Health insurance for tourist visas provides care for visitors and enhances tourism, says UAE

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Health Insurance for Tourist Visas project is going to make a big impact by regulating and governing health insurance procedures for tourist visas.

In addition, it will give the country a huge boost in global competitiveness in accommodation and travel indicators, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) said on Monday.

The project was approved as one of the transformational projects for the second cycle of 2023-2024, as part of the performance agreements approved by the UAE Cabinet. Transformational projects are considered a qualitative initiative that moves the country towards the future and enhances its competitiveness. They are characterised by achieving a significant impact in all sectors within a short period, and are thus a key component of the country's future development.

Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, Director General of ICP, stated that the project encompasses the issuance of health insurance for tourist visas via the electronic platform for health insurance at the state level. This is intended to streamline the process of issuing health insurance concurrently with the application for tourist visas through ICP's smart services system.

He further stated that the approval of the project as one of ICP's transformational projects in the second cycle contributes to the UAE's transformation into a global hub for the new economy, which represents a key pillar of the UAE Vision 2031. This is achieved by contributing to the efforts and initiatives to build the most active and competitive economy in the world.

He also indicated that the project is aligned with several key priorities and objectives of the Authority, namely the promotion of the UAE's tourism sector through the attraction of visitors from around the world through the provision of health insurance coverage in the event of emergencies.

Furthermore, the project will support the health sector in the country by increasing the operational capacity of health facilities and their revenue streams. It will also streamline the procedures for issuing health insurance for tourist visas and automate the insurance processes for visas via an electronic platform that manages pricing and issuance.