Health Insurance Costs in the UAE: Prices by Age, Emirate and Plan

There is no single figure for health insurance costs in the UAE. UAE medical insurance prices vary based on your age, emirate, coverage level, insurer, and the type of plan you choose. The real answer depends on five things: your age, your emirate, your plan tier, your network, and whether you’re covered individually, through an employer, or as a family.

Quick Answer

• Federal Basic Scheme (Northern Emirates): AED 320 a year for eligible private sector employees and domestic workers
• Dubai Basic/EBP: rates vary by participating insurer
• Abu Dhabi Basic (Daman): priced by age and category, from AED 997.5 a year, exact figures below
• Private individual plans: commonly hundreds to several thousand dirhams a year
• Comprehensive or international plans: can exceed AED 10,000 to 20,000+

The official figures in this guide come from MOHRE and Daman. Market ranges are indicative benchmarks, not guaranteed quotes, so confirm your exact premium with a licensed UAE insurer.

How Much Does Health Insurance Costs in the UAE?

UAE Health Insurance Price at a Glance

Plan Type	Indicative Annual Cost	Typical Buyer
Federal Basic Scheme	AED 320 (official)	Eligible Northern Emirates employees and domestic workers
Basic/EBP	Around AED 600-900+	Budget/basic coverage
Standard/Enhanced	Around AED 2,500-3,500+	Individuals/families wanting wider cover
Comprehensive	Around AED 5,500-12,000+	Broader network and benefits
Premium international	AED 10,000-20,000+	Worldwide/premium coverage

Except for the AED 320 federal scheme, these ranges are indicative market benchmarks, not guaranteed quotes.

Health Insurance Cost by Age

Age is one of the strongest drivers of your premium. Older age bands carry higher claims and chronic condition risk, which insurers price into the premium.

Real Abu Dhabi Example by Age

These are Daman’s published Abu Dhabi Basic Plan premiums, effective 20 February 2026. They exclude VAT and other taxes or fees.

Category	Age 18-40	Age 41-59	Age 60+
Low-income employee/worker	AED 997.5	AED 1,522.5	AED 9,358
Families covered by employer insurance	AED 2,835	AED 3,465	AED 10,408
Families covered by individual insurance	AED 2,100	AED 4,987.5	AED 19,306

Daman also lists AED 1,753.5 for children aged 0-17 under individually insured family cover, and a AED 750 maternity surcharge for married women aged 18 to 50.

The jump at 60+ is dramatic. For a low-income worker, the 60+ premium is more than nine times the 18-40 rate, and under individual family cover it is about nine times as well. It is a clear example of how much age moves the price.

Health Insurance Cost by Emirate

Health Insurance Cost in Dubai

The health insurance price in Dubai, and medical insurance Dubai price more broadly, is regulated by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The Essential Benefits Plan (EBP) is the mandatory minimum for lower salary bands. Multiple DHA-approved insurers offer EBP at their own rates rather than one fixed government price, so figures vary by participating insurer. Basic vs Enhanced options mainly differ in network breadth and included benefits.

Health Insurance Cost in Abu Dhabi

Regulated by the Department of Health (DOH), with the Basic Plan administered through Daman. The Basic Plan follows the age-banded pricing shown above, with separate rates for low-income workers, employer-covered families, individually insured families, additional family members and domestic helpers, all published on Daman’s site. If you are curious what happens if cover lapses, see our guide on the health insurance fine in Abu Dhabi.

Health Insurance Cost in the Northern Emirates

Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain fall under the same federal Basic Health Insurance Scheme for private sector employees and domestic workers, set by MOHRE at AED 320 a year. This is one unified scheme, not five separately priced ones.

UAE Basic Health Insurance Plans Compared

	Federal Basic Scheme	Dubai EBP	Abu Dhabi Basic (Daman)
Cost	AED 320/year	Varies by insurer, from around AED 600-900+	From AED 997.5/year, by age and category
Regulator	MOHRE	DHA	DOH
Co-payments	20% inpatient (max AED 500 per visit), 25% outpatient (max AED 100 per visit), 30% medicines (max AED 1,500 a year)	Insurer-specific within DHA rules	Set in Daman’s schedule of benefits
Pre-existing conditions	No waiting period	Waiting period can apply	Waiting period can apply
Region	Northern Emirates	Dubai	Abu Dhabi

No single UAE basic plan applies everywhere, which is why the emirate that issued your visa matters so much.

Health Insurance Cost by Plan Type

Every UAE health insurance plan sits on a ladder, and the tier you choose moves the price more than the insurer you pick within that tier.

• Basic: essential, DHA/DOH-compliant, cheapest legal option, limited network
• Enhanced/Standard: wider hospital network, semi-private rooms, maternity and dental often included
• Comprehensive: highest limits, minimal co-pays, wide or international network
• Premium international: worldwide access, top-tier private rooms, the highest premium band

The jump between tiers reflects real differences in network breadth, room type, co-payment level, and whether maternity and dental are included, not just a higher number for the same thing.

Health Insurance Cost for Individuals vs Families

Family cost depends on each member’s age and the type of cover. Daman’s Abu Dhabi Basic Plan shows this clearly: a child aged 0-17 under individual family cover costs AED 1,753.5 a year, an adult aged 18-40 costs AED 2,100, and a parent aged 60+ costs AED 19,306. A young family and a family with older parents can therefore pay very different totals, even on the same basic plan.

On private plans, insurers price each member separately and then apply their own family terms, so ask for a quote that lists the premium for each person.

How Much Does Health Insurance Cost Per Month in the UAE?

Most UAE policies are billed annually, but a monthly view helps with budgeting.

Tier	Annual	Roughly Per Month
Federal Basic Scheme	AED 320	AED 27
Abu Dhabi Basic, low-income worker aged 18-40	AED 997.5	AED 83
Basic/EBP (indicative)	AED 600-900	AED 50-75
Enhanced (indicative)	AED 2,500-3,500	AED 208-292
Comprehensive (indicative)	AED 5,500-12,000+	AED 458-1,000+

What Factors Affect Health Insurance Cost in the UAE?

• Age: younger applicants pay less, premiums rise with age
• Emirate: each emirate has its own rules and basic plan
• Medical history and pre-existing conditions: insurers may apply a waiting period, commonly 6 months, and adjust the premium
• Gender and maternity: premiums can differ, particularly during childbearing years
• Family size and ages: each member is priced by age
• Coverage level: each added benefit raises the premium
• Hospital network: local-only networks cost less than regional or worldwide access
• Annual coverage limit: higher limits mean higher premiums
• Co-payment: the percentage you pay per visit affects the base price
• Deductible: a higher deductible lowers the annual premium
• Dental and optical benefits: these add cost when included
• Geographic coverage: UAE-only is cheaper than regional or worldwide
• Individual vs group: group coverage usually costs less per person

What Does a Cheap Health Insurance Plan Actually Cover?

A Basic plan typically includes:

• Inpatient care
• Outpatient consultations
• Diagnostics
• Prescriptions
• Emergency treatment
• A mandated maternity minimum

What’s usually excluded: dental, optical, and access to a wider hospital network.

The cheapest premium isn’t automatically the best value. A low-cost plan with a high co-pay and a narrow network can cost more at the point of actual treatment than a slightly pricier plan with better terms.

Premium vs Out-of-Pocket Cost: What Will You Actually Pay?

What Is a Co-payment?

The percentage of a bill you pay yourself at the point of treatment. On the federal basic scheme, for example, it is 25% for outpatient visits, capped at AED 100 per visit.

What Is Deductible?

A fixed amount you pay before your insurance starts contributing, separate from the co-payment. Deductibles vary by policy, so check the schedule of benefits.

What Is an Annual Coverage Limit?

The maximum amount your insurer pays out in a policy year. Basic plans have lower limits, while comprehensive plans can reach into the millions. Your schedule of benefits states the exact limit.

Why a Cheaper Policy Can Cost More When You Actually Use It

A low premium with a high co-pay and low annual limit shifts more cost onto you at claim time. Someone who visits doctors regularly or has ongoing treatment needs can end up paying more out of pocket on a cheap plan than they’d have paid in premium on a better-structured one.

Worked Example: A Lower Premium vs a Higher Premium Plan

This is illustrative, not a real quote. A Basic plan at AED 700 a year with a 20% co-pay on every visit can cost a frequent visitor more across a year of treatment than an Enhanced plan at AED 2,800 with a lower co-pay and better network access. The premium is only half the real cost picture.

Health Insurance Cost for Pre-Existing Conditions

• The federal Basic Scheme covers chronic and pre-existing conditions with no waiting period, according to MOHRE
• Many private plans apply a waiting period, commonly 6 months, before covering a pre-existing condition
• Some insurers adjust the premium based on declared conditions
• Declaring everything honestly at application prevents claim rejection later

Health Insurance Cost for Maternity

• Dubai’s Essential Benefits Plan includes a maternity benefit, commonly cited as AED 7,000 for a normal delivery and AED 10,000 for a medically necessary C-section, plus antenatal visits, subject to a co-payment
• In Abu Dhabi, Daman’s Basic Plan adds a AED 750 maternity surcharge for married women aged 18 to 50
• Fuller maternity cover, without those sub-limits, sits with Enhanced and Comprehensive tiers

For the 30-day rule on adding a newborn once the baby arrives, our guide on newborn health insurance in the UAE covers that process in full.

Health Insurance Cost Without an Employer

• Freelancers, investors, and self-sponsored residents buy health insurance directly from a licensed insurer. The same mandatory requirement applies regardless of employment status
• Individual premiums are usually higher per person than group rates, since you don’t benefit from an employer’s pooled pricing

If you’re setting up your own small business and weighing employee cover at the same time, our guide on health insurance for small business owners in the UAE covers that side of the equation.

Employer vs Individual Health Insurance Cost

• Group coverage is typically cheaper per person than an individual policy, since risk is pooled across a workforce
• The employer must pay for the employee’s own mandatory cover, and cannot pass that cost on to the employee
• Rules for dependants differ by emirate. In Abu Dhabi, for example, the employer covers 50% of the premium for an eligible spouse and children and the employee pays the other 50%

How to Reduce Your Health Insurance Cost in the UAE

• Choose a local-only network if you don’t travel or need international treatment
• Accept a higher deductible in exchange for a lower annual premium
• Skip dental or optical riders if you don’t currently need them
• Buy coverage earlier, since premiums rise with age
• Compare quotes annually rather than auto-renewing
• Use employer group coverage where available

How to Compare Health Insurance Quotes in the UAE

Never compare two policies by premium alone. Check each of these before deciding:

• Annual premium
• Hospital network
• Annual coverage limit
• Inpatient, outpatient, and pharmacy benefits
• Maternity and dental cover
• Pre-existing condition terms and waiting period
• Co-payment and deductible
• Geographic coverage
• Renewal terms and exclusions

Real Health Insurance Cost Examples

These examples use the official published rates above. Private plan prices depend on the insurer and are not included here.

• Private sector worker, 30, Sharjah, federal basic scheme: AED 320 a year
• Low-income worker, 30, Abu Dhabi, Daman Basic: AED 997.5 a year plus VAT
• Low-income worker, 62, Abu Dhabi, Daman Basic: AED 9,358 a year plus VAT
• Couple aged 35, individually insured family, Abu Dhabi Basic: 2 × AED 2,100 = AED 4,200 a year plus VAT
• Same couple with two children under 18: AED 4,200 + 2 × AED 1,753.5 = AED 7,707 a year plus VAT
• Parent aged 65 added to individual family cover, Abu Dhabi Basic: AED 19,306 a year plus VAT

What Is the Cheapest Health Insurance in the UAE?

The AED 320 federal scheme is the lowest-cost official option, but only for its eligible groups: private sector employees and domestic workers in Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain. It isn’t the cheapest option for everyone in the UAE, so eligibility matters.

Is Cheap Health Insurance Worth It in the UAE?

A lower premium isn’t the same as a lower total cost. A cheap plan with a narrow network, high co-pay, and low annual limit can leave you paying significantly more out of pocket when you actually need care. Weigh the premium against the network, co-pay, and annual limit together, not the premium alone.

Health Insurance Cost vs Healthcare Cost Without Insurance

Health insurance in the UAE isn’t only a visa requirement. It transfers potentially large medical costs to the insurer under the policy’s terms. Hospitalisation, specialist consultations, diagnostics, surgery, and ongoing chronic treatment can run into tens of thousands of dirhams without cover. Going without cover can also lead to fines; our guide on the health insurance fine in the UAE explains how much.

How to Get an Accurate Health Insurance Quote in the UAE

Information Insurers Normally Ask For

Age, emirate, visa type, Emirates ID or residency details, family members to be covered, medical history, pre-existing conditions, preferred hospitals, desired coverage level, maternity requirement, and geographic coverage.

Why Two People of the Same Age Can Get Different Quotes

Medical history, declared pre-existing conditions, chosen network, and coverage scope all shift the quote even at an identical age.

Why Online Estimates Aren’t Final Quotes

Online calculators and comparison tools give indicative figures. Your actual premium is confirmed only after the insurer reviews your specific details. Once you have cover, you can confirm it is active with our guide on how to check health insurance status in the UAE.

Conclusion

Your real price depends far more on your age, emirate, and chosen tier than on any single average figure. Daman’s own Abu Dhabi Basic rates show a low-income worker paying AED 997.5 at 18-40 but AED 9,358 at 60+ on the same plan.

Even the cheapest legal plans carry real benefits: Abu Dhabi and Dubai basic plans include a maternity element, and the Northern Emirates federal scheme covers chronic conditions with no waiting period. Request a personalised quote from a licensed UAE insurer for your specific age, emirate, and household before budgeting around any single number in this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does health insurance cost in the UAE?

It varies widely. Official basic options start at AED 320 a year for the federal scheme in the Northern Emirates and AED 997.5 a year for a low-income worker aged 18-40 on Abu Dhabi’s Daman Basic Plan. Enhanced and comprehensive private plans can cost several thousand dirhams a year. The final premium depends on age, emirate, coverage level, insurer, network and medical history.

How much is health insurance per month in the UAE?

When annual premiums are divided into 12 months, basic coverage works out to roughly AED 27 to AED 83 per month. Enhanced and comprehensive plans cost considerably more. Most UAE policies are priced and paid annually rather than monthly.

What is the cheapest health insurance in the UAE?

The Basic Health Insurance Scheme for private sector employees and domestic workers in Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain costs AED 320 per year. It is designed for those specific groups, so it is not a universal AED 320 policy for every UAE resident.

How much does health insurance cost in Dubai?

Prices in Dubai vary by insurer, age, coverage and network. Essential Benefits Plans start at relatively low annual premiums, while enhanced and comprehensive plans cost substantially more. Confirm the exact price with a DHA-approved insurer, because premiums are not fixed across providers.

How much does health insurance cost in Abu Dhabi?

Abu Dhabi health insurance costs vary by age and category. Daman’s published Basic Plan rates range from AED 997.5 a year for a low-income worker aged 18-40 to AED 19,306 for a family member aged 60+ under individual cover. The published rates exclude VAT and other taxes or fees.

How much does health insurance cost for a family of four in the UAE?

There is no fixed family price. On Daman’s Abu Dhabi Basic Plan, for example, two adults aged 18-40 and two children under 18 under individual family cover cost AED 7,707 a year plus VAT. Private plans and families with older members cost more.

Does health insurance cost more as you get older?

Yes. Age is one of the biggest factors. Daman’s Abu Dhabi Basic Plan, for example, charges a low-income worker more than nine times as much at 60+ as at 18-40.

How much does health insurance cost for people over 60 in the UAE?

It varies by insurer and plan. On Daman’s Abu Dhabi Basic Plan, the 60+ premium is AED 9,358 for a low-income worker, AED 10,408 for an employer-covered family member, and AED 19,306 under individual family cover, all excluding VAT.

Can I buy health insurance without an employer in the UAE?

Yes. People who are not covered through an employer can buy health insurance themselves from a licensed insurer. Self-sponsored residents, investors and freelancers usually need to arrange their own cover.

Does health insurance cover pre existing conditions?

It depends on the policy. The federal Basic Health Insurance Scheme for eligible private sector employees and domestic workers covers chronic and pre-existing conditions without a waiting period. Private policies can have different terms, including waiting periods or premium adjustments, so check the policy wording.

What is the AED 320 health insurance scheme in the UAE?

It is MOHRE’s Basic Health Insurance Scheme for private sector employees and domestic workers in Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain, mandatory since 1 January 2025. It costs AED 320 a year, covers pre-existing conditions with no waiting period, and has set co-payments: 20% for inpatient care (up to AED 500 per visit), 25% for outpatient visits (up to AED 100) and 30% for medicines (up to AED 1,500 a year).

What is the difference between basic and comprehensive health insurance?

Basic health insurance provides essential cover at a lower premium, usually with a more limited network and higher cost sharing. Comprehensive insurance costs more but gives broader provider access, higher limits and additional benefits.

Updates Section

Last updated: October 2026. Reflects MOHRE’s Basic Health Insurance Scheme terms and Daman’s Abu Dhabi Basic Plan premiums effective 20 February 2026.

References

• MOHRE, The Basic Health Insurance Scheme
• Daman, Abu Dhabi Basic Plan Premium Rates (20 February 2026)
• Daman, Abu Dhabi Basic Health Insurance Plan
• Dubai Health Authority (DHA)