Before you start

A valid residence visa — health insurance is a condition of issuance and renewal nationwide
An employer who is buying the cover, since the obligation sits with them, not with you
An Emirates ID, against which the policy is registered
A clear understanding of the network — the basic package's hospital and clinic list is limited

Step-by-step

1
Confirm which scheme actually applies to you
If your employer is licensed in Sharjah and you live here, the federal MoHRE scheme is the relevant one. If your employer is licensed in Dubai, you fall under the Dubai Health Authority mandate even if you live in Sharjah. This distinction determines your cover and is the most common confusion for cross-border commuters.
OnlineWho: You, with your employer's HR
2
Have your employer purchase the policy
The obligation to provide cover sits with the employer. Under the federal scheme the basic package starts from AED 320 a year and is bought through accredited insurers and the designated channels. It is a condition of issuing and renewing your residence visa.
Via employerWho: Your employerFrom AED 320 a year for the basic package
3
Read the network list before you need it
The basic package is delivered through a defined network of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies rather than the whole market. Identify which hospital near you is in-network now, not during an emergency, and check whether it covers the specialities your household actually uses.
OnlineWho: You
4
Budget the co-payments
The basic package carries a co-payment on outpatient visits, capped per visit, with no co-payment for a follow-up on the same condition within a short window, and a separate percentage co-payment on medication with an annual ceiling. These are modest individually and add up for a family.
In personWho: You
5
Consider an upgrade for a family or for maternity
The basic package is designed as a floor, not as comprehensive family cover. If you have dependants, plan a pregnancy, or need a speciality outside the network, price an upgraded policy — and remember that dependants' visas each require their own cover.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Emirates ID and residence permit
The insurance card or policy number issued under the scheme
Employment details, since the policy is arranged by and registered against the employer

Things most newcomers don’t know

The federal scheme covers Sharjah precisely because Sharjah has no emirate scheme of its own.

Dubai mandates health insurance through the Dubai Health Authority and Abu Dhabi through its Department of Health. The northern emirates had no equivalent, which left a real coverage gap for lower-paid private-sector workers. The MoHRE scheme effective 1 January 2025 fills it for Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah — and expressly excludes Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which already had their own.

Source: MoHRE — the basic health insurance scheme

Where your employer is licensed matters more than where you sleep.

A very large number of Sharjah residents work for Dubai-licensed employers. If your company is licensed in Dubai you fall under the Dubai Health Authority mandate, with a different package and a different network, even though your home, your tenancy and your utilities are all in Sharjah. Ask HR which regime your policy is written under before you assume anything about your cover.

Source: DHA and MoHRE scheme scopes

'Basic' means basic — read the co-payment structure, not the headline price.

AED 320 a year sounds like a solved problem. The package carries a percentage co-payment on outpatient visits with a per-visit cap, and a separate percentage on medication with an annual ceiling, delivered through a defined and fairly narrow network. For a single person that is workable. For a family with a chronic condition it is a floor you should build on.

Source: MoHRE basic health insurance package terms

Every dependant needs their own policy, and no policy means no visa.

Health insurance is a condition of issuing and renewing every residence visa in the UAE, including for a spouse and children you sponsor yourself. People budget for the employee's cover, which the employer buys, and are then surprised by the cost of insuring a family at renewal time — which is also the moment it becomes urgent.

Source: u.ae — health insurance requirements for residence visas

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming Dubai's health insurance rules apply because you work there — the emirate that licenses your employer sets the scheme.
Treating the AED 320 basic package as comprehensive cover for a family.
Turning up at a hospital that is not in the basic package's network.
Forgetting that each sponsored dependant needs their own valid policy for their visa.
Letting cover lapse and discovering at renewal that the residence visa cannot be issued without it.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.