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Obtaining Visa for Medical Treatment in UAE Health Manual

Obtaining Visa for Medical Treatment in UAE

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Written By Arabiers Digital & Reviewed by Robeena Brown

02 July 2024 | 13 min read

If a necessary medical therapy is unavailable in the nation where one resides, one can obtain it in another country. Because of this, a new sector known as medical tourism was born, and today UAE ranks sixteenth overall among all destinations that attract medical tourists.

You can obtain a medical treatment visa for health tourism under the sponsorship of medical establishments and government and private hospitals. The sponsor (medical establishment) is responsible for processing entry permits for treatment upon the patient's request.

The process of obtaining a medical treatment visa, also known as a Patient Entry Permit, has been simplified by the government of the United Arab Emirates to make it simpler for visitors from other countries who need medical treatment in the UAE. The UAE government also issues a Patient Companion Entry Permit for the UAE for visitors staying in the country for medical care.

The UAE's economy is growing rapidly. Many of the hospitals there are more up-to-date than those in the Western world. In recent years, the United Arab Emirates has seen an increase in the number of medical tourists due to this factor and other factors, such as initiatives led by the government to simplify the procedure of acquiring a visa.

In both the private and public sectors, hospitals and medical facility complexes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) offer a comprehensive range of medical and aesthetic surgical procedures.

According to the Medical Tourism Association, based in the United States, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the best place in the Middle East for medical tourism in 2021. A report by the Dubai Health Authority in the same year said that more than 600,000 people from other countries got medical care in Dubai.Immigration officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have made it easier for overseas patients and their families to apply for visas. This is to help patients seeking medical care in the UAE.

Patients from other countries can get medical care in the United Arab Emirates if a public or private hospital sponsors them, according to UAE, the government's official website.

If the patient wants to get medical care in another country, the medical facility is responsible for applying for a medical treatment entry permit upon the patient’s request.

Why Obtain a Visa for Medical Treatment in the UAE

In light of the upgrades by the UAE government to its healthcare system, the country has emerged as a true center for medical tourism. The procedure of traveling to another country to receive medical treatment is a complex one. As a result, there is a significant need for businesses in the United Arab Emirates that provide medical treatment facilitation services.

Below are more reasons why to obtain a visa for medical treatment in the UAE:

  1. UAE is the preferred place to work for many skilled medical professionals from other parts of the world. People choose to go to Dubai for medical reasons for a variety of reasons, and this is one of those reasons. Many people require the assistance of medical treatment facilitation services organizations to successfully traverse the necessary procedures and obtain the appropriate medical treatment, contributing to this industry's very lucrative nature.
  2. The United Arab Emirates is well-known for providing specialty treatments such as cardiac, infertility, aesthetic, and dental care (to name a few). People from countries where certain therapies aren't available or the quality of what is offered isn't comparable often travel to the UAE for treatment because the quality of what is available here is comparable. The cost of treatment here can sometimes be lower.
  3. Several people favor combining their medical treatment with other activities. They have what they want because Dubai is a leading tourism destination. There are a great number of people who like recuperating in Dubai. These patients typically choose to have medical treatment facilitation services manage their travel arrangements since they find it more convenient.

Conditions for Medical Entry Permit in UAE

You have to be sponsored by UAE based hospital, whether private or government-owned when applying for a medical treatment visa for health tourism for the foreign patient.

UAE Medical Visa Requirements

Patients who wish to receive medical care in UAE must apply for a "Medical Entry Permit" to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in UAE (GDRFA).

Medical Treatment Entry Permit - Single Entry:

The individual granted this visa must enter the United Arab Emirates during the first 60 days after the date it was issued and can stay for 90 days.

Medical Treatment Entry Permit - Multiple Entry:

This visa is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance and allows you to stay in UAE for 90 days from the date of entry. The stay can be extended after submitting a medical report dictating the patient needs more time to continue with medical treatment.

Eligibility Criteria for the Visa

When applying for a medical treatment visa for the UAE, you will be required to submit the following documents:

  • A copy of your passport
  • A letter from your hospital explaining the reason behind your visit
  • Proof of financial solvency
  • Patient’s health insurance
  • Financial security.

Application Process for a Medical Treatment Visa

You don't have to go to an embassy or consulate of the United Arab Emirates in your home country to get a Medical Treatment Visa. Your visa and patient entry permit will be arranged by your sponsor, the medical facility in the UAE where you will be getting treatment.

The medical facility must hold a valid license and registration in the UAE to be qualified to pay for your trip there. Your sponsor will apply to one of the UAE authorities responsible for issuing visas.

Requirements for Medical Treatment Visa in Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates

The eChannels platform is used by the Federal Identification and Citizenship Authority (ICA) to facilitate the provision of treatment and entry permit services. The emirates of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah are all included in ICA's authority. The following are some of the services that are related to the entry of patients into the UAE:

  1. Single entry treatment visa
  2. Single entry treatment visa for a family group
  3. Multiple entry treatment visa
  4. Multiple entry treatment visas for a family group.

Duration of the Visa

The holder of a medical treatment visa, also known as a UAE Patient Entry Permit, is granted permission to remain in the country for up to 90 days, starting on the day they enter. You have 60 days from when the visa is issued to enter the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using the visa. There are two types of UAE Patient Entry Permits:

  • Single-entry: the holder can only enter the UAE once and stay for no more than 90 days
  • Multiple entry lets the holder enter and leave the UAE more than once for up to 90 days