How does a private clinic prepare for Universal Health Insurance in Egypt?

Law No. 2 of 2018 brings Universal Health Insurance to Egypt's governorates in six phases, and its Article 21 asks public and private family health centres to hold a GAHAR certificate and contract with the Universal Health Insurance Authority. A clinic starts with GAHAR registration or provisional accreditation, then files UHIA's contracting documents.

What the law sets

Article 1 makes the system mandatory for every citizen resident in Egypt and optional for Egyptians working abroad, and Article 3 applies it gradually by governorate in the phases of Table 5, with Port Said, Suez, Ismailia, South Sinai and North Sinai first and Cairo, Giza and Qalyubia in the sixth.¹ Article 21 delivers treatment, diagnosis, emergency care and referral through public and private basic healthcare and family health centres that hold a GAHAR certificate and are contracted with the Authority.¹ Article 28 lets GAHAR set the quality standards, accredit and register facilities and professionals, and suspend or cancel them.¹

Provisional accreditation and contracting

GAHAR's 2025 provisional accreditation for primary care rests on basic requirements, the GAHAR Safety Requirements, essential quality requirements and an operating manual, lasts one calendar year and is renewable.² A provisionally accredited facility must apply for full accreditation within three years of its governorate entering the law, or of provisional accreditation where the governorate has not, and must register at least 30% of its medical professionals before the visit and the rest within three months.² The lookback period for a first provisional survey is at least one month.²

To contract, the Universal Health Insurance Authority asks for a provider registered or accredited by GAHAR, a completed contracting form sent to Contracting@uhia.gov.eg, the electronic equipment to handle the system's cards and documents, and the contracting fee under Article 40 of the law.³ The documents include qualifications per the Medical Syndicate's records, the founding contract, the facility's Medical Syndicate and Ministry of Health licences, professional practice licences, a valid tax card, a current commercial register extract, the price list and the names of the doctors and staff.³

1. Check your governorate's phase. Table 5 of the law sets the order, and the three-year clock for provisional accreditation runs from entry.
2. Register your professionals. At least 30% with GAHAR before the provisional visit, the rest within three months.
3. Meet the provisional requirements. Basic requirements, the 21 GSRs, essential quality requirements and the operating manual, for at least a month.
4. Apply for provisional accreditation. GAHAR replies with the requirements and fees for your facility.
5. Assemble the contracting file. Licences, register extracts, tax card, price list and staff list, as UHIA lists them.
6. Send the contracting form. Complete it in full and email it to UHIA, then pay the Article 40 fee.
7. Plan full accreditation. Diary the deadline, and start the four-month lookback for the 2025 handbook.

1. Facility ______ Governorate and phase ______
2. MOHP licence ______ Medical Syndicate licence ______
3. Professionals registered with GAHAR ______ of ______
4. Provisional accreditation applied on ______ Granted on ______
5. Full accreditation due by ______
6. UHIA contracting form sent on ______ Fee paid on ______
7. Price list and staff list attached ______

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Questions

When does Universal Health Insurance reach Cairo?

Table 5 of Law No. 2 of 2018 places Cairo, Giza and Qalyubia in the sixth and last phase, and the law ties each phase to the system's financial sustainability.

Can a clinic contract with UHIA without GAHAR?

UHIA's first contracting condition is that the provider is registered or accredited by GAHAR.

How long does provisional accreditation last?

One calendar year, renewable, and the facility must apply for full accreditation within the three-year window the provisional rules set.

Which licences does UHIA ask for?

The facility's Medical Syndicate licence and Ministry of Health licence, and the professional practice licences of its clinicians.

Sources

1. 1Universal Health Insurance Authority (UHIA), 2018Law No. 2 of 2018 issuing the Universal Health Insurance System Law, Official Gazette issue 2 continued (b), 11 January 2018Read source
2. 2General Authority for Healthcare Accreditation and Regulation (GAHAR), 2025GAHAR Handbook for Primary Healthcare Provisional Accreditation Standards, 2025Read source
3. 3Universal Health Insurance Authority (UHIA), 2026Contracting procedures and conditions with the Universal Health Insurance AuthorityRead source

Written by the wai team from General Authority for Healthcare Accreditation and Regulation guidance, checked on 16 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. GAHAR does not endorse wai or any software.