Governance of the insurance sector
Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) supervises and regulates the insurance sector, as per Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025 Regarding the Central Bank, Regulation of Financial Institutions and Activities, and Insurance Business.
Read the insurance regulations on CBUAE website.
CBUAE Rulebook
The CBUAE Rulebook is a resource of the regulations, standards and guidelines issued by Central Bank of the UAE. It aims to provide easy access to compliance material and help individuals and businesses in the financial industry to stay aware of the same.
Licensing insurance companies
CBUAE registers insurance companies established in the UAE and licenses them to practice the activity. Insurance companies The CBUAE registers insurance companies and licenses them to practice the activity. Insurance companies include national insurance companies, foreign insurance companies and Takaful insurance companies. Foreign insurance companies can apply to practice in the UAE through either a branch office or an insurance agent. Regulations stipulate that the minimum capital for an insurance company operating in the UAE is AED 100 million. However, the capital of a reinsurance company operating in the UAE must be AED 250 million. Contact CBUAE via email to enquire about licensing requirements. Find out list of fees for obtaining different types of insurance licences. Types of insurance The following types of insurance are available in the UAE: Refer to the list of registered insurance companies and related businesses (PDF, 1 MB). Insurance brokers An insurance broker is a person who, independently, intermediates in insurance operations between an insurance seeker on the one hand, and any insurance company, on the other, and receive commission from the insurance companies for his efforts. The most important conditions for licensing insurance brokers include: Refer to the CBUAE Rulebook - Insurance Brokers’ Regulation for more details. Insurance agents Insurance agents include companies and individuals authorised by an insurance company licensed in the UAE to carry out insurance business on its behalf or on behalf of any of its branches. Conditions for registration of insurance agents include a paid-up capital of at least AED 500,000 and the capital should be fully owned by UAE nationals. Banks licensed to operate in the UAE shall be exempted from this condition, and any other company may be exempted for reasons relating to public interest requirements. Refer to CBUAE Rulebook – Insurance Agents for more details. TPA Companies (Health Insurance Third Party Administrator) Businesses of TPA companies shall be restricted to the following: The company’s capital must not be less than AED 5 million. The company shall be required to deposit a bank guarantee of value AED 1 million issued by a bank licensed in the UAE. Refer to CBUAE Rulebook – Third Party Health Insurance Administrators for more details. Surveyors & Loss Adjusters Surveyors & Loss Adjusters are the companies and individuals responsible for detecting and assessing damages that occurred in the subject matter of the insurance. For companies to be registered, capital must not be less than AED 1 million, of which UAE nationals must own 51 per cent. The company shall also be required to provide an insurance policy of value AED 1 million against civil liability arising from practising the profession. Refer to CBUAE Rulebook – Surveyors & Loss Adjusters for more details. Insurance consultants Insurance consultants are the companies and individuals, who study insurance coverage needs of their customers and provide advice in respect of the appropriate insurance coverage, assist in preparation of insurance requisites and receive remunerations from their customers for their efforts. Registration in the ‘Insurance Consultants Register’ must be required from one of the partners or one of its responsible employees, as the case may be. The company shall also be required to provide an insurance policy of value AED 3 million provided that the amount of liability in the policy does not exceed AED 30,000, and UAE nationals must own 51 per cent of the capital. Refer to CBUAE Rulebook – Insurance Consultants for more details. Actuary Actuarial companies and the persons are those who provide estimates of value of the insurance contracts and the documents and accounts relating thereto. The paid-up capital of the actuarial company must not be less than AED 100,000 for a company incorporated in the UAE, and AED 250,000 or the equivalent thereof for a company incorporated in a financial free zone in the UAE or a foreign company. Refer to CBUAE Rulebook – Actuaries for more details. Prices comparison websites There are many companies that are registered to provide comparison of prices for insurance policies through the Internet. Insurance companies and insurance-related professionals except for insurance brokers are prohibited from dealing with price comparison websites. On the other hand, price comparison websites are prohibited from communicating, directly with the customer. Such communication must be carried out only through a licensed insurance broker contracted with the website. Refer to CBUAE Rulebook – Price Comparison Websites for more details. Insurance producers Producers of insurance market insurance policies by introducing natural and juridical persons to the company they work for, the insurance services and products it provides and the offers it prepares. This is usually carried out through regular or electronic means by placing a link for the company on their electronic accounts, or their addresses on social media.
Updated on:
18 Mar 2026
