Travel insurance for Dubai & The UAE

Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are known above all else for three things: sun, shopping, and spectacular hotels. It’s a haven for luxury brands and sumptuous beaches, attracting holidaymakers with a taste for the finer things in life.

While it can get very hot during the summer months with an average maximum temperature nudging 45C in July and August, all the buildings are air-conditioned.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the most well-known of the seven Emirates, which between them make up one country, the UAE. The others – Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain – are all also worth a visit.

Dubai itself is the largest city in the UAE. It rightly deserves its reputation as a trove of modern wonders. It has the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, as well as a huge indoor ski park, an aquarium, an opera house, and several enormous malls. Beyond the futuristic grandeur, however, there is the old quarter, home to some grand 19th-century architecture, as well as traditional souks selling spice and gold.

Likewise, Abu Dhabi, the largest of the seven Emirates, is home to some major landmarks of its own, including the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, held up as the most beautiful place of worship in a country full of such marvels.

Do I need travel insurance for Dubai and the UAE?

Visitors to Dubai and the rest of the UAE may want to take out travel insurance as soon as they book their trip. This could offer them compensation should there be complications with their flight, accommodation, or pre-booked activities.

While the UAE’s very good healthcare is free for Emirati nationals, tourists have to pay for medical attention should they have an accident or fall ill. They may even be barred from a hospital if they can’t prove they can afford treatment.

Beyond that, however, a good travel insurance policy will cover lost baggage and theft, alongside financial protection for emergencies, in case your flights are postponed or you are forced to cancel or cut short your trip.

The UAE is considered a reasonably safe place to travel. However, thefts and muggings are not unknown. Taxis are very common, but make sure you only get into one that’s licensed. Never accept a lift from a stranger.

What type of travel insurance do I need for Dubai and the UAE?

You will need a worldwide travel insurance policy when you visit Dubai and the rest of the UAE. Some worldwide policies may exclude some countries, so it’s important to check that the Emirates are included.

The UAE is not usually excluded from worldwide policies. Countries usually excluded (and require special but still accessible cover) include the USA, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

When you use MoneySuperMarket’s comparison tool, you will be able to select the travel locations you are going to and understand which countries are excluded from the policy.

What should travel insurance to Dubai and the UAE include?

A good travel insurance policy for UAE should include the following:

• Cover for medical expenses

• Cover for the cost of bringing you back to the UK, otherwise known as ‘repatriation cover'

• Cover for the cancellation or curtailment of your holiday, in case you have to head home earlier than planned or an emergency prevents you from going in the first place

• Delay and missed departure cover, in case events beyond your control (such as a car breakdown) cause you to miss your flight

• Travel abandonment cover for unusual circumstances where the journey to your destination becomes unfeasible

• Baggage cove, in case your belongings are lost or stolen during your trip. This is especially important because the UAE is such a fabulous shopping destination, so you’re likely to return with more high-value items than when you arrived

• Passport cover. Getting a replacement for a lost or stolen passport while abroad can be both complicated and costly

• Personal liability cover. This protects you in case something you do causes injury to someone else or the loss or damage of their possessions.

UAE and Dubai travel insurance: exclusions and what to watch out for

Many standard travel insurance policies won’t include the following:

• Pre-existing medical conditions. If you have a medical condition, or you’ve had one in the past for which you’ve received advice or treatment, you may find you’re charged a higher premium for your policy if you want your condition to be covered, or you may have to take out specialty travel insurance for pre-existing conditions

• Cover for unexpected incidents that may affect your holiday, like civil unrest, war, terrorism, and natural disasters

• Cover for accidents or injuries that can be linked to you drinking too much alcohol

• Cover for travel to locations that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has said British holidaymakers should avoid

• Cover for accidents or injuries that happen during sporting activities such as skiing and scuba diving. If you know you’ll be doing something adventurous while in the UAE, check to make sure you have adventure or winter sports insurance in place first.

I have a pre-existing medical condition; can I still get travel insurance to Dubai?

You should still be able to get travel insurance with a pre-existing medical condition, even when visiting Dubai. In fact, it’s even more important to have insurance in case your condition impacts your holiday plans.

You may expect to pay more for travel insurance if you have a pre-existing medical condition. However, you should still be able to find affordable cover. It’s important to declare all your medical conditions. Failure to do this will mean that your claims could be rejected in the event of an accident or emergency. You may be left footing the bill, which can be expensive in Dubai and the rest of the UAE.

How much should my travel insurance excess be?

The excess on your travel insurance is the amount you will have to pay before your travel insurance company will pay out on a claim.

While opting for a higher excess might help to reduce the cost of your cover, you mustn’t increase the excess to the point where you wouldn’t be able to afford to pay it if you made a claim.

When should my travel insurance policy start?

A good time to start your policy would be from the day you book your trip – not from the date when you are planning to travel. If you delay the start of your policy, you will not be covered if you unexpectedly need to cancel your holiday to Dubai or the rest of the UAE.

Top travel tips for the UAE

While travel insurance to Dubai and the rest of the UAE is important, it’s not the only thing you should consider when visiting this fantastic country and its seven emirates. On your next holiday, consider these top tips:

Enjoy the welcome

Like everywhere else in the Arab world, the UAE is a very hospitable place – but its etiquette is rather different. It’s extremely wise to brush up before you leave because certain Western habits could even land you in jail.

Drink in moderation

Even though it’s a Muslim country, it is possible to drink in many of the Emirates, though there are restrictions. Hotel bars are the most common watering holes for tourists, though there are certain other licensed premises. Whatever you do, however, don’t drink in public or behind the wheel of a car!

The mosque with the most

There are some truly fabulous mosques in the UAE, but some of them are only open to worshippers. Others cater to tourists, of which the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is easily the best and well worth the trip. 

Shop ‘til you drop

Don’t stop shopping. There are many huge malls in the region, none larger than the Dubai Mall, which has more than 1,200 outlets, including every designer brand under the sun.

Second nature

While the UAE is rightly famous for its ultramodern technology, it’s not short of natural wonders. The desert is surprisingly full of life, and there are several impressive nature reserves, including wetlands teeming with flamingos.

Ramadan

Muslims dedicate one month every year to fasting in the daytime for religious reasons. Known as Ramadan, it’s considered the best time to visit and experience Islamic traditions, but food and drink are far harder to come by during the daylight hours outside your hotel.

Respect the sun

The UAE is hot, reaching 45C in the summer months. And while this makes for an aggressive attitude to air conditioning inside, visiting the beach requires preparation and a lot of sunscreen.

Dress sensibly

There’s no getting around the fact that the UAE has a much more conservative attitude to clothing. Skimpy swimming costumes should only be worn at private hotel beaches, and women should cover their upper arms and tummies. Everyone entering a mosque should remove their shoes, while women will need to cover their arms, legs, and hair.

Get your souk on

The gold and spice souks are a taste of old Dubai from before all the skyscrapers. They’re both feasts for the senses; the best markets for their respective goods in the whole region.

Magnificent seven

Not for nothing is the UAE known as the last word in luxury: Dubai is a pioneer of seven-star hotel experiences with almost unimaginable opulence. These types of hotels are worth a stay — as long as money’s no object…

Eat like a sheikh

Emirati cuisine is a delicious combination of sweet and savoury flavours with plenty of spices. It’s heavy on breads, meats, and cheeses, and sweetened by dates and honey. So, while there are plenty of Western-style restaurants, you should certainly sample plenty of the local grub.

The path less travelled

The other Emirates have plenty to recommend them. Conservative Sharjah has many cultural highlights, for instance, while Fujairah is known for its incredible landscapes and diving.

On the road

Driving in the UAE is not for the faint of heart – with seven times the amount of road fatalities as in the UK, you’re well advised to keep to licensed cabs rather than attempt to tackle traffic in a hire car.

No PDAs

Public displays of affection, especially between the sexes, are frowned upon in the UAE, and people have been arrested simply for kissing. It’s also against the law to share a hotel room with someone you’re not married to.

LGBTQ+

Homosexuality is strictly illegal in the UAE, and gay marriages are not recognised. And while the Foreign Office insists that your privacy will be respected, you do run the risk of punishment for any sexual activity outside marriage.

Compare travel insurance policies before you buy

While travel insurance to Dubai and the rest of the UAE is a necessity, the price of a travel insurance policy varies. Different companies will sell the same level of cover at completely different prices, so it’s important to compare before you buy.

MoneySuperMarket’s holiday quote comparison tool asks you a few simple questions about you and your holiday: where you are going, how long for, and what you want your policy to cover. In just a couple of minutes, you can compare prices from a range of leading travel insurers.