Can't Get Your COC From Your Old Employer? Here's What Actually Works

What a COC actually is (and isn't)

A Certificate of Continuity is proof of your previous medical insurance coverage — who insured you, and for how long. New employers often ask for it when setting up your new health cover, because continuous coverage can matter for things like pre-existing condition waiting periods.

It's easy to confuse it with an employment certificate, but they're completely different documents. An employment certificate is about your job history. A COC is about your insurance history. That distinction matters, because it changes who can actually give it to you.

The key insight: your old employer usually isn't the only source

Under a group medical policy, your employer was typically the policyholder and you were an insured member. That's why HR usually handles this — but the underlying record actually lives with the insurance company (or its broker or administrator), not exclusively inside your old employer's filing cabinet.

So if HR says "we can't issue that" or simply stops replying, that isn't necessarily the end of the road. Some major UAE insurers — Daman is one example — let members access and download their own COC directly through the insurer's app, without needing the old employer to do anything at all.

Your step-by-step path when the old employer won't help

• Step 1 — Ask HR in writing, once, properly. Skip WhatsApp and phone calls. A dated email is evidence you can use later if you need to escalate. Ask them either to send the COC directly, or to give you the name of the insurer, broker or administrator who can.
• Step 2 — Go straight to your old insurer. Find the insurer's name from your old insurance card, app, claim emails, or HR onboarding documents, then contact their member services directly with your Emirates ID, passport, old policy/member number, and your former employer's name.
• Step 3 — Try the broker or Third-Party Administrator (TPA). Larger group policies are often run through a broker or TPA rather than the insurer directly — ask who that is and what a former member needs to do.
• Step 4 — If the insurer also refuses, get that refusal in writing and file a formal complaint through the insurer's own complaints process, clearly asking for the COC or equivalent written confirmation of your coverage dates.
• Step 5 — Escalate to the right regulator. In Dubai, that's the Dubai Health Authority's free insurance complaints service. In Abu Dhabi, it's the Department of Health. And for UAE-licensed insurers generally, Sanadak — the UAE's insurance ombudsman — can take eligible complaints once you've given the insurer 15 calendar days to respond to a formal complaint without a satisfactory resolution.

What if your new employer just needs proof, not a specific form?

It's worth asking your new insurer directly whether they'll accept something other than a formal COC while you sort things out — your old insurance card, a cancellation certificate, or a simple written confirmation email from the insurer showing your coverage dates. Some will accept it, some won't, so get that confirmed in writing rather than assuming.

Is this a labour dispute?

Not usually, and not as your first move. If the real problem is an insurer refusing to release insurance documentation, the insurance complaints route above is the more direct fix. A labour complaint through MOHRE only really becomes relevant if your former employer is deliberately withholding something within their control as part of a broader employment dispute.

Frequently Asked Questions

This article is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Requirements can vary by insurer, emirate and policy — confirm the current process with the relevant insurer or regulator for your specific situation.