Giving Birth In Dubai

So it’s happening! You’re having your baby in Dubai. Firstly congratulations and we hope it all goes well. Now when giving birth in Dubai there are a few things that need organising and taking in to consideration. It is recommended that you start planning for the birth as soon as possible as there is a lot to do. One essential thing you will need is your original marriage certificate.

Another thing to take in to account is home and water births are not available in Dubai.

Organising the birth & knowing the costs
If you have a Government Health Card which gives you access to government hospitals, then the cost of having your baby and the medical fees will come to a total cost of around AED 5,000 for a natural birth, and AED 8,000 for a caesarean.

On the other if you decide that you do not want to go to a government hospital then there are plenty of private hospitals in Dubai. But they are a lot more expensive and can range from AED 10,000 to AED 20,000. If you have got private medical insurance then your insurance company should pay either all of it or up to 20% of the fees. Most insurance companies will cover these fees but not all. If you do not have medical insurance then it is STRONGLY advised that you do. 

During pregnancy you will need to get regular checkups to make sure everything is going well with both you and the baby. Some hospitals have a package that can be purchased; this package will include things like regular scans, doctor checkups, exercise advice, what to eat and what not to eat.

When you know you are pregnant it will be time to choose a hospital. All hospitals will more or less require you to submit and show proof of certain documents. If you are not able to provide these documents it will result in the hospital refusing you to be allowed to have your child’s birth at their hospital. The documents that you will be asked to provide are as follows:

1. Either your Government Health Card or Private Medical Cover Card
2. Copies of the mothers & fathers passports
3. Original marriage certificate and a copy
4. Evidence of where you reside (Only Sometimes)

Getting a Birth Certificate
CONGRATULATIONS! At this point you will have had your baby. The hospital that you gave birth at will issue a ‘notification of birth certificate’ which will be in the Arabic language. Expatriates must then get the birth certificate translated in to English. Then you will need to get both the Arabic and English certificate attested by the Ministry of Health (at Al Baraha Hospital) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Parents have one month to get their baby’s birth certificate. Obviously before you can get the birth certificate you also need to decide on your baby’s name.

Documents that you will require are as follows:

• Copies of both the mothers & fathers passports
• Copy of attested marriage certificate
• Discharge summary of the mother and child from the hospital

The Procedure

1. Depending on the hospital you gave birth at you may have been issued an Arabic birth certificate.
2. If you did not receive an Arabic birth certificate this can be obtained at Dubai Hospital, Rashid Hospital or Al Wasl Hospital. Once you arrive at the hospital go to the appropriate desk along with the required documents to get your baby’s Arabic birth certificate.
3. If you wish you may also apply for a temporary health card for the newborn which will make any immunizations free at any Dubai government hospital.
4. Now you need to go to the Preventive Medicine Department in the Al Baraha Hospital to get your English birth certificate.
5. Once at the hospital get an application from the birth certificate office. Then a translator will type up your application. You can then also get the birth certificate attested at the Ministry of Health Counter at Al Baraha Hospital.
6. Once you have attested the birth certificate at Al Baraha Hospital you will then need to go and get it attested at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Fees (Subject to change without notice)
Arabic birth certificate: 50 AED
Translation fee: 15 AED
English birth certificate: 50 AED
Attestation fee (Ministry of Health): 20 AED
Attestation fee (Ministry of Foreign Affairs): 150 AED
Health card: 110 AED

Warnings before having a baby in Dubai

Pregnant & Not Married
If you are single and pregnant in Dubai either leave the country as fast as possible or get married to someone ASAP! If you are caught to be pregnant in Dubai and not married you will be put in jail and then at the end of your sentence deported back to your home country. There are lots of woman in Dubai jails with their babies serving time because they got pregnant and were not married.

If you are a resident in Dubai and married, then you can rest assured you will be fine and having a baby in Dubai is just as safe (If not safer) than having a baby in your home country.

Abortions
Abortion is illegal in Dubai and carries a jail sentence. The only time in Dubai when a woman is allowed to have an abortion is to save her own life. For this to take place the doctor will need to examine the pregnant lady and outline what it is that is putting the woman’s life at risk. Then this must be signed and authorised by the husband. After this you can legally have an abortion.

Visiting Dubai & Pregnant
It is recommended that if you are pregnant, single and wanting to visit Dubai that you don’t. The reason for this is because you may be faced with legal issues. Once you have had the baby you may visit Dubai as a single mother with your child.