UAE Maternity, Newborn Care & Vaccination Guide
Practical 2026 guidance on childbirth care, the National Immunization Program, newborn birth registration, insurance coverage and private-sector maternity leave.
Health rules are split between federal and emirate authorities. Always use the current DHA, DoH, EHS, AlHosn or other competent health-authority record for the child or patient.
Do not treat every UAE maternity rule as identical
Maternity insurance, childbirth pricing, birth-certificate services, vaccination delivery channels and school-health requirements can vary by emirate, provider and insurance plan.
The UAE Government confirms the general newborn registration deadlines, while DHA, DoH, EHS and other authorities operate the relevant health services in their jurisdictions.
UAE maternal and child-health framework
Maternal and newborn care is delivered through public and private providers under the health authority responsible for the emirate. Dubai Health/DHA regulates healthcare and health insurance in Dubai, while the Department of Health regulates healthcare in Abu Dhabi and Emirates Health Services operates federal public-health facilities in the relevant emirates.
The National Immunization Program is a federal programme, but the vaccination service, record system and catch-up implementation may be administered through the competent local health authority. The current AlHosn NIP feature provides the age-based vaccination milestones used below.
Newcomer & Expat Emergency Health Cover — Bridge Medical Insurance
Worldwide emergency medical, hospitalization, and travel protection across 180+ countries. Ideal for the gap before provincial or national healthcare begins.
Current National Immunization Program milestones
| Age | Routine milestone | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| At birth | BCG + Hepatitis B birth dose | The current AlHosn NIP guidance lists BCG and Hepatitis B as the birth milestone. |
| 2 months | Rotavirus 1 + Hexavalent 1 + PCV 1 | Hexavalent covers DTaP, Hib, IPV and Hepatitis B components. |
| 4 months | Continue the routine primary infant series | The exact combination and dose must be checked against the child’s current NIP record because vaccine formulations and catch-up instructions can vary. |
| 6 months | PCV / polio / pentavalent components as scheduled | Current AlHosn NIP guidance lists PCV, bOPV and pentavalent components at this milestone. |
| 12 months | MMR 1 + Varicella 1 | Current AlHosn NIP guidance lists first MMR and first varicella doses at 12 months. |
| 18 months | bOPV booster 1 + MMR 2 + DTaP + IPV + Hib | Current AlHosn NIP guidance identifies the 18-month booster milestone. |
| 5–6 years | bOPV booster 2 + MMR 2 + Varicella 2 + DTaP + IPV | Current AlHosn NIP guidance lists these school-age booster doses. |
Maternity and childbirth care
- Antenatal careRoutine pregnancy care, screening and delivery planning are provided through public and private maternity services. Insurance authorization requirements depend on the policy.
- Hospital deliveryThere is no single UAE-wide delivery price. Public and private hospitals publish their own charges or packages, and the final bill can change with room type, physician fees, complications, anaesthesia and neonatal care.
- InsuranceMaternity benefits depend on the insurance plan and emirate. Abu Dhabi’s regulated basic-plan material specifies maternity limits, while Dubai insurance packages vary by plan.
- Emergency careEmergency or medically necessary care is governed by the applicable health-insurance and emergency-treatment rules and should not be represented by a single package price.
Example regulated maternity benefit — Abu Dhabi
The Department of Health Abu Dhabi material for the relevant regulated basic plan states:
| Antenatal care | 8 primary-health-centre visits under the stated benefit, subject to authorization and plan rules. |
| Normal delivery | AED 7,000 benefit limit under the cited plan. |
| Medically necessary C-section | AED 10,000 benefit limit under the cited plan. |
| Newborn | First 30 days covered under the mother’s annual benefit maximum under the cited plan. |
These are plan-specific Abu Dhabi regulated benefits, not universal UAE hospital prices or a universal maternity-insurance rule.
Newborn birth registration and documents
First 30 days
The UAE Government states that UAE residents have a maximum period of 30 days to register the child’s birth.
- Hospital creates the stamped/signed birth notification.
- Submit parent identification documents.
- Submit the marriage certificate where required; foreign marriage certificates may need authentication/translation.
- Use the health authority responsible for the emirate where the child was born.
120-day newborn-document period
UAE Government guidance states that residents have 120 days from the child’s birth to arrange the newborn’s formal documents, including the birth certificate, passport, Emirates ID and visa.
Dubai birth-certificate service
Dubai Health currently publishes a birth-certificate service for citizens, residents and visitors. The service requires the hospital birth notification and parent documents, and the published certificate fee is AED 70.
Open Dubai Health birth-certificate serviceNewborn health-insurance coverage
Newborn coverage is not a single UAE-wide rule with one universal enrolment deadline. It depends on the mother's plan, employer/sponsor insurance arrangements and the emirate.
- Abu Dhabi regulated basic-plan material provides first-30-day newborn coverage under the mother’s annual benefit maximum.
- Dubai insurance arrangements vary by scheme; ENAYA and private policies can have different newborn enrolment provisions.
- Parents should notify the insurer promptly and complete the newborn enrolment process within the policy or scheme deadline.
- Do not assume that a temporary newborn coverage period means the child has been permanently added to the policy.
School and vaccination records
Schools maintain health and medical records under the applicable education and health-authority rules. Parents should keep the child’s current immunization record and provide it when the school or health authority requests it.
Do not describe every school in the UAE as having one identical “MOHAP vaccination card” admission rule. KHDA, ADEK, MOE/EHS and individual school procedures can differ.
Private-sector maternity leave
| Entitlement | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Standard maternity leave | 60 days total: 45 days at full wage and 15 days at half wage. |
| Additional unpaid leave for sickness | Up to 45 additional days where the employee’s or child’s illness after pregnancy/childbirth satisfies the statutory medical conditions. |
| Sick child / child of determination | An additional 30 days at full wage can apply after maternity leave, with a further 30 days without wage, where the statutory medical requirements are met. |
| Protection from termination | The employer may not terminate the worker or notify her of termination because of pregnancy, maternity leave or a related absence covered by Article 30. |
| Breastfeeding breaks | For up to six months from the date of delivery, the worker is entitled to one or two breaks per day, with the combined duration not exceeding one hour. |
Related UAE Tools & Guides
2026 VerifiedFrequently Asked Questions
International Money Transfer & FX Rates — Transparent Cross-Border Wire Rates
Bypass retail bank markups when transferring USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, AUD, or INR. Check today's real mid-market exchange rate instantly before initiating a transfer.
Official sources checked for 2026
These are primary government, health-authority, legislation or official programme sources. This page is not certified, verified or endorsed by MOHAP, DHA, DoH, EHS, MoHRE, KHDA or ADEK.