The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) has issued a new guide explaining how health insurance rules work for employees but stressed that it is not introducing any fresh obligations on employers.
The guide, released on Thursday, clarified procedures that are already in place and showed how work permit approvals are now electronically linked to health insurance verification.
It clarified that employers cannot get a work permit issued or renewed for a worker unless that worker has a valid health insurance policy. The ministry’s digital systems now automatically check this during the application process. This integration speeds up approvals and makes compliance easier.
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The system covers private employees as well as domestic workers.
What this mean for workers
The guide reinforces several key protections for employees:
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No cost: It specified that employers must bear the full cost of the insurance subscription and renewal. Workers are not to contribute anything towards it.
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Continuous coverage: The employee’s insurance must remain valid for the entire duration of their work permit and cannot be sporadic.
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No sudden cancellation: Employers cannot cancel a policy during the permit’s validity in a way that leaves workers without coverage at any point of their employment
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Minimum standards apply: The policy must meet the minimum approved coverage requirements set by the authorities.
The guide
The nationwide health insurance system for all private-sector and domestic workers was completed at the beginning of 2025. This followed a cabinet decision mandating coverage for workers in the northern emirates, building on existing systems already in place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Before this, mandatory coverage was only required in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, leaving workers in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah without legal protection.
To ease the transition, authorities introduced a basic health insurance package starting from as low as Dh320 per year covering individuals aged between one to 64.
The new guide is part of ongoing efforts to provide a clearer and more transparent regulatory framework. The digital system ensures sustainable health protection for workers and ensures greater compliance with regulations. It also safeguards the rights of all parties in an employment relationship and enhances efficiency in government service delivery.
Source: Khaleej Times