The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has issued new guidance clarifying the existing health insurance procedures applicable to the issuance and renewal of certain work permits.
Clarification of Obligations
Importantly, MoHRE has confirmed that the guidance does not introduce any new obligations for employers. Rather, it clarifies and formalises existing procedures and further integrates verification of health insurance coverage into MoHRE’s electronic work permit processes.
Under the guidance, a work permit cannot be issued or renewed unless a valid health insurance policy for the employee has been verified through the relevant systems. The policy must meet the minimum coverage requirements and remain valid throughout the duration of the work permit.
Employers are responsible for the cost of obtaining and renewing the required health insurance coverage. Employers must also ensure that a policy is not cancelled during the validity of the work permit where doing so would leave the employee without health insurance coverage.
The guidance follows the completion of the United Arab Emirates’ nationwide health insurance framework at the beginning of 2025, which extended mandatory health insurance coverage to private-sector employees and domestic workers in the Northern Emirates, complementing the health insurance regimes already operating in other emirates.
What Does This Mean for Employers?
While the guidance does not create new substantive obligations, it reinforces the link between health insurance compliance and work permit applications. The electronic integration of the two processes means that a failure to maintain the required insurance coverage may prevent or delay the issuance or renewal of an employee’s work permit.
Employers should therefore ensure that their human resources, immigration, and insurance processes are appropriately coordinated and that employees maintain compliant health insurance coverage throughout the work permit validity period. The guidance forms part of the United Arab Emirates’ continued efforts to streamline employment-related government processes through digital integration.