Shafafiya and eClaimLink: e-claims in Abu Dhabi and Dubai
Shafafiya (DoH Abu Dhabi) and eClaimLink (DHA Dubai) explained: who uses them, registration, login fixes, the 2025 Dubai claims rules and common denial codes.
Shafafiya is the Abu Dhabi Department of Health's e-claims and data exchange. eClaimLink is Dubai's equivalent, run under the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the Dubai Health Insurance Corporation (DHIC). Providers and insurers use both to send prior authorisations, claims and remittance advice as XML files. You log in to eClaimLink at eclaimlink.ae with your licence ID, username and password. Shafafiya is used only through web services built into your billing software. Since 16 November 2025, every Dubai claim must go through eClaimLink.
Last checked: 18 October 2026
Shafafiya vs eClaimLink at a glance
| Shafafiya (Abu Dhabi) | eClaimLink (Dubai) | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH) | DHA / Dubai Health Insurance Corporation (DHIC); technical support by IQVIA |
| Users | DoH-licensed facilities, insurers and TPAs in Abu Dhabi | Providers (including non-DHA-licensed facilities treating Dubai members), payers, physicians, intermediaries |
| How you use it | Web services only, from your HIS or billing system. DoH provides no upload webpage. | Web portal plus web services |
| Transactions | Prior request and authorisation, claim submission, remittance advice, person register, e-prescription | Prior authorisation, claims, remittance, eReferral, e-prescription, member register |
| Codes | ICD-10-CM, CPT/HCPCS, DoH drug codes, DoH denial codes | ICD-10-CM, CPT/HCPCS, Dubai Drug Code (DDC), standard denial codes |
| Support | shafafiyasupport@doh.gov.ae | support@eclaimlink.ae, 600 522 004 |
Shafafiya (DoH Abu Dhabi)
What it is
Shafafiya ("transparency") does two jobs:
- It is DoH's standards library: the data dictionary, code sets, XML schemas, price lists and notices that every Abu Dhabi healthcare entity must follow.
- It is the "post office" that moves transactions between providers and payers.
A sender uploads an XML file carrying a SenderID and a ReceiverID, and the receiver collects it. Only the two parties and DoH can see the file (DoH Shafafiya overview).
Who uses it
Every DoH-licensed hospital, clinic, pharmacy, lab and diagnostic centre that bills insurance, plus every insurer and TPA in Abu Dhabi. Daman and Thiqa claims in Abu Dhabi go through Shafafiya. See our Daman guide and Thiqa guide.
Registration and login
- There is no Shafafiya website you log in to for claims. DoH says the post office works only through web services. You need your own software, for example a HIS, a practice management system, a pharmacy system or an XML upload tool. DoH does not regulate these products.
- Credentials are tied to your DoH facility licence. Your web-service username and password go into your billing software, which calls services such as UploadTransaction and GetNewTransactions. New facilities should email shafafiyasupport@doh.gov.ae if no credentials arrive with licensing.
- Change your password every three months. DoH Circular DG 10/15 requires it. An expired password is the most common reason a clinic "can't log in to Shafafiya" overnight.
- Keep your registered email monitored. DoH policy P001 disables accounts whose registered email is not monitored until the address is updated.
- Test before you go live. The Public Test Environment at shafafiyapte.doh.gov.ae uses your normal username with "test" added (bbclinic becomes bbclinictest) and your normal password.
Usage limits that cause silent failures
DoH publishes Shafafiya usage policies. The main limits:
- GetNewTransactions returns at most 100 records, only claims and remittances from the last 30 days, and can be called once a minute.
- Prior-authorisation downloads only cover the last 5 days.
- Downloading the same file more than 10 times in a day disables the user.
- Uploads are capped at 500 transactions per hour at peak times.
If remittances seem to go "missing", ask your vendor whether the software is set up for these limits.
eClaimLink (DHA / DHIC Dubai)
What it is
eClaimLink is Dubai's e-claims and e-authorisation platform. It went live in April 2012. Dimensions Healthcare built it, and technical support is now provided by IQVIA. It also hosts the Member Register, which links insurers to GDRFA so residence visas are only issued to people with valid health insurance.
Mandatory since November 2025
DHIC's Health Insurance Claims Management Policy Directive took effect on 16 November 2025 and replaced all earlier claims rules (Al Tamimi summary). Key rules:
- Claims must go through eClaimLink. Manual or paper submission is prohibited.
- Providers must request pre-authorisation within one hour of the doctor's order.
- Insurers must answer within 6 hours for elective outpatient care, 24 hours for elective inpatient care, and immediately for emergencies.
- Insurers must pay within 45 days for initial claims and 30 days for resubmissions. A disputed claim can be resubmitted twice.
- Penalties range from AED 10,000 to AED 50,000 per incident.
- The Dubai Government insurance programme is exempt.
How to register on eClaimLink
- Get your facility licence first. DHA-licensed facilities register with their DHA licence ID. If you are licensed elsewhere but treat Dubai-insured members, you can also register.
- Open the registration form and choose an account type: Provider, Payer, Physician, DHA or Intermediary.
- Select your facility. Enter a username, an official email, a contact person and a phone number. The password needs at least 8 characters with a letter, a number and a special character.
- Complete the account validation and subscription steps. You are confirming that you are the authorised person for the facility, so use an official email, not a personal one.
- Give the credentials to your billing vendor so it can submit transactions through the eClaimLink web services.
How to log in to eClaimLink
Go to eclaimlink.ae and enter your License ID, username and password. If you forget your password, use the password recovery page.
Common login errors:
- Wrong licence ID. Use the facility licence ID, not a clinician's Sheryan number.
- Account deactivated. This often follows a licence renewal or a change of ownership. Email support@eclaimlink.ae.
- Fees and fines account locked. Email PermitDHIC@dha.gov.ae.
For clinician licensing logins, see our DHA Sheryan login guide.
eClaimLink contacts
- Technical support (IQVIA): 600 522 004 (backup +971 55 127 0960), support@eclaimlink.ae
- Training: training@eclaimlink.ae
- Enaya plan issues: 800 4 36292
- Provider audits: DHICAudit@dha.gov.ae
- DRG questions: DHIC-DRGProject@dha.gov.ae
- Provider–payer complaints: DHA complaints portal
Common rejection (denial) codes
When a payer denies an activity, the remittance advice carries a standard denial code. The codes below come from DoH's published code list (Shafafiya dictionary, "Other Codes"). Dubai payers use the same family of codes.
| Code | Meaning | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| ELIG-001 | Patient is not a covered member | Run an eligibility check at registration and record the exact card number. |
| ELIG-005 | Service after the last date of coverage | Check the card expiry date before treatment. |
| ELIG-007 | Service by a non-network provider | Confirm the patient's network or plan tier against your contract. |
| AUTH-001 | Prior approval required and not obtained | Check the payer's pre-approval list. Request approval before the service. |
| AUTH-005 | Claim inconsistent with the authorised services | Bill exactly the codes and quantities that were approved. |
| CODE-010 | Activity or diagnosis inconsistent with clinician specialty | Check that the clinician licence on the claim matches the service. |
| CODE-014 | Inconsistent with patient age or gender | Correct the demographics or the code. |
| MNEC-003 / MNEC-004 | Not clinically indicated (or not without supporting diagnoses) | Add the supporting diagnosis codes and documentation, then resubmit. |
| MNEC-005 | Appropriate but too frequent | Document why the repeat was medically necessary. |
| NCOV-003 | Service not covered | Check the Table of Benefits. Collect payment from the patient when it is legitimately excluded. |
| DUPL-001 | Duplicate claim or authorisation | Do not resend. Use a correction or resubmission instead. |
| PRCE-001 | Calculation discrepancy | Reconcile against the contracted price list (and the DoH reference price list in Abu Dhabi). |
| CLAI-012 | Not compliant with the provider–payer contract | Check your contract terms for that payer. |
| TIME-001 | Submission time limit expired | Submit within your contract and regulator time limits. Track ageing every week. |
| COPY-001 | Deductible or co-pay not collected | Collect the patient's share at the desk. |
Most denials at small clinics fall into three groups: eligibility (ELIG), authorisation (AUTH) and medical necessity (MNEC). Fixing the front desk and pre-approval workflow usually helps more than appealing claims one by one.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shafafiya?
It is the Abu Dhabi Department of Health's healthcare data standards portal and e-claims post office. Providers and insurers exchange prior authorisations, claims and remittances as XML files through it.
How do I log in to Shafafiya?
There is no claims webpage to log in to. Your billing or HIS software connects to Shafafiya's web services with your facility's credentials. If it stops working, check whether your password has expired, because it must change every three months, and contact shafafiyasupport@doh.gov.ae.
What is eClaimLink?
It is Dubai's e-claims platform under DHA and DHIC. All Dubai health insurance claims must go through it, and it also handles e-authorisations, eReferrals and the visa-linked Member Register.
How do I register on eClaimLink?
Use the registration form on eclaimlink.ae. Choose Provider, select your facility, then enter an official email, a contact person and a phone number, and complete validation. Technical problems go to support@eclaimlink.ae or 600 522 004.
What does denial code MNEC-003 mean?
The payer considers the service not clinically indicated by good clinical practice. Resubmit with supporting diagnoses and clinical notes if the service was justified.
Do Abu Dhabi and Dubai use the same denial codes?
The code families (ELIG, AUTH, CODE, MNEC, NCOV, DUPL, PRCE, TIME) are shared across both systems. Always check the payer's remittance and the current regulator list for the exact wording.
Clean claims mean nothing without patients. See how Access One runs Google Ads for clinics in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Sources
- DoH: Shafafiya overview
- DoH: Shafafiya data dictionary, codes and schemas
- DoH: Shafafiya usage policies
- DoH: Shafafiya Public Test Environment
- DoH: Shafafiya password update reminder
- eClaimLink: About and login
- eClaimLink: Registration form
- eClaimLink: Contact
- eClaimLink: Member Register
- Al Tamimi: Dubai claims management policy directive (October 2025)
Published 18 Oct 2026 · Access One
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