Last checked: 29 July 2026. UAE pet insurance is usually reimbursement cover for unexpected veterinary bills, not a maintenance plan for vaccinations and routine check-ups. The strongest policy depends on your pet’s age, breed, medical history and whether you need lifetime cover for conditions that develop after enrolment. Based on current public documents, MetLife, MooPet, OSLO and policies compared through Shory are materially different products—not interchangeable versions of the same plan.
This comparison uses provider pages and policy summaries, not invented “average quotes”. Premiums are personalised, and a cheap headline price can represent a lower limit, a higher co-payment or a narrower type of cover. Get quotes using identical pet details and compare the policy schedule, exclusions and claims method before buying.
UAE pet insurance: quick verdict
- Best for a simple direct-insurer comparison: start with MetLife’s customisable AED 30,000 limit, then compare it with at least one other product.
- Best for renewable lifetime-style vet limits: examine MooPet’s Lifetime tiers and continuous-renewal conditions.
- Best public maximum limit: OSLO currently advertises plans with annual veterinary benefits up to AED 70,000.
- Best for comparing multiple insurers: Shory is a licensed comparison platform, not one universal policy.
- Most important check: how an ongoing condition is treated after renewal—not just the first year’s limit.
UAE pet insurance providers compared
The table below compares published features we could verify. It is not a ranking, and it does not replace the policy wording issued for your quote.
| Route | Published vet limit | How you pay/claim | Distinctive feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife UAE | Up to AED 30,000 a year | Use any registered UAE vet, pay and submit for reimbursement | Choose 50%, 70% or 80% covered percentage |
| MooPet by MooCover | Lifetime tiers: AED 7,500–30,000; other product types differ | Use any licensed UAE vet, pay and claim | Lifetime tiers can refresh the annual limit for covered ongoing conditions if renewed without a break |
| OSLO | Published plans show AED 20,000, 35,000 or 70,000 | Use a licensed vet, pay and claim through OSLO Pet Cloud | Some curable pre-existing conditions may be covered after 12 symptom- and treatment-free months |
| Shory comparison platform | Depends on the insurer and quote; its Salama guide shows AED 5,000–30,000 | Depends on the selected policy; Salama information describes direct billing at 10 clinics | Compare multiple insurer quotes online |
| eSanad broker | Its indicative table shows AED 3,000–25,000 depending on pet and plan | Brokered products; method depends on the policy | Publishes indicative vet and third-party-liability options, including dogs and some exotic pets |
Important: Shory and eSanad are comparison/broker routes. The insurer, underwriter and actual policy terms matter more than the website used to obtain the quote. OSLO states that its cover is underwritten by Al-Ittihad Al-Watani.
How much does pet insurance cost in the UAE?
There is no honest single average that predicts your quote. Providers price for species, breed, age, chosen limit, reimbursement percentage and medical history. Published examples also use different pets and benefits, making a direct “cheapest” table misleading.
| Published example | What it actually tells you | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| MetLife: AED 200/month before VAT for a two-year-old Shih Tzu, AED 20,000 limit and 80% cover | A real illustration of how one configuration prices | That every dog will receive this price |
| MooPet Lifetime: illustrative dog prices from AED 144–308/month; cats AED 73–170 | The provider’s published spread across Lifetime tiers for a specific example | Your breed, age or underwriting result |
| MooPet Time-Limited: illustrative dogs from AED 109/month; cats from AED 60 | Time-limited cover can start below Lifetime cover | That the benefits continue after 12 months for the same condition |
| OSLO: website displays from AED 50, 77 and 89/month for its three benefit levels | The current advertised starting points | Your final premium or reimbursement after policy terms |
| eSanad: indicative options from AED 15/month for dog liability-only and AED 29 for Essential Cat | A broker’s current entry-level examples | That broad accident-and-illness cover costs AED 15 |
Use these numbers to identify products worth quoting, not to budget a guaranteed premium. Ask each provider for an annual total including VAT and instalment charges, then compare the same annual limit and reimbursement basis.
MetLife UAE pet insurance: what is verified
MetLife covers dogs and cats treated by any registered veterinarian in the UAE. Its current page lists medical examinations, diagnostics, surgery, emergency care, hospitalisation, CT/MRI/X-ray imaging, blood tests, prescription medication and physical therapy among the potential covered benefits.
- Entry age: from two months; dogs before age eight and cats before age ten.
- Identification: the pet must have a microchip.
- Annual limit: up to AED 30,000.
- Covered percentage: selectable at 50%, 70% or 80%.
- Waiting period: injury cover starts immediately; illness has a 30-day waiting period in the first policy year.
- Claims: online reimbursement through MedNet; MetLife’s FAQ says processing can take up to nine working days before transfer.
- Common exclusions: routine/preventive care, pre-existing conditions and elective procedures, subject to the full contract.
The current MetLife page describes a pay-and-reimburse process. It does not promise general direct billing, so do not select it on that assumption.
MooPet Lifetime versus Time-Limited cover
MooPet’s most useful distinction is how long a condition remains claimable.
| Feature | MooPet Lifetime | MooPet Time-Limited |
|---|---|---|
| Vet-fee limit | AED 7,500, 15,000, 20,000 or 30,000 by tier | Up to AED 5,000 per condition |
| Ongoing condition | Can continue across renewals if first covered after policy start and cover stays unbroken | Stops after 12 months from first appearance or when the condition limit is reached |
| Customer share | 20% per claim | 20% per claim |
| Vet choice | Any licensed UAE vet; pay and claim | Any licensed UAE vet; pay and claim |
| Dog third-party liability | Published limits of AED 275,000–450,000 by tier | Up to AED 150,000 |
| Selected extras | Higher tiers can include theft/straying and kennel/cattery benefits | Those benefits are not listed in the provider comparison |
MooPet also offers accident-only cover, with the provider describing up to AED 5,000 for accident-related veterinary treatment. Its published pre-existing-condition explanation says illness arising in the first 30 days is treated as pre-existing and that prior signs can affect cover. Read the full wording: “Lifetime” does not mean every condition is covered regardless of when it began.
OSLO pet insurance: higher limits and curable-condition rule
OSLO’s live site advertises three annual veterinary-benefit levels: AED 20,000, AED 35,000 and AED 70,000. Customers may use a licensed vet, pay the bill and upload a claim through OSLO Pet Cloud. The site says most claims close in three working days, but that is a service statement rather than a guaranteed outcome for every claim.
Its most unusual published feature concerns some curable pre-existing conditions. OSLO says a condition such as an ear infection, urinary tract infection or vomiting may become coverable after a full 12 months without symptoms or treatment. Chronic or incurable conditions should not be assumed to qualify. Obtain written confirmation for the exact medical history before treating this as a benefit.
OSLO’s site states that the insurance is underwritten by Al-Ittihad Al-Watani. The policy schedule and wording issued to you—not the marketing summary—control the claim.
What Shory actually offers
Shory is a Central Bank-licensed digital comparison platform. You enter your pet’s details, compare quotes and buy a policy from a participating insurer. This means there is no single “Shory pet insurance” limit or exclusion list that applies to every result.
Shory’s current 2026 provider guide describes a Salama takaful product with six veterinary limits from AED 5,000 to AED 30,000, 80% reimbursement, a 20% co-pay with a minimum AED 50 per claim, and direct billing at 10 UAE clinics. It lists cats and more than 350 dog breeds from eight weeks to seven years as eligible.
Confirm that the quote in front of you is the same Salama product before relying on those figures. Another insurer displayed by the platform may use different age limits, network rules, waiting periods and exclusions.
What pet insurance usually does not cover
The exact exclusions differ, but the current provider material repeatedly identifies the following:
- Conditions, symptoms, veterinary advice or treatment that existed before cover.
- Illness beginning during the initial waiting period.
- Routine vaccinations, annual health checks, flea/tick prevention and deworming unless specifically added.
- Spaying, neutering and elective or cosmetic procedures.
- Routine dental cleaning; emergency dental treatment may be treated differently.
- Breeding, pregnancy or related complications where excluded.
- Costs above the annual, per-condition or lifetime benefit limit.
A pre-existing condition can be defined by symptoms in veterinary notes even if there was no final diagnosis. Ask your clinic for the pet’s full history before applying so you can disclose accurately and challenge an unexpected exclusion before paying.
How reimbursement really works
Most UAE products require the owner to pay the vet first and submit an itemised invoice, receipt and clinical notes. “80% covered” rarely means the insurer simply pays 80% of the total invoice: the calculation can exclude non-covered items and apply a deductible or minimum co-pay first.
Example: on an AED 4,000 invoice, assume AED 500 is excluded and the remaining AED 3,500 is eligible at 80%. The insurer would reimburse AED 2,800 and the owner would fund AED 1,200. A separate excess could reduce reimbursement further. Use the exact formula in the policy schedule.
Which UAE pet insurance should you choose?
| If this is your priority | Start by comparing | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing conditions that begin after enrolment | MooPet Lifetime and any equivalent renewal-based cover | Does the limit reset for this condition every year if I renew? |
| Highest public annual limit | OSLO Optimum and alternatives with comparable benefits | What percentage, excess and sub-limits apply to the AED 70,000? |
| Flexible reimbursement percentage | MetLife | What is the quote at 50%, 70% and 80%, and what deductible applies? |
| Direct billing | Eligible Shory/Salama quote | Is my vet one of the current direct-billing clinics? |
| Older pet | Products whose new-entry age accepts your pet | Are there age-related exclusions, co-pays or lower limits? |
| Dog liability | MooPet or brokered plans displaying third-party cover | What incidents, breeds and locations are excluded? |
Seven checks before you pay
- Confirm the insurer and underwriter. A broker or comparison site is not necessarily the risk carrier.
- Read the pre-existing-condition definition. Look for symptoms, not only formal diagnoses.
- Compare condition treatment after renewal. Lifetime, annual and time-limited cover behave differently.
- Calculate your maximum out-of-pocket amount. Include the co-pay, excess, exclusions and any sub-limit.
- Check your vet. Confirm whether any licensed clinic is allowed or a network/direct-billing list applies.
- Ask about medical records. Find out what history must be supplied before or with a claim.
- Save the documents. Keep the quote, policy wording, schedule, exclusions and written answers you relied on.
The bottom line
There is no defensible single “best pet insurance in the UAE” for every cat or dog. MetLife offers a clear direct-insurer product with selectable reimbursement and up to AED 30,000. MooPet’s Lifetime tiers focus on renewing cover for eligible ongoing conditions. OSLO publishes the largest headline annual benefit in this comparison and a limited route for some curable prior conditions. Shory is useful for comparing insurer quotes, including a Salama product with a clinic-based direct-billing option.
Get at least three like-for-like quotes. Then choose by the claim you are most worried about: a one-off accident, a chronic condition, an older pet, a high-cost diagnosis or third-party liability. The policy wording—not the cheapest monthly number—decides whether that claim is paid.
This is an independent editorial comparison based on public provider information. We did not receive payment for inclusion. Terms and premiums can change; review the insurer’s current policy documents and obtain regulated advice where needed.
