Before you start

A job offer / signed contract with an Abu Dhabi entity (the employer is the policy sponsor and payer)
Passport plus Emirates ID application (the EID / Unified Number links your policy to the visa file)
Entry permit or in-progress residence visa application via the ICP
Passport-size photo and, for dependents, attested marriage and birth certificates to enrol them on the plan

Step-by-step

1
Employer buys your DoH-compliant policy (this is theirs to do, not yours)
Your employer must purchase a Department of Health — Abu Dhabi compliant policy before your residence visa can be issued. Most expats are placed on the Daman 'Abu Dhabi Basic Plan' (annual benefit limit of AED 150,000 minimum; many corporate plans are richer). Confirm in writing whether you are on the Basic Plan or an enhanced plan — it determines which hospitals you can use without paying out of pocket.
Via employerWho: Employer / company PRO arranges with the insurer (Daman or another DoH-licensed insurer)Issued during onboarding, before visa stampingEmployer pays the employee premium; budget plans run roughly AED 600-3,500/year, comprehensive far more
2
Add your dependents — the employer must cover spouse + up to 3 children
Unlike Dubai, Abu Dhabi law obliges the EMPLOYER to insure one spouse and up to three children under 18. Provide attested marriage and birth certificates so the PRO can enrol them. The catch: for these dependents the employee is typically asked to co-pay ~50% of their premium, and any extra dependents (parents, a fourth child) are entirely your own cost. Each dependent needs their own active certificate before THEIR residence visa is issued.
Via employerWho: Employer enrols dependents; you supply attested civil documentsAlongside dependents' visa applicationsEmployee usually co-pays ~50% of dependents' premium; extra dependents 100% self-funded
3
Activate your record and use the network (SEHA, Cleveland Clinic, Burjeel)
Once insured, your visits feed into Malaffi, the DoH's Abu Dhabi-wide Health Information Exchange, so any participating doctor sees your unified history (Malaffi links to the national 'Riayati' record). Book at SEHA public hospitals/clinics or private providers such as Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Burjeel. Always check the provider is in YOUR plan's network and ask about co-pay before booking — Basic Plan members are largely restricted to public and selected private facilities.
In personWho: You (and dependents) as patients; bring Emirates ID + insurance cardCoverage active from policy start dateIn-network: typically a 10-20% consultation co-pay; out-of-network can be full price
4
Renew every year — it re-gates your visa
The policy is annual and must be renewed continuously; an expired policy blocks your residence-visa renewal and can trigger fines. Renewal is normally automatic through the employer, but verify the certificate is active before each visa renewal. You can self-manage or renew a Daman Abu Dhabi Basic policy through the TAMM platform if you hold it directly.
Mobile appWho: Employer (or you, via TAMM, for self-sponsored / directly-held policies)Annually, ahead of visa renewalRenewal premium as above; a lapse risks fines (reported around AED 1,000/uninsured person/month)

Documents you’ll need

Passport (and copy) plus Emirates ID / Unified Number
Entry permit or residence-visa application reference
Passport-size photograph
For dependents: attested marriage certificate and children's birth certificates

Things most newcomers don’t know

Abu Dhabi is NOT Dubai: it is the DoH mandate, not the DHA. A Dubai DHA policy is not automatically valid here.

Newcomers (and even relocating colleagues) assume one national scheme. Abu Dhabi has run its own emirate mandate since 2006 with its own insurers, networks and the Daman 'Abu Dhabi Basic Plan'; moving emirate usually means a new policy.

Source: Department of Health — Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi your employer must legally insure your spouse and up to three kids — a genuine perk Dubai does not give.

In Dubai the visa sponsor pays for dependents' cover themselves. In Abu Dhabi the obligation sits with the employer, though employees commonly co-pay ~50% of dependent premiums — so it's a benefit, not entirely free.

Source: DoH Abu Dhabi Basic Plan rules

Ask 'Basic or comprehensive?' and 'what's my network?' on day one — the Basic Plan locks you into mostly public and selected private hospitals.

The Daman Abu Dhabi Basic Plan has a restricted network and co-pays; if you turn up at an out-of-network private flagship you may pay full price. Knowing your tier prevents a surprise bill.

Source: Daman / Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Your records follow you automatically via Malaffi — you don't carry files between doctors.

Malaffi is the DoH's Abu Dhabi Health Information Exchange and is linked to the national Riayati record, so any participating provider sees your history. Newcomers used to carrying paper files or transferring records don't need to.

Source: DoH — Abu Dhabi (Malaffi)

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating a Dubai DHA policy as valid in Abu Dhabi — it generally is not; relocating between emirates means arranging a DoH-compliant Abu Dhabi policy.
Letting the policy lapse: an expired certificate blocks your (and dependents') residence-visa renewal and can trigger fines reported around AED 1,000 per uninsured person per month.
Assuming dependents are fully free — the employer must cover spouse + 3 children, but employees typically co-pay ~50% of their premium, and parents or a 4th child are 100% your cost.
Booking an out-of-network private flagship on a Basic Plan and being billed in full — always confirm the provider is in YOUR plan's network and check the co-pay first.