EHS Health Card in The UAE: How to Apply, Fees and Eligibility

The EHS Health Card gives UAE citizens, GCC citizens, residents, and visitors discounted access to government hospitals and health centres run by Emirates Health Services. A health card is different from private health insurance, and the two work best together.

This guide covers everything about the EHS health card in the UAE application process: real fees by category, required documents, eligibility, and where you can actually use it.

Quick Answer

You can apply for an EHS Health Card online through Emirates Health Services using UAE Pass. Fees start from AED 20 for UAE and GCC citizens and AED 100 for expatriate residents. The card provides discounted treatment at EHS government hospitals and health centres.

At a Glance

Detail	Answer
Fee	AED 20 to 100
Validity	1 to 5 years
Apply online	Yes
UAE Pass required	Yes
Applies to	Citizens, GCC nationals, residents, visitors, People of Determination

Latest Updates (October 2026)

• Checked 19 October 2026: fees are unchanged on the EHS service pages. Citizens and GCC residents pay AED 20, expatriate residents pay AED 100, plus the AED 15 smart fee.
• Visitor cards: EHS now lists AED 50 for GCC visitors (1 year) and AED 100 for other visitors (3 months). We have added both to the fee table.
• No plastic card needed: EHS links the card to your ID, and your Emirates ID can be shown at EHS facilities instead.

What Is the EHS Health Card?

The EHS health card is an official card issued by Emirates Health Services that gives holders discounted access to public healthcare facilities across the UAE. It’s linked directly to your Emirates ID once issued, and cardholders avoid an additional 20% service charge that’s applied to patients without one at EHS facilities.

You do not need to carry a plastic card. EHS says the card is linked to your ID card, and the ID card can be shown for treatment at its facilities instead of the health card, according to the official EHS service page.

EHS Health Card vs Health Insurance: What’s the Difference?

	EHS Health Card	Health Insurance
Access	Government hospitals and health centres	Private hospitals within your insurer’s network
Cost	One-time or renewal fee, AED 20 to 100	Ongoing premium
Best for	Affordable government healthcare access	Broader private treatment coverage

Having both gives the widest flexibility. Neither replaces the other, and skipping private health insurance entirely still carries its own health insurance fines in the UAE, separate from anything to do with this card. Already covered privately? An insurance status check with your Emirates ID takes a couple of minutes.

Who Can Apply for an EHS Health Card in the UAE?

• UAE citizens
• GCC citizens, both residents and visitors
• Expatriate residents
• Visitors to the UAE
• People of Determination, a distinct application track covered separately below

EHS Health Card UAE Fees by Category

Category	Fee	Validity
UAE citizen	AED 20	5 years
GCC resident	AED 20	5 years
GCC visitor	AED 50	1 year
Expatriate resident	AED 100	1 year
Expatriate visitor	AED 100	3 months
People of Determination	AED 50	1 year

All categories also pay an AED 15 Smart Application Fee, plus any bank service charge. Typing centres add their own charges on top. Visitor fees and validity are taken from the EHS health card fee page.

Documents Required

Standard Application

• Valid Emirates ID
• Family Book, for UAE citizens specifically

For a Newborn

• Birth certificate
• Passports of both parents
• Emirates IDs of both parents, if applicable
• Residence permits of both parents, if applicable

For People of Determination

• Copy of valid Emirates ID
• Copy of valid passport
• Valid residence copy
• A medical report from a government medical facility, no older than 3 months

How to Apply for an EHS Health Card

1. Go to the EHS website, open Services, and under Health Certificate And Records Services click Issuing a health card.

1. On the EHS services portal, click Sign in with digital ID and log in with UAE Pass.

1. Select whether you’re applying for yourself or on someone else’s behalf
2. Choose your category: UAE citizen, GCC citizen, expatriate, or Person of Determination
3. Confirm your details, most are pre-filled through UAE Pass
4. Review and pay the applicable fee
5. Receive confirmation by SMS once approved, your card is then linked to your Emirates ID

Other Ways to Apply

• Through a registered typing centre
• In person at any EHS-operated hospital or health centre

Processing time: standard applications are usually linked to your Emirates ID as soon as payment is confirmed. People of Determination applications take about 8 working days, including 7 working days for the medical committee review.

Applying for the People of Determination Health Card

This card has its own process:

• Available to expatriates specifically, UAE nationals with disabilities use the standard national health card instead
• Requires review and approval from a medical committee before issuance
• Processing takes about 8 working days, including 7 working days for the medical committee review
• A user can submit up to 10 applications a year

EHS Health Card Benefits

• No extra 20% service charge on treatment at EHS hospitals and health centres.
• One card for EHS facilities in every emirate, including Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah, where most EHS sites are.
• Low cost. AED 20 for five years for citizens, or AED 100 a year for expatriate residents.
• Nothing to carry. The card sits on your Emirates ID.

What it does not do: it is not insurance, it does not pay your bills at private hospitals, and it does not replace the health insurance your visa needs.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Northern Emirates: Which Health Card Applies?

Many people search for a “Dubai health card” or “health card Sharjah”. The answer depends on who runs the hospital, not the emirate you live in.

Where you get treated	What applies
EHS hospitals and centres (most of Sharjah, Ajman, RAK, UAQ, Fujairah, plus Al Kuwait Hospital and EHS centres in Dubai)	EHS health card
Dubai Health hospitals, such as Rashid Hospital and Dubai Hospital	Not an EHS facility. Use your health insurance
Abu Dhabi government hospitals run by SEHA	Not an EHS facility. Use your health insurance or Thiqa
Private hospitals anywhere in the UAE	Your health insurance network

EHS states that card use is limited to its own facilities. So if your nearest government hospital is in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, check who operates it before you pay for a card.

EHS also runs residence visa medical screening centres in the Northern Emirates. For the categories, fees and result times, see our guide on UAE visa medical test fees.

Where Can You Use the EHS Health Card?

The card is valid only at EHS-operated facilities: government hospitals, primary healthcare centres, and public health centres across the UAE. Coverage spans all seven emirates. Since EHS periodically opens or updates facilities, always confirm your nearest active centre on EHS’s facility locator before visiting, the list below reflects currently listed facilities by emirate.

Dubai

Hospitals

• Al Kuwait Hospital, Dubai
• Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital

Primary healthcare centres

• Al Nahda Medical Examination Centre
• Saraya Medical Examination Centre
• Al Reffa Medical Examination Centre
• Al Awir Health Centre
• Salah Al Din Medical Examination Centre
• Al Quoz Medical Examination Centre
• Dragon Mart Medical Examination Centre
• Ibn Battuta Medical Examination Centre
• Al Baraha Smart Medical Examination Centre
• Al Ittihad Health Centre
• Al Muhaisnah Health Centre
• Dubai Public Health Centre
• Dubai Specialised Dental Centre

Abu Dhabi

• Genetic and Neonatal Screening Diagnostic Centre

Sharjah

Hospitals

• Al Qassimi Hospital
• Kuwait Hospital, Sharjah
• Khorfakkan Hospital
• Kalba Hospital
• Al Dhaid Hospital
• Al Qassimi Hospital for Women and Children

Primary healthcare centres

• Al Khibra Medical Examination Centre
• Al Taj Smart Medical Examination Centre
• Waqa Medical Examination Centre
• Al Khibra and Al Daqqah Medical Examination Centre
• Sahara Medical Examination Centre
• Alshrooq Medical Examination Centre
• Wasit Health Centre
• Khorfakkan Health Centre
• Specialised Kalba Dental Centre
• Wadi Al Helo Health Centre
• Kalba Health Centre
• Al Lulueyah Health Centre
• Dibba Al Hisn Public Health Centre
• Al Dhaid Health Centre
• Family Promotion Health Centre
• Sharjah Specialised Dental Centre
• Khorfakkan Specialised Dental Centre
• Sharjah Public Health Centre
• Khorfakkan Public Health Centre
• Kalba Public Health Centre
• Public Health Centre, Dibba Al Hisn
• Public Health Centre, Al Dhaid
• Al Khalidiyeh Health Centre
• Al Riqa Health Centre
• Shees Health Centre
• Al Thameed Health Centre
• Al Batayih Health Centre
• Al Nahwa Health Centre
• Nazwa Health Centre
• Al Maliha Health Centre
• Al Hamryeh Health Centre
• Al Qarain Health Centre
• Alriffa Health Centre
• Al Madam Health Centre
• Abu Mousa Health Centre

Ajman

• Mushairif Medical Examination Centre
• Al Nuaimiya Medical Examination Centre
• Mushairef Health Centre
• Al Manama Health Centre
• Muzeirah Health Centre
• Ajman Specialised Dental Centre
• Ajman Public Health Centre
• Al Madina Health Centre
• Al Hamidiya Health Centre

Ras Al Khaimah

Hospitals

• Saqar Hospital
• Ibrahim Bin Hamad Obaidullah Hospital
• Obaid Allah Geriatric Hospital
• Abdullah Bin Omran Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Shaam Hospital

Primary healthcare centres

• Dahan Medical Examination Centre
• RAKEZ Medical Examination Centre
• Ras Al Khaimah Health Centre
• Wadi Esfini Health Centre
• Al Rams Health Centre
• Abdullah Bin Ali Al Sharhan Health Centre
• Almeirad Health Centre
• Aljazerah Health Centre
• RAK Specialised Dental Centre
• Kadra Health Centre
• Ras Al Khaimah Public Health Centre
• Shawa Health Centre
• Saif Bin Ali Health Centre
• Al Khat Health Centre
• Alhamranih Health Centre
• Al Jeer Health Centre
• Al Nakheel Health Centre
• Digdagah Health Centre
• Julphar Health Centre
• Almanaie Health Centre
• Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine Centre

Umm Al Quwain

• Umm Al Quwain Hospital
• Almadar Medical Examination Centre for Residency
• Al Khazan Health Centre
• Al Salama Health Centre
• Al Rafa Primary Health Care Centre
• Umm Al Quwain Dental Centre
• Umm Al Quwain Public Health Centre

Fujairah

Hospitals

• Fujairah Hospital
• Dibba Al Fujairah Hospital

Primary healthcare centres

• Mina Tower Medical Examination Centre
• Al Amal Medical Examination Centre
• Al Qurayyah Health Centre
• Murishid Health Centre
• Murbeh Health Centre
• Qidfa Health Centre
• Tawain Health Centre
• Al Halah Health Centre
• Dhadna Health Centre
• Fujairah Specialised Dental Centre
• Fujairah Public Health Centre

How Long Does It Take to Get an EHS Health Card?

For standard applications, the card is typically active and linked to your Emirates ID as soon as payment is confirmed. For People of Determination applications, expect about 8 working days, since a medical committee review is required first.

Expatriate cards last one year, so the renewal steps come round quickly. They run on the same EHS portal.

Last verified: 19 October 2026, against EHS service pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much does the EHS Health Card cost? 

A: AED 20 for UAE and GCC citizens (5-year validity), AED 100 for expatriate residents (1-year validity), and AED 50 for People of Determination, plus an AED 15 Smart Application Fee on all categories.

Q: Is the EHS Health Card the same as health insurance? 

A: No. The health card gives discounted access to government healthcare facilities. Health insurance gives access to a private hospital network. Having both provides the most flexibility.

Q: How much do I save with an EHS Health Card? 

A: Cardholders avoid an additional 20% service charge that non-cardholders pay at EHS facilities, on top of the standard treatment costs.

Q: Who can apply for an EHS Health Card? 

A: UAE citizens, GCC citizens (residents and visitors), expatriate residents and visitors, and People of Determination, through a separate application track.

Q: How long is the EHS Health Card valid? 

A: 5 years for UAE and GCC nationals, and 1 year for expatriates and People of Determination.

Q: Can I apply for an EHS Health Card without an Emirates ID? 

A: No, a valid Emirates ID is required for all standard applications, and the card is linked directly to it once issued.

Q: Where can I use my UAE health card in Dubai? 

A: At EHS-operated facilities including Al Kuwait Hospital, Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital, and Dubai Public Health Centre, among others across the emirate.

Q: Can visitors get an EHS health card?

A: Yes. EHS lists AED 50 for GCC visitors with one year validity, and AED 100 for other visitors with three months validity, plus the AED 15 smart fee.

Q: Is the EHS health card valid at Dubai Health or SEHA hospitals?

A: No. EHS says the card can only be used at EHS facilities. Dubai Health and SEHA hospitals work with your health insurance instead.

Q: Do I need to carry the physical EHS card?

A: No. The card is linked to your Emirates ID, and EHS accepts the ID card for treatment at its facilities.

References

1. Emirates Health Services (EHS), Issue of a Health Card
2. Emirates Health Services (EHS), Issue of a Health Card for People of Determination
3. Emirates Health Services (EHS), Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme announcement
4. Emirates Health Services (EHS), Renewing a Health Card: fees by category