Health insurance and bringing family

Under Dubai Law No. 11 of 2013, health insurance is mandatory in Dubai; the law requires enrolment of UAE nationals, residents and visitors.

Employers in Dubai, including free zone employers, must provide health insurance to employees; sponsors must cover the persons they sponsor who have no employer (e.g. dependants).

Employers must bear the full cost of employee premiums and may not deduct it from salary.

The Essential Benefits Plan (EBP) is the minimum level of health insurance coverage mandated by the Dubai Health Authority.

Law No. 11 of 2013 requires employers to produce a health insurance policy when issuing or renewing employees' residence permits, and DHA coordinates with visa-issuing authorities on this.

Employers or sponsors who fail to provide health insurance face penalties under Dubai Law No. 11 of 2013.

To sponsor family as a UAE resident, the sponsor must have a minimum salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.

Expatriate residents may sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25, and children with special needs.

Sponsored family members aged 18 or over must pass a medical fitness test at an approved centre.

For sponsoring parents (and parents-in-law), GDRFA Dubai's humanitarian-cases page lists a minimum salary of AED 10,000, an attested tenancy contract suitable for family size and three months of bank statements.