New UAE sick leave certificate rule: What has changed and who benefits

Dubai: Getting a sick leave certificate attested in the UAE is about to get a lot less tiring for patients in many emirates.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) on Wednesday announced an enhanced system to streamline sick leave attestation and approval process in healthcare facilities under the ministry in multiple emirates.

Here is an explainer on what has changed and who benefits.

What is the new rule

Under the enhanced system, hospitals and healthcare facilities, not patients, will now submit attestation applications directly to the ministry.

Until now, the process started with the individual. Under the new arrangement, the facility that issued the sick leave sends the attestation request on behalf of the patient or the patient’s companion.

Requests that meet the required conditions move automatically on to the approval service, with no need to file a fresh application.

What has changed

The key shift is where the process begins. MoHAP says the service journey now starts with the issuing healthcare facility rather than the individual, which reduces the effort required from customers.

This follows approved procedures and controls.

The changes cover two services: the Attestation of Sick Leaves and Medical Reports Service, and the Approval of Sick Leaves and the Leave of the Patient’s Companion Service.

The two are now linked, so a request that qualifies passes from attestation to approval automatically.

Who benefits

Patients seeking sick leave certificate attestation from facilities under MoHAP in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah will benefit.

The automatic link between attestation and approval applies to employees of the Federal Government and the local governments of Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, in line with approved controls. For them, the second application is gone.

Patient companions are covered too. Healthcare facilities can now submit attestation requests for companion leave alongside the patient’s own sick leave.

MoHAP says this addresses the needs of companions and makes it easier to complete sick leave procedures.

Why the change

The ministry links the move to the UAE Government’s Zero Bureaucracy objectives. It says the enhancements simplify the customer journey, reduce procedures and speed up service completion, supporting the government’s leadership and global competitiveness in delivering easier, faster and more efficient services.

Abdullah Ahli, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector at MoHAP, said the changes reflect the ministry’s commitment to turning the government’s vision into a fundamental transformation of service delivery. He said the focus is on redesigning procedures, simplifying the customer journey and strengthening integration between entities.

Ahli added that the ministry wants a more flexible and sustainable service model, where transactions are completed through interconnected processes and data is exchanged effectively between entities. He stressed that Zero Bureaucracy is measured by real improvements in customer experience and government efficiency and said the ministry will keep working to improve service quality.