Having a baby in Dubai and the UAE as an expat
Your insurance comes from your emirate, your leave from your employer's law, your baby's papers from three different offices. Here is how it all fits, in the order you will need it.
Updated October 13, 2026 · sources checked October 13, 2026
In short
In the UAE your health insurance pays for pregnancy care, so read its maternity cover and waiting period first. Private sector employees get 60 days of maternity leave (45 on full pay, 15 on half pay) and each parent 5 paid working days of parental leave. Register the birth within 30 days and finish your baby's passport, residence visa and Emirates ID within 120 days.
How the UAE system fits together
Having a baby in the UAE as an expat means dealing with several systems that do not talk to each other. Knowing which office does what saves you weeks.
| What | Who is in charge |
|---|---|
| Health insurance and what it must cover | Your emirate: the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi (DoH), other authorities in the Northern Emirates |
| Prenatal care and the birth | Government or private hospitals and clinics, chosen within your insurance network |
| Maternity leave | Your employer's legal framework: the federal Labour Law (private sector), federal or emirate government HR laws, or DIFC and ADGM rules |
| Birth certificate | The hospital, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) or your emirate's health authority |
| Residence visa and Emirates ID | The ICP, or the GDRFA in Dubai |
| Nationality and passport | Your own country, through its embassy |
Step 1: read your health insurance before anything else
There is no free national health service for expatriate residents: your insurance pays for your pregnancy. In Dubai, employers must insure their employees and sponsors must insure their resident dependents; in Abu Dhabi, employers and sponsors must cover employees and their families (one spouse and three children under 18), according to u.ae.
Dubai sets a legal minimum, the Essential Benefits Plan. Its maternity cover, in the DHA table in force since 1 January 2025, includes 8 prenatal visits and 3 ultrasound scans with a 10% coinsurance, and up to AED 10,000 for a normal delivery or a medically necessary caesarean, with your newborn covered under your policy for 30 days. Many policies cover more; some have a maternity waiting period, especially for non-working spouses. Our article on maternity insurance and waiting periods in Dubai explains the rules and the questions to ask.
Step 2: choose your doctor and your hospital
Pregnancy care in the UAE is usually led by an obstetrician-gynaecologist, in a government or private hospital or clinic. u.ae advises opening a file at your maternity hospital before the seventh month, with both parents' passports, residence visas and Emirates IDs, your attested and translated marriage certificate and your insurance card.
As a reference for how often you should be seen, the World Health Organization recommends at least eight antenatal contacts and one ultrasound before 24 weeks. Your obstetrician sets your own schedule; our page on prenatal appointments explains the usual tests.
The cost of the birth, says u.ae, depends on your insurance, the package and room you choose, the type of delivery (a caesarean being about twice as expensive) and any other treatment you need. No official price list exists for private hospitals: ask for written quotes based on your policy.
Step 3: plan your leave
| Where you work | Maternity leave (u.ae, October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Private sector (Labour Law) | 60 days: 45 on full pay, 15 on half pay; 1 hour of paid nursing breaks a day for 6 months |
| Federal government | 90 days on full pay; 2 hours a day to breastfeed for 6 months |
| Abu Dhabi government | 3 months on full pay |
| Dubai government | 90 days, up to 120 days with annual and unpaid leave |
| DIFC or ADGM | Their own employment law: ask HR |
Fathers and partners in the private sector and the federal government get 5 paid working days of parental leave within 6 months of the birth. Details, extensions and a letter model are in our guide to maternity leave in the UAE and to paternity and parental leave.
Step 4: your baby's papers, in order
- Birth notification from the hospital.
- Birth certificate: government hospitals issue it; after a private hospital birth, you apply to MOHAP or your emirate's health authority. u.ae gives residents a maximum of 30 days to register the birth.
- Attestation by MOHAP (or a DHA or DoH stamp) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Health insurance for the baby (in Dubai, enrol your baby on its own plan from day 30).
- Passport from your embassy.
- Residence visa and Emirates ID: u.ae gives residents 120 days from the birth for all of this.
The full walk-through is in our article on the birth certificate and newborn visa in Dubai and the UAE.
Citizenship: what being born in the UAE does, and does not, do
A baby born in the UAE to foreign parents does not become Emirati by birth. u.ae states that for expatriate families the baby carries the citizenship of the father, and that foreigners acquire Emirati nationality only through specific nomination routes. If you and your partner have different nationalities, check with both embassies: many countries also pass citizenship through the mother, sometimes with registration deadlines.
Far from family: you are not alone
Giving birth away from your own mother and friends is hard, and it is normal to feel it. Ask your hospital about antenatal classes and new-parent groups, lean on your embassy's community and workplace networks, and talk to your doctor early if your mood is low: Emirates Health Services and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre offer mental health services, as u.ae lists. Our page on postpartum depression explains the signs.
For the partner
You will probably carry the folder from office to office. Before the birth: check that the marriage certificate is attested and translated, set up UAE Pass, and read your embassy's passport page. After it: birth certificate within 30 days, insurance by day 30, visa well before day 120.
The whole system, in one printable guide
Our ebook gathers everything above, and more, in about 11,000 words: insurance tables and waiting-period rules, a hospital comparison sheet, the leave rules for every employer type, the paperwork step by step, a timeline from positive test to first birthday, an Arabic glossary and pages to fill in.
Having a baby somewhere else? See our other guides for expat parents, from Singapore to the Netherlands.
Questions parents ask
Is giving birth free in Dubai for expats?
No. Expatriate residents rely on health insurance, which in Dubai must at least meet the Essential Benefits Plan. Its maternity cover has limits and a 10% coinsurance, and many private policies cover more. The cost depends on your policy, your hospital and the type of birth.
Will my baby get UAE citizenship if born in Dubai?
No. u.ae states that for expatriate families the baby carries the citizenship of the father, and Emirati nationality is acquired only through nomination routes. Your baby's nationality and passport come from your country, or your partner's.
How long do I have to get my newborn's residence visa?
u.ae states that residents have 120 days from the birth to arrange the birth certificate, passport, Emirates ID and visa. Beyond that, a daily fine applies and the baby cannot leave the country.
What is the emergency number for an ambulance in the UAE?
998 for an ambulance and 999 for the police, from anywhere in the UAE, according to u.ae.
Sources
- u.ae — Having a baby (birth certificate, 30 days, 120 days) checked October 13, 2026
- u.ae — Types of leaves in the private sector (maternity and parental leave) checked October 13, 2026
- u.ae — Getting a health insurance (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, employer mandate) checked October 13, 2026
- u.ae — Health of vulnerable groups (maternity and paediatric care) checked October 13, 2026
- Dubai Health Authority — GC 03/2024, Table of Benefits for the Essential Benefits Plan checked October 13, 2026
- u.ae — Handling emergencies (emergency numbers) checked October 13, 2026
- u.ae — Emirati nationality checked October 13, 2026
- World Health Organization — Antenatal care guidelines (eight contacts) checked October 13, 2026
Mamavela explains; it does not replace your midwife, doctor or pediatrician, who know your situation. If something worries you, call them. In an emergency, call 911 (US), 999 (UK) or 112.