By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS,
Dubai : Immigration authorities here will not accept health insurance policies held by visitors from Sep 20 if these do not comply with the new norms, a senior official said here.
In a statement here, Mohammad Al Mari, director of Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD), said the decision has been taken in a bid to offer the best health insurance coverage for all types of visa holders.
With a new visa regime coming into effect in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) July 29, health cover has been made compulsory for all visitors to this West Asian metropolis.
According to new rules announced by DNRD last month, visitors on a short-term visa valid for 30 days will have to take a 40-dirham ($10.89) health cover policy and those coming on visas valid for 90 days will have to take a 90-dirham ($24.50) policy.
Those holding multiple-entry visas valid for 180 days will have to take a 185-dirham ($50.36) health cover. However, visitors who hold an international health insurance policy are not required to take the local health cover policies for entry to or residency in Dubai.
In his statement, Al Marri said that DNRD has entered into an agreement with Aman and Oman insurance companies to unify health insurance policies issued by them, which will also be offered at the DNRD headquarters and external centres.
The two companies will also offer the relevant health cover policies to all online visa applicants.
These policies will cover accidents and emergencies during a visitor’s stay in the country and the medication will be carried out through a network covered by the two insurance companies.
According to the agreement, the geographical coverage area of the policy is the UAE for a minimum limit of 150,000 dirhams ($40,836) per person per visit.
The beneficiary will receive treatment in a shared hospital room in case of emergencies.
The insurance companies will cover 100 percent of the services to be offered to the patient throughout the network of the health service providers in the country including hospital accommodation and fees for diagnostics, surgery and anesthesiology.
The policies will also cover emergency situations leading to hospitalization in addition to medicines and drugs needed for treatment inside the hospital and the treatment costs and the costs of rehabilitation treatments and teeth treatment for damages caused by accidents during the valid period in the UAE.