insurance plans with international health coverage.
But GeoBlue only allows their plans to be purchased by citizens and residents of the United States. So if you aren’t an American citizen or green card holder moving to Dubai, you can skip this option.
GeoBlue has health plans for all types of travelers, including immigrants. Their Xplorer Essential plan is the one I most often recommend since it’s made for long stays overseas and has unlimited coverage.
But if you’re looking for a shorter plan, take a look at GeoBlue’s Voyager option. Just fill out the form on their website or reach out to an insurance broker to get a quote and more detailed information about their plans.
Pros of an international health insurance plan with GeoBlue:
- They have an app with resources like telehealth
- 24/7 customer services
- All of their plans include unlimited coverage
Cons of an international health insurance plan with GeoBlue:
- Their plans are only available for residents of the United States or American citizens
- Not a lot of flexibility in their plans
- You need to fill out a form or contact an insurance broker to get more information and an exact budget for their plans
Types of UAE visas you can apply for to live, work, and study in Dubai
Before moving to Dubai and seeking out your work permit, you’ll need to figure out what type of visa you qualify for and need to apply for to enter the United Arab Emirates. The UAE has a variety of visas and entry permits for foreigners, including:
- Tourist/visit visas
- Student visas
- Work visas
- Transit visas
- Multi-entrance visas
- Medical treatment visas
Some foreigners, depending on where they are from, who plan to get work and residence permits in Dubai will have to begin the process by first getting an entry permit. But many citizens – including Americans, Brits, Australians, Canadians, and more, don’t need a specific entry permit.
Below are the two types of visas most often requested for new immigrants/expats moving to Dubai.
Work visas in the United Arab Emirates
In Dubai, the employer is responsible for getting the visas and permits necessary for foreign workers. The employer is also required to cover any visa fees. Here’s the overall process:
- The employer requests approval from the Ministry of Work to hire a foreign worker
- The Ministry emits an entry permit that works throughout the UAE and lasts for a 30-day trial period
- The worker travels to Dubai. On arrival, they have 60 days to apply for a residence visa.
- At this same time, the employer will begin the process of requesting a work authorization (also called a work permit)
- The worker visits an Emirati ID service center with their passport and valid entry visa to receive their official identification document
- The worker will then go to a government hospital for a medical exam
- The worker will apply for a residence visa from the immigration authorities
- The worker will bring all the required documents to the Department of Naturalization and Residence in Dubai (DNRD), where the residence visa will be stamped in their passport
After receiving all the proper residence and work permits, the worker can begin work in Dubai.
Student visas in the United Arab Emirates
Before requesting a student visa, you first need to check if you meet the eligibility criteria for being a student in Dubai. Before applying for this type of visa, candidates must first complete all the paperwork to apply for the university they’ve chosen.
These are the documents necessary to request a student visa in Dubai:
- A valid passport
- Four color copies of your passport
- Recent passport-sized photos with a white background
- Acceptance letter received from an Emirati university
- Bank extract proving funds to support self financially
- A letter from the university if they’ll be staying in university housing
- Copy of tuition fee receipt for the current year of the study program
- Copy of the visa fee receipt for the current year of the study program
- Post-graduate students will need to show their diploma
- As soon as the student arrives in Dubai, they’ll need to go through a medical exam at an authorized medical center
- This test will generally include a chest x-ray for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Leprosy, Syphilis, Tuberculous
- If any of the results come back positive, the student will be deported (except for syphilis, which can be treated)
The student visa is valid for 12 months, so students will have to renew annually if they stay beyond that. Short-term visas will be given for programs less than 12 months, but the application process should be begun 1 or 2 months before the start of the semester.
To apply for a student visa in Dubai, you’ll need to follow these steps:
- Students should fill out a visa application form and attach a passport-sized photograph to it
- Alongside the form, students should attach all the requested documents
- Then they should mail their application to the visa application center in Dubai
- When the visa is approved, go to the visa application center to pick up a copy
In sum…
Here are the 7 best health insurance companies for expats and immigrants moving to Dubai:
- Cigna
- IMG
- Now Health
- Aetna
- SafetyWing
- Global Underwriters
- Foyer Global Health
In conclusion…
Deciding to begin life in a new country can be complicated…I hope that this article can help you simplify a lot of your doubts about this process!
But if you still have any questions about getting health insurance before your move to Dubai (or about moving overseas in general), let me know in the comments area below and I’ll get back to you!