With 10,000 UK nationals having moved to the UAE since 2007 and only 16.5% of the total 8.2 million people living there being Emiratis, Jelf Employee Benefits believes this move was inevitable and employer responsibilities could continue to escalate in future.

Under the new rules, it is mandatory for all expats and visitors to Dubai to hold basic compliant health insurance in order to be issued with a visa, and in addition all insurance products need to be regulated by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Products will need to at least match mandatory benefits such as maternity coverage and non-exclusion of pre-existing conditions.

Spouse and dependents will also need to be covered by the employer or the employee themselves before a visa is granted.

The new legislation was passed in 2013 but the following dates relate to the implementation of the law:

• 31 October 2014: Companies with 1,000+ employees
• 31 July 2015: Companies with 100-999 employees
• 30 June 2016: Companies with <100 employees
• 30 June 2016: Dependants of sponsors including employed domestic workers.

If employers are growing and expecting to hire further staff during this period, taking them to the next eligible category, they should implement a compliant health insurance policy before taking on further employees.

Expat Network has developed a comprehensive international health insurance plan designed specifically to meet the needs of expats. To find out more please check out our Expat Health Plan pages.