UAE Golden Visa: Which health insurance schemes are popular among long-term residency holders?

Golden Visa holders can opt for basic insurance covers, with annual premiums starting from less than Dh1,000, industry executives have said.

However, long-term residency holders tend to look for international policies, customised plans and prefer to buy separate health insurance for themselves and their dependents rather than as part of their company’s package.

The National Health Insurance Company (Daman) became the first company in the UAE to introduce a health insurance package designed specifically for Golden Visa holders. The premium for Cover Silver starts from as little as Dh2,393 which provides a coverage limit of up to Dh300,000. While Enhanced Gold starts from Dh4,985 with an annual limit of Dh2.5 million and Premier package starts from Dh39,857 with an annual limit of Dh20 million. The packages also provide 180-day coverage outside the UAE during holidays or business trips.

Approximately, over 65,000 people have received the Golden Visa in Dubai.

“Many Golden Visa holders opt for a comprehensive cover which – depending on age, health factors, hospitals/clinics covered – may range from Dh2,000 to Dh50,000 and can also go beyond that in case of adverse health conditions declared prior to issuance of the policy. However, if a Golden Visa holder wishes to opt for a basic cover, there are options starting under Dh1,000 as well,” says Hitesh Motwani, chief marketing officer at insurancemaket.ae.

Daman’s policy for Golden Visa is valid for one year and can be renewed on a yearly basis.

Neeraj Gupta, CEO, Policybazaar.ae, said expects by the end of 2022, more insurers would provide special health insurance plans to Golden Visa holders.

Trends

Gupta said Golden Visa holders usually want instant comprehensive health insurance plans for themselves and their family members, preferably at some discounted prices or added benefits.

“They also tend to look for international policies usually with a worldwide cover as they tend to travel more frequently. Typically, products of insurers like Aetna, Bupa and Cigna usually check all boxes for such clients as some of their products cover direct billing even when they are abroad,” he said.