Group Health Insurance in the UAE

Yes. Under Abu Dhabi Law No. 23 of 2005, employers must provide health insurance for every employee they sponsor, plus one spouse and up to three children under 18. The Department of Health (DOH) regulates this, and valid cover is required for visa issuance and renewal. Since January 2025, employer-provided health insurance has been mandatory across all seven emirates, though rules on dependants differ by emirate.

A group health plan typically covers inpatient treatment (hospital stays and surgery), outpatient care (doctor and specialist visits), diagnostics, prescribed medicines, emergency treatment and maternity care. In Abu Dhabi, every plan must meet the Department of Health (DOH) minimum benefits. Employers can add extras such as dental, optical, wider hospital networks or international cover, often with different plan levels for different staff grades.

Yes. In Abu Dhabi, it's required: employers must insure each sponsored employee's spouse and up to three children under 18. Additional children, or dependants in other emirates, can usually be added to the company plan too, with the cost either paid by the employer or shared with the employee, depending on company policy.

It depends on the insurer. In our experience placing group medical cover in Abu Dhabi, most SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) plans start from 11 employees, while Daman offers SME group plans from 6 employees. Smaller businesses may be offered micro-group products, which usually require each member to complete a medical questionnaire and can cost more per person. A broker can compare which insurers accept your group size and on what terms.

Insurers price group plans mainly on the number of members, their ages and gender mix, the number of dependants, the plan level and hospital network chosen, and any co-payments. For established groups, the claims history from previous years is often the biggest factor at renewal: a group with high claims usage will usually see a larger increase. A broker can structure plan levels and co-payments to manage the cost without cutting essential cover.

We recommend starting 30 to 45 days before the policy expires. That gives enough time to get the claims report from the current insurer, request competing quotes, compare terms and finalise changes without risking a gap in cover, which could delay employee visa renewals.

An insurer can only offer its own products, while a broker compares plans from several insurers and negotiates terms on the client's behalf. Broker commission is built into the insurer's premium, so using a broker doesn't add to the client's cost. The broker also helps with plan design, renewals, adding and removing staff, and claims issues throughout the year. Al Berwaz Insurance Brokers is licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE (Registration No. 081), and is authorised to arrange health insurance by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (Certificate No. B013) and the Dubai Health Authority (Permit BRK-00146).