Hiring a maid, nanny or family driver brings a medical-care responsibility as well as a salary bill. A policy sold with a recruitment package may protect employment entitlements or recruitment costs; it does not automatically give the worker health insurance. Ask for separate certificates and benefit schedules before work starts.
What Must the Employer Cover?
The UAE Government Portal lists housemaids and personal/family drivers among domestic-worker occupations. Employers must provide medical care or health insurance, ensure safety and pay compensation for work injuries and occupational diseases. Buying a policy does not remove those employment duties.
| Emirate | Medical insurance action |
|---|---|
| Dubai | DHA's employer information pack says a national or resident sponsoring a domestic worker must arrange and pay for cover. Obtain a Dubai-compliant policy. |
| Abu Dhabi | DoH's manual places coverage duties on employers and sponsors. Ask for the applicable compliant domestic-worker product, including household-specific eligibility conditions. |
| Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain | MOHRE's expanded scheme applies at residence issuance or renewal from 1 January 2025. Workers with qualifying earlier valid permits enter on renewal. |
If a service centre remains the legal employer and sponsor, obtain written confirmation of who provides cover, the insured worker's identity and the renewal date. A booking receipt alone does not establish medical coverage.
Medical Cover and Worker Protection Are Separate
The government portal describes worker-protection insurance for unpaid entitlements and specified employment risks, including a domestic-worker category. This has a different purpose from ordinary medical insurance for consultations, medicines and hospital care. Check both certificates rather than assuming a recruitment-package label includes both products.
For a driver, check the vehicle's motor policy and permitted-driver conditions too. A health card does not insure the family car. Ask how occupational injuries are handled: ordinary medical cover can have exclusions, while the employer's injury obligations still need to be addressed.
What Does It Cost?
MOHRE lists its basic package at AED 320 per year for the five emirates covered by the expansion. The policy has a two-year term. This is not a universal Dubai or Abu Dhabi tariff. It has treatment co-payments; its FAQ excludes pregnancy, childbirth and dental care.
For Dubai, DHA's participating-insurer table lists EBP index rates of AED 643 to AED 826 including Basmah and VAT at review. These are scheme reference rates, not a guaranteed domestic-worker quote. Obtain the final premium, eligibility and charges in writing. No single current Abu Dhabi domestic-worker tariff was verified, so none is quoted here.
- Separate medical premiums from recruitment, residency and service-centre fees.
- Confirm whether the quotation covers one year or a longer term.
- Check nearby clinics, pharmacies, hospital access and emergency arrangements.
- Disclose ongoing conditions and medicines; request written acceptance terms.
Worked Example: Premium Plus Treatment Costs
Illustrative numbers only: assume a household receives a medical quote of AED 750 for one year and reserves AED 600 for possible treatment contributions. Its planning allowance is AED 1,350 annually, or AED 112.50 monthly. This reserve does not cap the employer's legal duties.
For an eligible worker on MOHRE's basic scheme, an example covered outpatient bill of AED 200 would mean a AED 50 contribution at 25%, below its AED 100 per-visit ceiling. This assumes coverage and network conditions are met. Do not apply this calculation to another policy.
How to Use the Policy and Make a Claim
- Before treatment: give the worker their policy details, assistance number and accessible network list. Confirm direct billing with the clinic.
- Planned care: check referral and pre-authorisation requirements. Keep the approval and ask about the treatment contribution.
- Emergency: obtain urgent care, then have the provider or employer contact the insurer promptly under its notification rules.
- Reimbursement: retain itemised invoices, payment receipts, prescriptions and medical reports. Submit through the insurer's stated channel within its deadline. No universal deadline is assumed here.
- Refusal: request written reasons and the policy clause, then complain formally to the insurer. Check the relevant health-regulator route for medical disputes and current eligibility before any Sanadak escalation.
An employment-entitlement dispute belongs with MOHRE rather than an ordinary medical reimbursement form. Keep the employment contract, certificates and any injury report together so the correct process can be identified.
Before Renewal or a Sponsor Change
Record policy expiry separately from visa expiry. Confirm continuity before changing sponsor or insurer, and obtain cancellation and refund terms. Ensure the worker can access care even when the employer is unavailable by phone.
Related reading: UAE health insurance basics and motor insurance for the family car.
Sources and last review
Last reviewed on 28 October 2026. Legal duties were checked against official UAE sources below. Published prices are reference points, not personal quotations. Confirm current eligibility and policy wording before purchase.
- UAE Government Portal: domestic workers and employer duties
- DHA / ISAHD: employer information pack, domestic workers section
- DoH Abu Dhabi: employer and sponsor obligations
- MOHRE: Basic Health Insurance Scheme, price and benefits
- DHA / ISAHD: participating insurers and index rates
- UAE Government Portal: worker-protection insurance
Budget for household employment
Use the salary calculator alongside a separate allowance for insurance and employment costs.
Open Salary Calculator →This article gives general information. Confirm current emirate requirements and the actual policy before arranging cover or making a claim.