Needed for Your Visa

Health Insurance for Students in the UAE

You need health insurance valid in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for your student visa. Most universities sell their own plan. Prices are in UAE dirham (AED).

Student Insurance Plan • United Arab Emirates

POLICY TYPE

Example: university student health plan

BITS Pilani Dubai Campus (BPDC) plan

AED 3,250

Amity University Dubai plan fee

AED 1,500

American University of Sharjah (AUS) Plan I, per semester

AED 600 plus VAT (a 5% sales tax)

Why You Need Health Insurance

Health insurance valid in the UAE is part of every student visa.

Why You Need Health Insurance

It is needed for your entry permit and residence visa.
It pays for medical care in the UAE.
Universities check it before they apply for your visa.

Legal Requirements

The UAE entry permit (the paper that lets you enter the UAE to study) asks for a health insurance policy valid in the UAE.
Dubai's student residence visa (the visa that lets you live in the UAE while you study) needs health insurance.
At Curtin University Dubai, medical insurance is needed by UAE law and is renewed every year.

Insurance Approaches for Different Students

Buy your university's plan

The simplest choice. Most universities sell a plan.

Bring your own UAE-valid plan

Only if your university accepts it.

Without valid insurance, your university cannot complete your visa application.

University Plans and Prices

Each university sets its own plan and price.

University Health Insurance Costs

University	Annual Cost	Waiver Allowed
BITS Pilani Dubai Campus (BPDC)	AED 3,250	Students who use the BPDC plan pay this fee.
Amity University Dubai	AED 1,500. If you start in January, AED 1,000 until August.	Yes, with another insurer's valid policy and an exclusion form
American University of Sharjah (AUS)	No yearly price. AUS charges each semester.	Plan I: AED 600 a semester, plus VAT (a 5% sales tax), for students AUS sponsors and students with no private insurance. Plan II: AED 300 a semester for all other students.
Curtin University Dubai	AED 1,200	Medical insurance is needed by UAE law and is renewed every year.
New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)	USD 2,416 a year (2026-27). USD means US dollars.	It is a required fee.

*Costs shown may vary. Always check with your specific university for current rates.

Insurance Waiver Process

Check your university's rule

See if you may use your own plan.

Get a UAE-valid policy

In Dubai, it must follow DHA rules.

Send the exclusion form

At Amity University Dubai, send the exclusion form with your policy.

Important Waiver Deadline

Prices change. Check your university's fee page.

University Plans Compared

What some universities charge for their own plan.

Your Insurance Options

Students in the UAE usually buy their university's plan or bring their own plan that meets the university's rules.

University health plan

Most universities sell a plan. AUS Plan I is for students AUS sponsors (AUS is responsible for their visa) and students without their own private insurance.

Your own plan

Amity University Dubai lets you bring another insurer's valid policy with an exclusion form. The form tells Amity you will not use its plan because you have your own.

Using Your Insurance

How to get care with your plan.

Healthcare System Basics

Carry your insurance card and your Emirates ID (the UAE identity card for people who live there).
In an emergency, call 998 for an ambulance.

Campus Health Services

Some universities link students to a clinic.

Available Services

AUS: a fee per semester gives all students care at the primary care clinic and emergency room of University Hospital Sharjah.

What Plans Cost

Prices in AED unless stated.

Money-Saving Tips

Check if your university includes insurance in its visa package.

Ask what the plan covers before you pay.

More Help

Answers to common questions.

Emergency Contacts

Police

999

Police emergencies.

Ambulance

998

Medical emergencies.

Important: Save the local emergency numbers in your phone before you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is health insurance required?

Yes. A student residence visa in Dubai needs health insurance. At New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), the insurance must come from the UAE for the entry permit.

Can I use my own insurance instead of the university plan?

At Amity University Dubai, yes, if you give a valid policy from another insurer and the form.

Does my Indian or Pakistani insurance work?

Maybe not. In Dubai, your plan must follow the rules of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Dubai's health office. At University of Birmingham Dubai, a plan that follows DHA rules is compulsory for all students. Ask us before you rely on a plan from India or Pakistan.