Study abroad in the United Arab Emirates: the European Health Insurance Card does not apply there, and the Federal Foreign Office calls for adequate travel health insurance. Tourists need no visa for up to 90 days within 180 days, and for studies the mission gives information. The Foreign Office advises against non-essential travel.
Travel warning of the Federal Foreign Office (status 25.10.2026): The German original reads, in our translation: “Non-essential travel to the United Arab Emirates is advised against.” The source is the Federal Foreign Office page on the United Arab Emirates (in German). Before any planning, check the current status with the Federal Foreign Office and the position of your university and your funding programme.
Study abroad in the United Arab Emirates at a glance
| Item | Information (status October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) does not apply. The Federal Foreign Office calls for adequate travel health insurance. We have not found a social security agreement covering health insurance. | European Commission (EHIC FAQ, undated), Federal Foreign Office, United Arab Emirates (status 25.10.2026) |
| Visa | Tourist stays with a valid biometric passport: no visa for up to 90 days within 180 days. We do not state a rule for studies. | Federal Foreign Office, United Arab Emirates |
| Travel document | Regular biometric passport, valid for at least six months on entry | Federal Foreign Office, United Arab Emirates |
| Living costs | 800 euros per month as the DAAD scholarship rate for students and graduates, a guide figure and not a budget | DAAD, scholarship rates (undated) |
| Auslands-BAföG | Possible, competent office per the DSW assignment: Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim | German Student Services, leaflet (as of January 2026) |
All details are general information, not individual advice. The linked official pages are authoritative.
How are you insured in the United Arab Emirates?
The European Health Insurance Card and social security agreements
The European Health Insurance Card applies in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The United Arab Emirates are not among them, so the card on the back of your German health insurance card does not help you there. We have not found a social security agreement with the United Arab Emirates that covers health insurance, so we name none. Ask your statutory health insurance fund (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) in writing whether and to what extent it covers you during the semester abroad before you sign the learning agreement.
If you have private cover, the basics are in Health insurance during a semester abroad (in German), and the specifics for countries outside the EU in Private health insurance for students outside the EU (in German).
Healthcare, advance payment and vaccinations
No vaccinations are compulsory for direct entry from Germany. The page names the hepatitis A vaccination. On care, the Federal Foreign Office points out that costs often have to be paid before discharge or even advanced. Plan a reserve for treatment costs and keep your insurance documents at hand.
According to the page, anyone who takes medication regularly should bring it. At the same time, the Foreign Office notes that importing some common medicines without a doctor’s prescription is prohibited. Clarify with your doctor and with the mission what you may carry and in what form.
Private travel health insurance and repatriation
The Federal Foreign Office calls for adequate travel health insurance for the Emirates. Which benefits are sufficient depends on your contract, your university and the length of stay, and we have not found a minimum scope. We have not checked whether your statutory health insurance fund covers repatriation from the Emirates, so ask it about the scope of cover. More in Travel health insurance for Erasmus, the USA and work and travel (in German).
Do you need a visa for the United Arab Emirates?
Not for tourist stays. According to the Federal Foreign Office, you need no visa when you use a valid biometric passport, for a maximum of 90 days within 180 days. The regular biometric passport must be valid for at least six more months on entry.
Whether and which visa or residence permit you need to study in the United Arab Emirates is something the mission of the country tells you with binding effect. We do not state a rule of our own, because we have not documented an official source for it. A semester can last longer than the 90 days the page names for a visa-free stay, so asking the mission is important. The Federal Foreign Office travel and safety advice (status 25.10.2026) lists the entry requirements for German citizens. The embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Germany is the point of contact. Keep ready:
- A regular biometric passport, valid for at least six more months on entry
- For studies, the mission’s information on the visa or residence permit
- Proof of adequate travel health insurance
- A reserve for treatment costs that can fall due before discharge
- Medication only after you have clarified the import rules
The Federal Foreign Office advises against non-essential travel to the United Arab Emirates (status 25.10.2026) and names no separate sub-regions. On the situation, the page states that the region remains very volatile because no final agreement between the USA and Iran exists despite a declaration of intent from June 2026. Since July there have been further military attacks, including on the Emirates, and a renewed rise in fighting with possible flight restrictions remains conceivable. The abstract terrorist threat persists, and the authorities have stepped up security measures, particularly around Jewish and Israeli facilities.
Legal notes on the page
The page points to rules that matter in everyday life during a semester abroad. According to the Foreign Office, the death penalty is also imposed on foreign nationals. Unpaid debts from earlier business can lead to arrest on entry or in transit, and disputes or critical online reviews can lead to an exit ban. Photographing and filming are strictly prohibited at many facilities, especially in connection with the current military conflict. Same-sex acts are prohibited, and public displays of affection and cross-dressing are also forbidden.
What does a semester in the United Arab Emirates cost?
Tuition fees
Which fees the host university charges depends on the exchange agreement of your university. We state no general amount, because we have not documented an official source for it. Ask your university and the host university before you accept a place.
Living costs
The DAAD applies a monthly scholarship rate of 800 euros for students and graduates in the United Arab Emirates. This is a guide figure, not a budget. The list carries neither a status date nor a publication date. We have not found a monthly amount from the host university or an official body, so ask the host university about its budget for exchange students. The national currency is the UAE dirham (AED), so convert amounts into euros at the current exchange rate.
Funding: Erasmus+ and Auslands-BAföG
The United Arab Emirates are not among the Erasmus+ programme countries that the European Commission lists in the Programme Guide. Your international office can tell you what funding your university offers for a partnership with the Emirates. More in Planning Erasmus and a semester abroad (in German).
Auslands-BAföG, the German study abroad grant, is available for part of a degree abroad if you have studied at least one academic year in Germany and have your permanent residence in Germany. For the United Arab Emirates, the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim (Office for Educational Funding Abroad) is responsible according to the DSW assignment. According to the leaflet (as of January 2026), there is a one-off supplement for the outward and return journey, a health insurance supplement and tuition fees of up to 5,600 euros for a maximum of one year. Outside the EU and Switzerland, a monthly foreign supplement may be added. For places of study outside Europe, the foreign supplements ordinance names a travel supplement of 500 euros each for the outward and the return journey. All details are in Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German).
Worked example: For five months, the DAAD rate gives a guide figure of 4,000 euros for living costs (5 times 800 euros). Flights, travel health insurance, a reserve for treatment costs and any fees of the host university are not included, because we have no documented amounts for them. The total is a rough guide, not a commitment.
Steps before you leave
- Ask your insurer to confirm in writing whether and how you are insured in the United Arab Emirates before you sign the learning agreement.
- Take out travel health insurance of adequate scope and check whether repatriation is included.
- Check that your biometric passport is valid for at least six more months on entry.
- Ask the mission which visa or residence permit your studies require, because the page names a visa-free stay only for up to 90 days within 180 days.
- Ask your doctor which medication you may carry, because importing some common medicines without a prescription is prohibited.
- Set aside a reserve for treatment costs, which according to the page are often payable before discharge.
- Follow the Federal Foreign Office advice until shortly before you leave, and clarify with your university and funding programme whether a stay in the Emirates is covered there.
- Submit your Auslands-BAföG application to the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim about six months before you start if you want funding.
- Ask your international office about funding and the fees of the host university.
Frequently asked questions
Does my European Health Insurance Card work in the United Arab Emirates?
No. The card applies in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Federal Foreign Office calls for adequate travel health insurance for the Emirates.
Do I need a visa for the United Arab Emirates?
Not for tourist stays, with a valid biometric passport for a maximum of 90 days within 180 days. For studies, the mission tells you with binding effect what applies, and we have not documented a rule of our own.
Which travel document do I need?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, a regular biometric passport that is valid for at least six more months on entry.
How high are living costs in the United Arab Emirates?
The DAAD applies a scholarship rate of 800 euros per month for students. This is a guide figure. We have not found a documented amount from your host university.
Is there a travel warning for the United Arab Emirates?
The Federal Foreign Office advises against non-essential travel (status 25.10.2026). Check the current status and the position of your university and funding programme before you plan.
Do I have to advance treatment costs?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, costs often have to be paid before discharge or even advanced. The Foreign Office therefore calls for adequate travel health insurance.
Who handles Auslands-BAföG for the United Arab Emirates?
According to the DSW assignment, the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim, Office for Educational Funding Abroad.
Sources
- Federal Foreign Office, United Arab Emirates: travel and safety advice (page of 25 October 2026, in German)
- European Commission, social security FAQ: European Health Insurance Card (undated)
- European Commission, Erasmus+ Programme Guide: eligible countries (undated)
- DAAD, scholarship rates for students and graduates (undated, in German)
- BAföG foreign supplements ordinance, section 4 (undated, in German)
- German Student Services, Auslands-BAföG leaflet (as of January 2026, in German)
Sources accessed on 25 October 2026, unless stated otherwise.
Related guides
- Health insurance during a semester abroad (in German)
- Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German)
- Semester abroad in Qatar (in German)
- Semester abroad in Oman (in German)
- All countries for your semester abroad (in German)
You can find the online check at check.academycon.de.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
