What insurance do you need for the crew who work on your yacht?
Boat policies usually exclude injury to people you employ on board, so crew need cover of their own. The federal Maritime Law makes a ship's owner buy health insurance for each seafarer and pay wages and treatment if they are hurt on board. Some insurers sell personal accident cover for crew.
Your boat policy probably does not cover your crew. GIG Gulf’s handbook excludes death, injury or illness of anyone you employ in connection with the boat, and the Institute Yacht Clauses exclude employer’s liability.12
What does the law make an owner provide for seafarers?
The federal Maritime Law sets these duties for the owner, which it calls the ship’s husband:3
- A written employment contract with each seafarer.
- A health insurance policy for each seafarer, with the premium not taken from wages.
- If a seafarer is injured or falls ill working on board and cannot work, full wages while on the ship until returned home, plus treatment, accommodation and compensation where needed.
- At least three days’ annual leave for each month of service on a fixed-term contract.
- No one under 16 employed on a ship registered in the UAE.
Where the Maritime Law is silent, the federal labour law applies.3 The law does not say in so many words whether these articles reach crew on a privately used yacht. Ask a lawyer how they apply to your crew.
What do boat policies say about crew?
| Insurer and document | What it says |
|---|---|
| GIG Gulf, Sail Master handbook | Excludes death, injury or illness of anyone you employ in connection with the boat, and of an employee of anyone using it. Delivery skippers and their crew are not insured unless agreed. |
| Institute Yacht Clauses (Sukoon, Arabia) | Excludes payments under workmen’s compensation or employer’s liability, and liability for accidents to anyone employed by the assured. |
| Sukoon, Privilege Yacht wording | Adds personal and crew personal accident cover, and medical expenses for family, guests and crew injured when the yacht sinks or collides, up to the schedule limit. |
| NGI, yacht page | Personal accident for crew on an optional basis. |
| QIC, yacht page | Mega yacht policies can include crew. |
The rows come from GIG Gulf,1 Sukoon2 and Arabia Insurance’s wordings,4 and the pages of NGI5 and QIC.6
Ask your insurer whether crew personal accident, crew medical expenses and employer’s liability can be added, and at what limits.
What licences and permits do crew need?
In Dubai, crew working on licensed vessels need a Dubai Maritime Authority crew licence. The authority’s manual accepts international certificates such as STCW and asks non-citizens for a passport and residence visa. A temporary licence is available.7 Crew on a visiting yacht can get a 180-day multiple entry permit through the shipping agent.8
Check each crew member’s licence and visa before they work on board. Driving licences for owners are in boat driving licences.
The small print
- Maritime Law. Articles 93 (age), 94 (written contract), 95 (labour law applies where the Maritime Law is silent), 99 (health insurance), 100 (injury or illness on board) and 101 (annual leave) of Federal Decree-Law No. 43 of 2023. Article 99 leaves the minimum health cover to the Executive Regulations.3
- Wordings. GIG Gulf’s exclusions are in Section 2 of the Pleasure Craft handbook.1 The Institute clause is 11.6.1.2
Sources
8
1GIG Gulf, Sail Master Pleasure Craft, Policy Handbook, Code UAEPL15072022.. Last checked 12 Nov 2026. Source document: Sail Master Pleasure Craft, Policy Handbook
2Sukoon Insurance, Privilege Yacht Terms and Conditions, Comprehensive, Dated December 2023.. Last checked 12 Nov 2026. Source document: Privilege Yacht Terms and Conditions, Comprehensive
3UAE Legislation, Federal Decree-Law No. (43) of 2023 Concerning the Maritime Law, Issued 28 September 2023, in force 29 March 2024. English translation, the Arabic text prevails.. Last checked 12 Nov 2026. Source document: Federal Decree-Law No. (43) of 2023 Concerning the Maritime Law
4Arabia Insurance, Yacht Insurance General Conditions (YI-GC-2021 V.1), 2021.. Last checked 12 Nov 2026. Source document: Yacht Insurance General Conditions (YI-GC-2021 V.1)
5National General Insurance (NGI), Yacht. Last checked 12 Nov 2026. Source document: Yacht
6Qatar Insurance Company, UAE, Boat Insurance. Last checked 12 Nov 2026. Source document: Boat Insurance
7Dubai Maritime Authority (PCFC), Marine Crew Licensing Manual (PCFC-DMA-MOD-VTO-MAN-01), February 2025.. Last checked 12 Nov 2026. Source document: Marine Crew Licensing Manual (PCFC-DMA-MOD-VTO-MAN-01)
8General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai, Issuing multiple entry permits, yacht crew, 180 days. Last checked 12 Nov 2026. Source document: Issuing multiple entry permits, yacht crew, 180 days
- Owner
- Yachtinsurance.ae research team
- Last review
- Next review due
- 11 May 2027
- Status
- Published