For most offshore savings plans held by UAE-based expats, the quickest route is to log in to the provider's online service, where many life companies show a current valuation, a transaction history and the adviser linked to your plan. If you have never registered, or no longer have contact with the adviser who set the plan up, you may be able to contact the provider directly with your policy number and proof of identity and ask for a valuation. Ask for both the current value and the surrender value, because they are often different.

Where to look first

Offshore savings plans usually come with several ways to see what they are worth:

  • The online service. Many providers offer a policyholder login, which may show a policy summary, a valuation, a transaction statement and your adviser's details. Some also let you switch funds online.
  • Annual statements. Providers commonly send a yearly statement by post or email. If you have moved since taking out the plan, statements may have been going to an old address.
  • Your adviser. If the adviser who arranged the plan still services it, they may be able to obtain a valuation for you.
  • The provider's customer service team. You can contact the life company yourself. As the policyholder, you do not generally need an adviser's permission to ask about your own policy.

When you contact the provider, have your policy number, full name, date of birth and current address ready. They will usually need to verify your identity before releasing information, and they may ask you to update your contact details first.

Current value versus surrender value

Two numbers matter, and people often confuse them:

  • Current value, sometimes called the policy or fund value, is broadly what your units are worth at today's prices.
  • Surrender value is what you would actually receive if you cashed the plan in today.

In the early years of a regular savings plan, the surrender value can be noticeably lower than the current value, and both can be lower than the total you have paid in. These products are often expensive and frequently sold with high upfront commission, which is why the value can look lower than what was paid in. That does not, on its own, mean anything has gone wrong. Your policy documents explain how the surrender value is worked out for your plan.

Ask the provider to state both figures in writing, along with the date they were calculated. If you have more than one policy, or a plan made up of several sub-policies, ask for a breakdown.

Reading the numbers properly

A single valuation is a snapshot. To understand how your plan is doing, it helps to compare:

  • Total paid in since the start, including any increases or top-ups.
  • Current value today.
  • Surrender value today.
  • The period remaining until the plan's end date, or any point after which early surrender terms no longer apply.

Also check which funds you are invested in. Some plans are left in the same funds for many years without review. The transaction statement shows switches, contributions and any withdrawals, which helps explain how the value has moved.

Currency matters too. Many plans are held in US dollars, sterling or euros. If you think in a different currency, exchange rate movements can make the value look better or worse than investment performance alone. The parent guide to this type of plan covers how these policies are structured in more detail.

Worked example

Illustrative example only, not a real client.

Emma has paid $1,000 a month into an offshore savings plan for five years, so $60,000 in total ($1,000 x 60). She logs in to the provider's online service for the first time and sees:

  • Current value: $57,000
  • Surrender value: $49,000

The figures are invented for illustration and do not reflect any particular product. She is surprised the surrender value is lower than the current value. Rather than acting straight away, she downloads the transaction statement and asks the provider for written confirmation of both values and the plan's end date. With all the figures in front of her, she arranges an independent review to look at her options, which might include continuing, changing funds, or other routes depending on her circumstances and the plan's terms.

If you cannot get a response

If the adviser who arranged the plan has moved on and you are struggling to get information, go direct to the life company. If you are not satisfied with the provider's response, you can raise a formal complaint with them. The Central Bank of the UAE supervises the UAE insurance sector, and for insurers it licenses, Sanadak, the UAE's insurance and banking ombudsman unit, may be able to consider complaints once the company has had the chance to respond. Insurers based elsewhere, such as the Isle of Man, have their own complaints routes, which your policy documents should set out.

Common mistakes

  • Looking only at the current value and assuming that is what you would receive on surrender.
  • Cashing in, or stopping payments, in a hurry without first getting the full figures in writing.
  • Letting statements go to an old address for years.
  • Assuming you need your original adviser's help to see your own policy.

Sources and further reading

If you have a plan and are not sure where you stand, request a free independent policy review from a regulated financial adviser to understand your figures and options.

Last reviewed: October 2026. Tax year: 2026/27. Jurisdictions covered: UAE, UK. Rates, legislation and guidance change, so recheck before relying on this. Rules can differ between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; tax residence is fact-specific; treaty outcomes depend on residence, domicile or nationality provisions; examples are simplified and omit reliefs, costs, exchange rates and anti-avoidance rules. This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Take advice in the relevant country before acting.