A global study released on 4 December 2025 by iPMI Global warns that increasingly strict health-insurance requirements are becoming the top reason visa applications are rejected, with the United Arab Emirates and Spain singled out as "zero-tolerance" jurisdictions. The 60-page report, "Global Visa Compliance: Health Insurance Requirements for Expats 2025," finds that UAE immigration systems will not issue or renew any residency permit—Golden, Green or Employment—without proof of an active, locally compliant medical policy.
Analysts note that while the UAE’s mandatory-insurance rule has existed for years, enforcement is now digital and immediate; online visa portals automatically cross-check policy numbers with insurers before allowing applicants to proceed. Applicants submitting limited-coverage travel policies are routinely flagged and asked to purchase full expatriate plans, delaying start dates for overseas hires.
![New iPMI Report Flags UAE’s Mandatory Health-Insurance Checks as Key Barrier to Long-Stay Visas]()
For multinational employers, the trend raises budget and timeline risks. HR teams must ensure relocation packages include comprehensive medical cover from day one, or risk onboarding delays and fines. Insurance brokers in Dubai report a surge in corporate enquiries for group expatriate medical schemes that meet federal standards on pre-existing-condition coverage and direct-billing networks.
The report recommends that visa applicants verify official insurance benchmarks, select policies with zero deductibles where required, and purchase coverage for the full visa period (typically 12 months). Failure to do so, the authors warn, now results in automatic application rejection in the UAE’s ICP and GDRFA systems.
Analysts note that while the UAE’s mandatory-insurance rule has existed for years, enforcement is now digital and immediate; online visa portals automatically cross-check policy numbers with insurers before allowing applicants to proceed. Applicants submitting limited-coverage travel policies are routinely flagged and asked to purchase full expatriate plans, delaying start dates for overseas hires.
For multinational employers, the trend raises budget and timeline risks. HR teams must ensure relocation packages include comprehensive medical cover from day one, or risk onboarding delays and fines. Insurance brokers in Dubai report a surge in corporate enquiries for group expatriate medical schemes that meet federal standards on pre-existing-condition coverage and direct-billing networks.
The report recommends that visa applicants verify official insurance benchmarks, select policies with zero deductibles where required, and purchase coverage for the full visa period (typically 12 months). Failure to do so, the authors warn, now results in automatic application rejection in the UAE’s ICP and GDRFA systems.
