Obligatory Medical Insurance when in Dubai

It is advisable to get your medical insurance wherever and whenever you decide to travel. More and more countries are introducing the law that does not allow you to pass the airport gates if you don’t have one; especially if you are traveling with children. Some consider that to be a drag and totally unnecessary, but that is wrong. Medical insurance for tourists is the way for you to be sure that your costs will be covered in almost all cases of emergency. It also means that those providing you necessary medical care will have their fees covered as well. You can get your medical together with your visa while applying for one or you can get it in one of numerous travel agencies in your own country. Medical insurance prices vary, depending on what kind you are applying for. Minimum price you will have to pay is a bit more than 15 Dollars.

More than four years ago UAE started implementing the law for obligatory medical insurance, and that law was slowly developing until it became a rule. The only people who can enter UAE without medical insurance are those who don’t even need visa to enter the country.

The only case you won’t be charged for medical care in Dubai is in case of extreme emergency; that means life-saving situations. For everything else you will have to pay if you don’t have your medical insurance, and you should know that it won’t be cheap. Dubai’s health care system uses top technology; their hospitals are among the best and most modern in the world. Doctors are some of the best experts in their field, so it only makes sense that it is so expensive.

Although UAE is speaking loudly about mandatory health insurance for tourists, there are still many health facilities refusing to except that kind of payment method for their services, so there will be some more rules and laws to be introduced, but that shouldn’t put you off from asking for the policy before traveling to Dubai.

All of you planning to become expats in Dubai and work and live there should know that medical insurance will be mandatory for you. You won’t be able to prolong your visas and working licenses or even to enter UAE unless your medical insurance is in order.  It used to be different until three years ago, and maybe many of you weren’t aware of this crucial changes, but now you know. You can provide yourself complete insurance before moving to Dubai, in your own countries, or you can take care of it with your employer once you get the job; just don’t expect to stay in hospital or go to the dentist for free only because you work and live in Dubai. You don’t have the same medical perks as UAE citizens, which is only natural.

In any case, traveling without medical insurance is very irresponsible, dangerous and it might end up with you losing a lot of money over a simple headache or twisted ankle.

Travel safe!