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Healthcare Professional Licensing in the UAE: DHA, DOH and MOHAP

We guide doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied health staff through DHA, DOH and MOHAP licensing, from eligibility to your license.

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Which UAE license do I need?

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Updated: Oct 19, 2026

Every doctor, nurse, pharmacist, dentist and allied health professional needs a license from the health authority of the emirate where they will work. All three authorities assess applicants against the same Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR). The main differences are where you apply, which provider runs the exam, and who activates the license.

AuthorityEmiratesApply throughLicensing examLicense activated by
Dubai Health Authority (DHA)DubaiSheryanPrometricYour DHA-licensed employer
Department of Health (DOH)Abu DhabiTAMMPearson VUEYour DOH-licensed employer
Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP)Northern EmiratesMOHAP website or appPrometricYour employer, which applies for the license

Sharjah has its own regulator, the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA), which also licenses professionals under the PQR.

Timeline

Most applications with DHA, DOH or MOHAP take 6 to 8 weeks. The time depends mainly on DataFlow verification, the next available exam date and how complete your documents are.

Applying from abroad

Registration, credential evaluation and DataFlow verification are done online, and Prometric and Pearson VUE run exam centres in many countries, so you can usually sit the exam close to home. Your good standing certificate must be no older than six months when you apply.

Costs

You pay the authority's application and licensing fees, the DataFlow verification fee and, where it applies, the exam fee. These are set by the authorities and DataFlow and are paid separately. Your first consultation with Alpha Health Group is free. The licensing process itself is a paid service.

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Our Process

How UAE licensing works

DHA, DOH and MOHAP follow the same six steps.

A meticulously structured 6-phase service engagement model designed for absolute precision and hassle-free experience.

01

Registration

You open your application with the authority: Sheryan for DHA, TAMM for DOH, or the MOHAP website or app.

New Healthcare Professional License → Planning to practice in the UAE? There are four licensing routes, one for each authority. Alpha Health Group manages your DOH, DHA, MOHAP, o...
02

Credential evaluation

The authority evaluates your qualifications and experience against the PQR for your title.

03

DataFlow verification

DataFlow verifies your education, experience, professional licenses and good standing certificate with the institutions that issued them.

04

Exam or exemption

Most titles sit the licensing exam. The PQR exempts some applicants, for example holders of listed UK or US qualifications, or of a valid license from another UAE authority.

05

Eligibility

The authority confirms your eligibility. With DHA it is a registration, valid for one year.

06

Activation

Your license becomes active when a licensed facility in that emirate employs you.

Activate Your UAE Healthcare License → You passed the exam and hold your eligibility letter, yet without an active license most facilities will pass you over. We activate your DOH...

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How Alpha Health Group helps

Our licensing team handles the work around your application: we check your eligibility against the PQR for your title and authority, prepare and check your documents, open and follow your DataFlow verification, guide you on the exam, and follow the application through to approval.

Working in Dubai? See DHA licensing for healthcare professionals. Applying for the first time? See new healthcare professional licenses. Changing emirate? See license transfers between DHA, DOH and MOHAP. Joining a new employer? See license activation.

Planning to work elsewhere in the GCC? See SCFHS licensing in Saudi Arabia, DHP licensing in Qatar and licensing in Oman.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Healthcare Professional Licensing in the UAE: DHA, DOH and MOHAP and our approach.

It depends on where you will work: DHA for Dubai, DOH for Abu Dhabi and MOHAP for the Northern Emirates, while Sharjah has its own regulator, SHA. Each authority licenses professionals for its own emirate, so your job offer decides the authority. We confirm it in your first consultation.

Most applications take 6 to 8 weeks with DHA, DOH or MOHAP. The time depends mainly on DataFlow verification, the next available exam date and how complete your documents are. We give you an estimate for your title after the eligibility review.

Most titles must pass the authority's licensing exam: Prometric for DHA and MOHAP, Pearson VUE for DOH. The PQR exempts some applicants, including holders of listed international qualifications or registrations, such as UK and US boards, PLAB, USMLE or NCLEX. We check your exemption in the eligibility review.

DataFlow verifies your educational qualifications, experience certificates, professional licenses and good standing certificate with the institutions that issued them. Your passport is uploaded to the authority, not verified. Names and dates must match across documents, and the good standing certificate must be no older than six months.

Yes. Registration, credential evaluation and DataFlow verification are done online, and Prometric and Pearson VUE run exam centres in many countries, so you can usually sit the exam close to home. Your license is activated once a UAE healthcare facility employs you.

The authority's licensing fees, the DataFlow fee and any exam fee are set by them and paid separately. Alpha's fee covers the eligibility review, document preparation, DataFlow follow-up, exam guidance and the application. Your first consultation is free; the licensing process itself is charged.

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