Can I Cancel My Health Insurance in the UAE?

Many among us wonder: “Can I cancel my health insurance at any time?”. Some even think about how to cancel health insurance in the UAE. Well, here’s the truth: cancellation of medical insurance is allowed only under specific, legally acceptable reasons. Refunds, if any, are rare.

Why You Can’t Cancel Health Insurance Anytime in the UAE?

Health insurance is mandatory in all emirates of the UAE. Insurers don’t allow mid-term cancellation — unless you can prove a major change in your residency or sponsor situation.

No Free-Look Period

Unlike India or other markets, UAE health insurance has no free-look period. A few high-end international medical insurance (IPMI) plans may offer it, but the policies, in most cases, don’t.

So once you buy a local UAE insurance plan, it becomes active immediately and is non-refundable unless you meet strict criteria.

Valid Reasons to Cancel Health Insurance in the UAE

Here are the only accepted situations where cancellation is possible —

Visa Cancellation or Leaving the UAE

If your UAE residency is cancelled, you can request the insurer to cancel your plan.

You Must Provide

• Visa cancellation proof
• Passport copy with cancellation stamp
• Emirates ID copy
• Cancellation form

Example: Sara moves back to India permanently. Her visa is cancelled. She submits her cancellation proof → her medical insurance can be cancelled.

Switching to Another Health Insurance Policy

If you already have a new policy active, the old one can be revoked.

This Applies When

• An employee moves to a new company and gets employer health insurance
• A dependent moves under a different sponsor
• You shift from individual cover to corporate cover

Example: Amit gets a new job in Dubai. His new employer issues medical insurance. His old policy can now be cancelled, but he must submit the new insurance certificate.

Employer or Sponsor Changes

If your sponsor changes (job change, family sponsorship transfer), your existing plan can be cancelled.

You must show —

• New sponsor’s active health insurance
• Updated visa page

Death of the Policyholder

In this case, the insurer cancels the policy immediately but remains liable for any approved claims before the date of death.

When is Cancellation NOT Allowed?

❌ If you simply “don’t want the policy” anymore

UAE insurers do not cancel policies because of preference changes. Since valid health coverage is mandatory, this is not an option.

❌ If you missed premium payments

If you missed any payments, you cannot request cancellation.

❌ If you made a claim, even a very small one

Once a claim is filed, most insurers will not issue a refund for cancellation.

Refund Rules When Cancelling Health Insurance

Refunds are rare and only possible when —

• No claim has been made
• Valid reason + supporting documents
• Insurer approves

Refund (if approved) is usually —

• Pro-rata (for the unused months)
• Paid after 30–90 days
• Subject to administration fees (20% or more) depending on insurer

Example: If you paid AED 2,000 for a 12-month policy and cancelled after 3 months (with no claims). In this case, you may get approx. AED 1,500 after subtracting the admin fees.

Steps on How to Cancel Health Insurance in UAE

While we have discovered the answer to ‘can I cancel my health insurance at any time’ — possible only with valid reasons — let’s now understand how to make the cancellation: 

Step 1: Gather the required documents

Depending on your case, this may include —

• Visa cancellation proof
• New insurance policy (if switching)
• Passport + Emirates ID
• Cancellation request form
• Sponsor ID (if applicable)

Step 2: Submit a cancellation request

You can submit it through —

• Insurance provider’s portal
• Broker or aggregator platform
• Email to customer support

Step 3: Insurer verifies the reason

The insurer checks —

• Validity of the request
• Claims history
• Visa status
• Policy terms

Step 4: Approval or rejection

If approved → policy ends, refund processed.
If rejected → you’ll be informed why (e.g., claim filed, missing documents).

Important Points on Switching to Another Health Insurance Plan (Upgrade / Downgrade Rules)

Modifications are not allowed in the middle of the policy year. You can upgrade or downgrade only at renewal and must give 30 days’ notice.

Upgrade Requests: Accepted only after insurer evaluation. They may –

• Restrict coverage for pre-existing conditions
• Increase premiums
• Apply new medical underwriting

Downgrade Requests: Allowed at renewal

Example: A family on a premium plan wants to switch to a basic Abu Dhabi/ Dubai mandatory plan. This can be done only at renewal, not mid-policy.

Cancelling a Dependent or Individual Member in UAE

Insurers are strict when removing a single member from a policy. You can cancel health insurance for a dependent only if —

• The said dependent has left the UAE
• They are no longer under your sponsorship
• They have moved to employer insurance
• A child is newly born and added to employer policy

Important: If a principal member (employee) is removed, all dependents under their policy must also be removed.

Refund Rules for Member Cancellation

• No refund if the member made any claim
• Refund (if approved) is usually processed 90 days after deletion

Important DHIC/DHA Regulations Regarding Health Insurance Cancellation in UAE

These rules apply in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi —

1. You cannot be uninsured even for 1 day. Your new policy must start before the old one ends.
2. New coverage must be equal to or better than the existing one. During cancellation or replacement, you cannot downgrade mid-term.
3. The insurer must coordinate with the Dubai Health Insurance Corporation (DHIC) for cancellations. The only exception is in cases of fraud.
4. Pro-rata refunds are made only when approved by DHIC.

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