Thiqa insurance: eligibility, card renewal, coverage and network

What Thiqa is

Thiqa (ثقة, "trust") is the Abu Dhabi Government's health programme for Emiratis. Membership is free. There is no annual benefit limit for any eligible category. Daman runs the cards, the provider network and the claims for the government. That is why the Thiqa website links to Daman, and why clinics check Thiqa eligibility in Daman's system. Read more about the insurer in our Daman insurance guide.

Who is eligible for Thiqa

The Thiqa eligibility page sets out three categories. Each has a different network:

For the third category, the request has to come from the UAE national family member, through SEHA. Thiqa says eligibility follows criteria set by the Department of Health (DoH). Your category decides which clinics you can use, so look it up before you book a private clinic.

How to renew your Thiqa card

You can renew through any of four channels:

1. Online: log in at thiqa.ae/portal/login.
2. Thiqa app: available on the App Store and Google Play. The app also shows your digital card.
3. Hayakom virtual branch: Thiqa's remote branch for enrolment and renewal.
4. In person: at the Abu Dhabi head office (Al Rawdah), the Al Ain branch or the Madinat Zayed branch. Addresses are on the Thiqa contact page.

Documents: they depend on your category. The FAQ gives the Emirates ID and family book as the usual examples. For sponsored family members, expect sponsorship and relationship documents.

Processing time: up to three working days for a successful application.

Cost: nothing. Membership is free.

Common renewal problems:

• Emirates ID renewed, Thiqa expired. The two expiry dates are not linked, so each must be renewed separately. If your Emirates ID expires, your Thiqa cover continues, but a hospital may refuse admission until you show a valid ID.
• Emirates ID number missing from your record. Update it online or in the app. Clinics can then find you with your Emirates ID number alone.
• Full benefits flagged. DoH lists the free IFHAS health screening (ages 18 to 75) as one of the main requirements for keeping full Thiqa benefits. Book it at ifhas.gov.ae if you are due.

How to find your Thiqa number

Your Thiqa number is the member number on your digital card. To find it, open the Thiqa app or log in at thiqa.ae and view your card. Most clinics only need your Emirates ID, because they check Thiqa eligibility with your ID number in Daman's system. They may still ask for another valid ID.

What Thiqa covers

The Thiqa benefits page lists:

• Inpatient: day surgery, a private room, surgeon and anaesthetist fees, home nursing and long-term care, and escort accommodation when the doctor decides one is needed.
• Outpatient: consultations, lab and X-ray, MRI/CT/PET when a specialist prescribes them, medicines, medical appliances, outpatient psychiatry, physiotherapy and dietitian visits.
• Maternity: inpatient and outpatient.
• Other: emergency treatment, rehabilitation, medical check-ups, dental treatment, and infertility treatment (up to 3 attempts per year).

Co-payments at private providers. Thiqa's provider training material says some private-sector services carry member co-insurance, for example on medicines and some dental work, while the same items are fully covered at SEHA facilities. The rules have changed over the years. Check the current terms in the app or with the clinic before treatment.

Abroad. Only some Thiqa categories have emergency cover outside the UAE. Non-emergency treatment abroad is not covered. UAE nationals can buy Daman's Musafer travel plan for wider emergency cover. The international emergency line is +971 4 278 1335.

Which hospitals and clinics accept Thiqa

• Public network: SEHA hospitals and clinics in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra. These are open to every Thiqa category.
• Private network: private hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and labs contracted with Daman for Thiqa. Full private access is mainly for Abu Dhabi nationals.
• Outside Abu Dhabi: emergency treatment is covered anywhere in the UAE. For non-emergency care in Dubai or the Northern Emirates, search the Thiqa app's provider finder and call the facility to confirm before you go.

The provider search in the Thiqa app and on thiqa.ae is the only reliable list. Third-party directories often show clinics that have since left the network.

How clinics join the Thiqa network

There is no separate "Thiqa licence". Thiqa is one of the networks Daman contracts on behalf of the government, so the route is the same as joining Daman:

1. Hold an active facility licence. In practice the Thiqa private network is mainly DoH-licensed Abu Dhabi facilities.
2. Be onboarded to Malaffi. DoH Circular 10/2026 made the minimum dataset mandatory for all Abu Dhabi facilities and links non-compliance to licence renewal.
3. Have working Shafafiya e-claims set up through your billing system.
4. Register on Daman's provider portal at openjet.inhealth.ae, or send a query through Daman's non-network provider form. Ask specifically to be considered for the Thiqa network.
5. Once contracted, apply Thiqa's prior-authorisation rules. Thiqa's provider training says private providers need approval for inpatient care, MRI/CT/PET, physiotherapy, long-term medicines and other listed services, while public providers are exempt for many of them.

Daman decides network membership based on need, quality and price. Being licensed does not guarantee a Thiqa contract.

ملخص بالعربية

ثقة برنامج حكومي مجاني للتأمين الصحي في أبوظبي للمواطنين الإماراتيين وبعض أفراد أسرهم من غير المواطنين، وتديره شركة ضمان. لتجديد بطاقة ثقة ادخل إلى موقع thiqa.ae أو تطبيق ثقة، أو استخدم الفرع الافتراضي "حيّاكم"، أو زر أحد فروع ضمان، ومعك الهوية الإماراتية وخلاصة القيد. قد يستغرق الطلب حتى ثلاثة أيام عمل. رقم ثقة يظهر على البطاقة الرقمية في التطبيق، وصلاحية بطاقة ثقة لا ترتبط بصلاحية الهوية، لذلك يجب تجديد كل منهما على حدة.

Frequently asked questions

How do I renew my Thiqa card?

Log in at thiqa.ae or open the Thiqa app, check your details and submit the renewal with your Emirates ID and family book. You can also use the Hayakom virtual branch or a Daman branch. Allow up to three working days.

Where do I find my Thiqa number?

It is on your digital Thiqa card in the Thiqa app, and in your account at thiqa.ae. Clinics can usually find you with your Emirates ID number alone.

Does Thiqa expire when my Emirates ID expires?

No. The dates are not linked and each must be renewed separately. An expired Emirates ID can still stop a hospital from admitting you, so keep both valid.

Can I use Thiqa in Dubai?

Emergency treatment is covered anywhere in the UAE. For non-emergency care, coverage depends on your category and on whether the Dubai facility is in the Thiqa network. Check the app's provider search before you go.

Is Thiqa free?

Yes, membership is free. Some private-provider services can carry co-insurance, so check before treatment.

What is the Thiqa phone number?

800 4 80000 toll-free inside the UAE, +971 2 418 4444 from abroad, and +971 4 278 1335 for international emergencies.

Clinic owners in Abu Dhabi or Dubai who want to reach Thiqa patients can see how Access One handles healthcare marketing.

Sources

• Thiqa: Eligibility
• Thiqa: Frequently asked questions
• Thiqa: Benefits
• Thiqa: Contact us and branches
• Thiqa provider training: plan for nationals residing in Abu Dhabi
• u.ae: Getting health insurance
• DoH: IFHAS screening for Thiqa cardholders
• Daman: Healthcare facilities
• DoH Circular 10/2026: Mandatory Malaffi onboarding

Published 18 Oct 2026 · Access One