Dubai: If you are employed in Dubai, you likely have health insurance. But what happens when you quit your job? Does your health insurance expire with the termination of your contract? Or can you use it through the grace period following your visa cancellation?
Here’s everything you need to know about health insurance, and its validity, after leaving your job.
Who provides health insurance and who cancels it?
According to Law No. 11 of 2013 Concerning Health Insurance in the Emirate of Dubai, health insurance is a mandatory requirement in the emirate.
Employers in Dubai, including those in free zones, are responsible for providing health insurance to their employees. Sponsors are also required to extend health insurance coverage to dependents, such as spouses, children, and domestic workers.
Private sector companies and family sponsors can purchase insurance coverage from companies authorised by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), with costs varying depending on the benefits they wish to include.
If you are working in Dubai, your employer is responsible for cancelling your health insurance once you leave your job or have been terminated, unless you have made other arrangements with your employer, such as transferring the insurance to a personal plan, where you take over the payments.
What happens to my health insurance during the grace period?
A grace period is the legally permitted buffer time granted to expat residents after their visa is cancelled. The visa cancellation process, initiated by your employer or sponsor, effectively causes your residency status to be revoked.
However, in the UAE, the authorities grant residents flexible grace periods, ranging from 30 to 90 days, depending on your visa category. You are legally permitted to remain in the country within this period, without penalties, until you find your next job and apply for a new visa, or make arrangements to leave the country.
So, in that crucial time, when you’re without work, and without a visa, are you without health insurance too?
The answer depends, based on which emirate you work in.
Dubai: Musa Dayani, a Dubai-based public relations officer, said: “In Dubai, your health insurance stays valid even after visa cancellation.” As per Article 26 of Administrative Resolution No. 78 of 2022, which issued the Implementing Bylaw of Law No. 11 of 2013, the employer must keep your health coverage active for 30 days after your visa is cancelled, or until you leave the UAE, whichever comes first.
In other emirates: There is no such standard rule in other emirates of the UAE. While some employers end health insurance cover on the visa cancellation date, others keep it active during the grace period. Dayani said: “In some cases, employers prefer to cancel it because of some disputes between them and the exiting staff. In other cases, the health insurance stays as is.”
The decision is usually based on your relationship with the company, and the insurer’s policies, so it’s best to always check with your employer before exiting the company.
