{"id":16885,"date":"2025-05-29T20:19:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T18:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/?p=16885"},"modified":"2025-05-29T20:19:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T18:19:11","slug":"health-insurance-in-dubai-what-french-expatriates-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/health-insurance-in-dubai-what-french-expatriates-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Health insurance in Dubai: what French expatriates need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Living in Dubai means being well prepared, especially when it comes to health insurance, which is mandatory for all residents. Unlike France&#8217;s social security system, the Emirati healthcare system relies on the private sector, making good insurance essential.<\/p>\n<p>\u2705 Is it mandatory?<br \/>\nYes. Since 2015, Dubai requires all residents, including expatriates and their families, to have valid health insurance. Without it, obtaining or renewing a residence visa is impossible.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83e\uddfe What does standard health insurance cover?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>General and specialist consultations<\/li>\n<li>Medical tests and imaging<\/li>\n<li>Prescribed medications<\/li>\n<li>Hospitalization and emergencies<\/li>\n<li>Maternity (depending on plans)<\/li>\n<li>Surgery<\/li>\n<li>Vaccinations (often optional)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some plans may also cover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dental care<\/li>\n<li>Optical care<\/li>\n<li>Alternative medicine (osteopathy, acupuncture, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83d\udcb0 Price comparison by age (annual)<br \/>\nPrices vary by age, coverage level, and company. Here is an overview for standard private sector coverage (excluding premium options):<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Age Group<\/th>\n<th>Economy Plan (AED\/year)<\/th>\n<th>Standard Plan (AED\/year)<\/th>\n<th>Premium Plan (AED\/year)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>0 \u2013 17 years<\/td>\n<td>1,000 \u2013 1,800 AED<\/td>\n<td>2,000 \u2013 3,000 AED<\/td>\n<td>4,000 \u2013 6,000 AED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>18 \u2013 35 years<\/td>\n<td>1,500 \u2013 2,500 AED<\/td>\n<td>3,000 \u2013 4,500 AED<\/td>\n<td>6,000 \u2013 9,000 AED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>36 \u2013 50 years<\/td>\n<td>2,000 \u2013 3,000 AED<\/td>\n<td>4,500 \u2013 6,000 AED<\/td>\n<td>8,000 \u2013 11,000 AED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>51 \u2013 65 years<\/td>\n<td>4,000 \u2013 6,000 AED<\/td>\n<td>6,500 \u2013 8,500 AED<\/td>\n<td>10,000 \u2013 14,000 AED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>66 years and up<\/td>\n<td>6,000 \u2013 9,000 AED<\/td>\n<td>9,000 \u2013 12,000 AED<\/td>\n<td>14,000 \u2013 20,000 AED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\ud83d\udca1 Prices are indicative. Pre-existing medical conditions can significantly affect costs.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfe8 Popular partner hospitals and clinics in Dubai<br \/>\nInsurance grants access to a network of medical facilities. Here are the most reputable and frequently covered hospitals:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Facility<\/th>\n<th>Area<\/th>\n<th>Partnership with<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>American Hospital Dubai<\/td>\n<td>Oud Metha<\/td>\n<td>Covered by many premium insurers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mediclinic City Hospital<\/td>\n<td>Dubai Healthcare City<\/td>\n<td>Standard and premium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Saudi German Hospital<\/td>\n<td>Al Barsha<\/td>\n<td>Economy to premium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Aster Hospitals &amp; Clinics<\/td>\n<td>Various zones<\/td>\n<td>Very accessible, often in economy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>NMC Healthcare<\/td>\n<td>Several areas<\/td>\n<td>Wide network, reasonable prices<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>King\u2019s College Hospital<\/td>\n<td>Dubai Hills<\/td>\n<td>High-end, premium network<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Canadian Specialist Hospital<\/td>\n<td>Deira<\/td>\n<td>Good standard\/premium coverage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\ud83d\udcdd How to subscribe to health insurance?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Choose an insurer: GIG (AXA), Cigna, Daman, Bupa, Orient, MetLife, Allianz, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Complete a medical questionnaire<\/li>\n<li>Submit passport and residence visa (or Emirates ID if available)<\/li>\n<li>Select desired medical network (Network A, B, C by level)<br \/>\nMost brokers offer family packages, often more advantageous than separate policies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83d\udc68\u200d\ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83d\udc67\u200d\ud83d\udc66 What about your family?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Children must also be insured upon arrival in Dubai.<\/li>\n<li>School insurance is often limited; supplementary coverage is highly recommended.<\/li>\n<li>Maternity: some plans cover pregnancy after a waiting period of 6 to 12 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83e\uddfe Example costs for a family of 4 with AXA (GIG Gulf)<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Person<\/th>\n<th>Economy Plan (Network C)<\/th>\n<th>Standard Plan (Network B)<\/th>\n<th>Premium Plan (Network A)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Adult 1 (35)<\/td>\n<td>2,000 AED<\/td>\n<td>4,200 AED<\/td>\n<td>7,800 AED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Adult 2 (33)<\/td>\n<td>2,000 AED<\/td>\n<td>4,200 AED<\/td>\n<td>7,800 AED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Child 1 (8)<\/td>\n<td>1,400 AED<\/td>\n<td>2,800 AED<\/td>\n<td>5,000 AED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Child 2 (5)<\/td>\n<td>1,400 AED<\/td>\n<td>2,800 AED<\/td>\n<td>5,000 AED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>TOTAL ANNUAL<\/td>\n<td>6,800 AED<\/td>\n<td>14,000 AED<\/td>\n<td>25,600 AED<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\ud83d\udce6 What each AXA (GIG) plan covers<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Coverage<\/th>\n<th>Economy<\/th>\n<th>Standard<\/th>\n<th>Premium<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Hospitalization &amp; emergencies<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Consultations &amp; specialists<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Prescribed medications<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Maternity (excluding waiting)<\/td>\n<td>\u274c<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 (limited cap)<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 (high cap)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Dental care<\/td>\n<td>\u274c<\/td>\n<td>Optional<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Optical<\/td>\n<td>\u274c<\/td>\n<td>Optional<\/td>\n<td>\u2705<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hospital network<\/td>\n<td>Network C<\/td>\n<td>Network B<\/td>\n<td>Network A (elite)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Out-of-network reimbursement<\/td>\n<td>\u274c<\/td>\n<td>\u274c<\/td>\n<td>\u2705 (within limits)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>International assistance<\/td>\n<td>\u274c<\/td>\n<td>Limited<\/td>\n<td>Extensive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\ud83d\udccd Hospital network by plan level<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Plan<\/th>\n<th>Included Hospitals<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Economy<\/td>\n<td>Aster Clinics, NMC, Medeor, Medcare (some)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Standard<\/td>\n<td>Saudi German Hospital, Mediclinic, Canadian Specialist<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Premium<\/td>\n<td>American Hospital, King\u2019s College, Mediclinic City, Al Zahra, Emirates Hospital<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u26a0\ufe0f Important to know<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Prices can vary depending on health declarations (pre-existing conditions).<\/li>\n<li>Maternity waiting period can be up to 12 months.<\/li>\n<li>AXA (GIG) often offers discounts for online subscription or via brokers.<\/li>\n<li>Payment can be made in full or in installments (usually with extra fees).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83e\udd1d Need help choosing your health insurance in Dubai?<br \/>\nThe Dubai Life, your French-speaking agency, helps you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Compare offers by age, situation, and budget<\/li>\n<li>Subscribe easily without complicated paperwork<\/li>\n<li>Access the right medical network for your location<\/li>\n<li>Get advice for you and your loved ones<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83d\udce9 Contact us for a free personalized quote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Living in Dubai means being well prepared, especially when it comes to health insurance, which is mandatory for all residents. Unlike France&#8217;s social security system, the Emirati healthcare system relies on the private sector, making good insurance essential. \u2705 Is it mandatory? Yes. Since 2015, Dubai requires all residents, including expatriates and their families, to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":16766,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16885"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16886,"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16885\/revisions\/16886"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-dubai-life.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}