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Are preventive healthcare services zero-rated?

Answered by FinTaxIQ - TI from the Federal Tax Authority’s own law · 11 October 2026. Guidance, not tax advice: rely on the official text.

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Yes. Preventive treatment counts as healthcare and is charged at 0% VAT, as long as it's given by a licensed healthcare provider directly to the patient.

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The detail

Under Article 41 of the VAT Executive Regulation, preventive treatment falls within the definition of 'healthcare services' and is zero-rated provided the supply is made by a licensed healthcare body, doctor, nurse, technician, dentist or pharmacy, and relates to the wellbeing of a human being. The FTA's guidance clarifies that zero-rating only applies where the recipient of the supply is also the patient; if a third party (e.g. an employer) is the contractual recipient, the supply is standard-rated at 5%.12

What the law says

  • Article 41(1) and (2) of the VAT Executive Regulation zero-rates healthcare services, defined to include preventive treatment, where made by a licensed healthcare provider and relating to human wellbeing.1
  • Per FTA guidance, zero-rating requires the patient receiving the treatment to also be the contractual recipient of the supply; otherwise 5% VAT applies.2 Based on FTA guidance

What it depends on

  • The provider (institution, doctor, nurse, technician, dentist or pharmacy) must be licensed by the Ministry of Health and Prevention or another competent authority.1
  • The service must not relate to holiday accommodation, entertainment, or elective cosmetic treatment not prescribed for medical reasons.1
  • The patient must be the same person as the contractual recipient of the supply for zero-rating to apply.2 Based on FTA guidance

Check before you rely on it

  • Confirm the provider's healthcare licence covers the service given
  • Check who is named as the recipient on the invoice/contract - patient or a third party
  • Verify the treatment is preventive/medical, not cosmetic or incidental to accommodation
Sources (2) — read the official text
  1. 1VAT Executive RegulationArticle 41Executive Regulation
    Article 41 – Zero-rating Healthcare Services
    Read the article
    Article 41 – Zero-rating Healthcare Services 25 1. The phrase “Healthcare Services” means any Service supplied that is generally accepted in the medical profession as being necessary for the treatment of the Recipient of the supply, including preventive treatment. 2. A supply of healthcare services shall be zero rated on the condition that the supply shall: a. Be made by a healthcare body or institution, doctor, nurse, technician, dentist, or pharmacy, licensed by the Ministry of Health and Prevention or by any other competent authority concerned with healthcare. b. Relate to the wellbeing of a human being. 3. "Healthcare services" do not include any of the following: a. Any part of a supply that relates to staying in or attending an establishment the principal purpose of which is to provide holiday accommodation or entertainment such that any Healthcare Service is incidental to the provision of the accommodation or entertainment. b. Elective treatment for cosmetic reasons other than prescribed by a doctor or medical professional for treating or prevention of a medical condition. 4. A supply of Goods or an Import of Concerned Goods is zero-rated if it is a supply or an Import of:26 a. Any medical product as specified in a decision issued by the Cabinet. b. Any other Goods not covered by paragraph (a) of this Clause which are supplied in the course of supplying a Person with zero-rated Healthcare Services that are necessary for the supply of such Healthcare Services. Title Seven – Exempt Supplies
    Official PDF, p. 32Captured from the FTA website on 10 Sep 2026Found by following a reference in another source
  2. Read the article
    Most goods and services supplied in the UAE by a تخضع معظم السلع والخدمات التي يت ّم توريدها داخل الدولة .%5 لضريبة القيمة المضافة بالنسبة األساسية taxable person are subject to VAT at 5%. In accordance with Article 41 of Cabinet Decision ) لسنة52( ) من قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم41( ووفقا للمادة No. 52 of 2017 on the Executive Regulations of the في شأن الالئحة التنفيذية للمرسوم بقانون اتحادي2017 Federal Decree-Law No 8 of 2017 on Value Added في شأن ضريبة القيمة المضافة2017 ) لسنة8( رقم Tax (“Executive Regulations”), healthcare services تُطبق نسبة الصفر على خدمات،)"("الالئحة التنفيذية may be zero-rated if certain conditions are met. .الرعاية الصحية بناء على استيفاء التوريد شروطا محددة For the purposes of the Article, “healthcare ولغايات هذه المادة تُعرّ ف "خدمات الرعاية الصحية" على services” are defined as: :أنها “any Service supplied that is generally accepted "أي خدمة يتم توريدها وتكون متعارفا عليها بشكل عام in the medical profession as being necessary for ضمن مهنة الطب على أنها ضرورية لعالج متلقي the treatment of the Recipient of the supply ." بما في ذلك العالج الوقائي،التوريد including preventive treatment.” The above definition makes it clear that the يجب أن يكون متلقي التوريد هو،وكما هو موضح أعاله recipient of the supply must also be the patient ففي حال لم يكن المريض متلقي.ذاته المريض متلقي العالج that receives the treatment. Where the patient يكون من الواجب تطبيق،العالج هو ذاته متلقي التوريد and the recipient of the supply are not the same ضريبة القيمة المضافة على خدمات الرعاية الصحية بنسبة person, the services should therefore be subject to .%5 VAT at 5%. As a consequence, where a supply of services is في حال كانت الخدمات مقدمة من قبل مزود،ونتيجة لذلك made by a healthcare provider, the provider has to فيجب عليه النظر في من سيتلقى،خدمات رعاية صحية consider who the recipient of the supply is in order التوريد لتحديد ما إذا كان التوريد خاضعا لنسبة الصفر أم to be able to determine if the supply shall be zero- .ال rated. In determining the identity of the recipient of the يجب البدء بالنظر في،وألغراض تحديد هوية متلقي التوريد supply, the starting point should be to consider the تحديد الطرف الذي، السيما،الوضع التعاقدي بين األطراف contractual position between the parties and, ، وبالتالي.يحق له استالم الخدمات المورّ دة بموجب العقد specifically, who is contractually entitled to the وعلى الرغم من أن االتفاقيات التعاقدية بين األطراف ليست services supplied. Thus, although the contractual لكن ينبغي النظر إليها،دائما فاصلة في تحديد اتجاه التوريد 2
    Official PDF, p. 2Captured from the FTA website on 9 Sep 2026
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Written by AI from the FTA sources above and checked before display. Not tax advice or official FTA information - confirm with a tax adviser before you act. Full disclaimer

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