Medical Treatment Visa: Patients, Companions and Long Stays in the UAE

A medical treatment visa lets a patient from abroad enter the UAE for treatment under the sponsorship of a licensed UAE hospital or clinic, which applies for it at the patient's request. For Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, it is issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) as a single- or multiple-entry permit that can be extended up to 180 days in total, and a companion can come on a visa of their own.

This is the visa for coming to the UAE to be treated, not the medical fitness test that residence visa applicants take. In Dubai, the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) issues medical visas under its own rules. What follows is general information from ICP and the UAE Government portal (u.ae), checked on 29 October 2026, not immigration or medical advice: the hospital's visa team and the application set the final terms.

• Sponsor: a hospital or clinic licensed in the UAE processes the permit at the patient's request.
• Entry window: the patient must enter within 60 days of the permit being issued.
• Length: ICP can extend a treatment permit once or more, up to 180 days in total; in Dubai, GDRFA's medical visas are for 90 or 180 days.
• Companion: a companion visa, single or multiple entry. u.ae says it can be extended only once, with a certified medical report that the companion is needed.
• Conditions and money: a health insurance policy valid in the UAE, and a financial guarantee of AED 1,000 (single entry) or AED 2,000 (multiple entry) on ICP's fee list.

Who sponsors a medical treatment visa?

The medical establishment that will treat the patient sponsors the visa. ICP files these permits under licensed healthcare facilities in the UAE, and u.ae says the sponsoring establishment takes responsibility for processing the entry permit when the patient asks it to. So the first step is the hospital: ask whether it sponsors treatment visas, and who on its team handles them.

Check the facility's licence before you commit. In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) publishes a Find a Healthcare Facility tool and a facility licence check. In the other emirates, ask the hospital which health authority licenses it, and check with that authority.

What documents does a medical treatment visa need?

ICP's list for treatment and companion visas is short: a passport valid for at least six months, a personal photo, a medical report, a letter from the healthcare facility stating the reason for the visit, a ticket for the onward journey and a health insurance policy valid in the UAE. For a companion, ICP also lists a visa approval letter issued by the health authority.

	Patient	Companion
Who applies	The licensed UAE hospital or clinic, at the patient's request	The same facility: ICP's category covers visas for treatment and for patient companions
Issued by	ICP for Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates; GDRFA Dubai in Dubai	ICP for Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates; GDRFA Dubai in Dubai
Documents (ICP)	Passport, photo, medical report, letter from the facility, onward ticket	Passport and photo, plus a visa approval letter from the health authority
Conditions (ICP)	Passport valid 6+ months, UAE-valid health insurance	Passport valid 6+ months, UAE-valid health insurance
Entry	Single or multiple; enter within 60 days of issue	Single or multiple; in Dubai, u.ae says the same type as the patient's
Extensions	Once or more, up to 180 days in total (ICP)	Only once, with a certified medical report (u.ae); in Dubai, only if the patient's visa is extended
Financial guarantee (ICP fee list)	AED 1,000 single entry, AED 2,000 multiple entry	Same fee list for the category

Sources: ICP, Issuance of a Visa, category "Licensed healthcare facilities in the UAE to issue entry visas for treatment or patient companions", and u.ae, Medical visa, both checked 29 October 2026.

How long can a patient stay in the UAE on a treatment visa?

ICP lets the issuing authority extend a treatment entry permit once or more, as long as the total does not exceed 180 days. Its two pages word the cap differently: the extension page counts the total duration, the issuance page the total extension period. Plan around 180 days in all, and ask the hospital's visa team how ICP applies it to your treatment plan.

Extensions go through ICP with the passport, a photo and the documents used for the first visa. ICP's extension page lists an AED 100 application fee and an AED 500 extension fee, and an AED 50 fee to extend the 60-day entry window once, before arrival, if the start of treatment moves. Apply before the permitted stay runs out: overstaying costs AED 50 a day.

In Dubai, u.ae says GDRFA issues medical visas for single or multiple entries, for 90 or 180 days, and GDRFA's own page for the escort (companion) treatment visa gives the same lengths, with a licensed health establishment as the sponsor.

Can a companion come with the patient?

Yes. ICP issues companion visas for Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates under the same healthcare-facility category as the patient's visa, for a single entry or multiple entries, and the application needs a visa approval letter issued by the health authority. The UAE Government portal adds that a companion's permit can be extended only once, with a certified medical report that their presence is needed.

For Dubai, u.ae lists three more conditions: the companion enters the UAE with the patient, holds the same type of visa in terms of entries, and is extended only if the patient's visa is. Neither ICP nor u.ae spells these out for the other emirates, so ask the hospital whether they apply in your case before you book flights.

A relative who lives in the UAE and simply wants family to visit during the treatment needs a different visa. Our guide to the visit visa for parents covers ICP's terms for relatives: 30, 60 or 90 days, sponsored by the resident, with a minimum salary of AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives.

How much does a medical treatment visa cost?

ICP doesn't publish a separate fee list for treatment visas: the lines it shows for this category are the same as for relatives' and tourist visit visas. They are an AED 100 application fee, an issuance fee of AED 100 a month for a single-entry visa or AED 200 a month for multiple entry, an AED 100 smart service fee, and a financial guarantee with a deposit fee.

Fee line on ICP's list	Single-entry visa	Multiple-entry visa
Application fee	AED 100	AED 100
Visa issuance fee	AED 100 a month	AED 200 a month
Smart service fee	AED 100	AED 100
Financial guarantee	AED 1,000	AED 2,000
Financial guarantee deposit fee	AED 20	AED 20
Extending the permit (each request)	AED 100 application + AED 500 extension fee	AED 100 application + AED 500 extension fee
Overstay fine	AED 50 a day	AED 50 a day

Because the hospital is the applicant, ask it which of these fees it pays and which it passes on, whether the companion's visa is charged the same way, and how and when the guarantee is returned: ICP's page for this category doesn't set out the refund terms. These are government fees only; treatment costs are a matter between you and the hospital.

How do you plan a long stay for treatment?

A course of treatment that runs for weeks or months needs a base that works for the patient and the companion. Check these before you book:

1. Match the stay to the permit. Book for the dates on the visa. Most listings have a 30-night minimum, so a 60- or 90-day treatment plan means two or three months.
2. Ask about extensions on both sides. If the treatment plan may run longer, ask the hospital when it will apply to extend the permits, and ask the apartment team before you book how an extension of your stay works.
3. Check the distance to the hospital on a map, and how you will get there. In Abu Dhabi, Al Zahiyah, the district still often called the Tourist Club Area, faces Al Maryah Island across a narrow channel. For taxis and buses to appointments, see getting around Abu Dhabi without a car.
4. Ask about access. Lifts, a step-free entrance, a walk-in shower and room for a wheelchair: our guide to accessible serviced apartments for senior travellers lists the questions.
5. A kitchen for dietary needs. If the treatment comes with a diet, a full kitchen makes it easier to follow; see serviced apartments for home cooking.
6. Housekeeping. Each listing states how often the apartment is cleaned, which matters when one of you is recovering.
7. Documents and the bill. At check-in, the patient and companion show their passports and visas, as our guide to the documents needed to rent a hotel apartment explains. For the government fees on an Abu Dhabi bill, see the Abu Dhabi tourism fee.

Keep the visas in step with the treatment If the doctor extends the treatment, the hospital needs to extend the patient's permit, and the companion's, before the permitted stay runs out. ICP's overstay fine is AED 50 a day.

Browse furnished apartments in Abu Dhabi, where listings on servicedapartments.ae include the Corniche, Al Zahiyah, the Tourist Club Area, Al Bustan and Khor Al Maqta, and check each one's deposit and minimum stay before you send a request.

Frequently asked questions

What is a medical treatment visa in the UAE?

It is an entry permit for a foreign patient coming to the UAE for treatment, sponsored by a licensed UAE hospital or clinic. ICP issues it for Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates, and GDRFA Dubai for Dubai.

Who can sponsor a medical treatment visa?

A hospital or other medical establishment licensed in the UAE, which processes the entry permit at the patient's request. A UAE resident can sponsor relatives on a visit visa instead, which has different terms.

How long is a UAE medical treatment visa valid?

The patient must enter within 60 days of the permit being issued. ICP can extend a treatment permit once or more, up to 180 days in total; in Dubai, GDRFA's medical visas are for 90 or 180 days.

Can a family member accompany a patient to the UAE?

Yes, on a companion visa issued for single or multiple entry. ICP's document list includes a visa approval letter from the health authority for the companion.

Can a companion's visa be extended?

u.ae says only once, with a duly certified medical report that the companion's presence is needed. For Dubai it adds that the companion's visa is extended only if the patient's is.

Do I need health insurance for a UAE treatment visa?

Yes. ICP lists a health insurance policy valid within the UAE as a condition, along with a passport valid for at least six months.

Is a medical treatment visa the same as the UAE visa medical test?

No. The medical fitness test is for people applying for a UAE residence visa. A medical treatment visa is an entry permit for patients coming to the UAE to be treated.

Sources

• UAE Government portal (u.ae): Medical visa, patient and companion entry permits (sponsorship by a licensed hospital, documents, the deposit, companion conditions and extensions, ICP and GDRFA coverage; page updated 28 September 2026, checked 29 October 2026)
• Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP): Issuance of a Visa, category for treatment or patient companions: insurance, passport validity, the 60-day entry window, the 180-day extension cap, documents, fees and the overstay fine (checked 29 October 2026)
• ICP: Visa Extension, treatment category: the 180-day total and the extension fees (checked 29 October 2026)
• GDRFA Dubai: Issuance of an escort treatment visa for one or several entries (Dubai; 90 or 180 days; checked 29 October 2026)
• Department of Health – Abu Dhabi: Lists and Tools (Find a Healthcare Facility and the facility licence check; checked 29 October 2026)

When the hospital has confirmed the dates, send them through a listing's Request to Book, or WhatsApp the team, and ask how the booking can be extended if the treatment plan changes. Rules and fees checked on 29 October 2026.