DHA License for Healthcare Professionals in Dubai

How DHA licensing works

DHA licensing runs through Sheryan, the DHA licensing system, in six steps.

1. Registration. You open your application in Sheryan.
2. Credential evaluation. DHA evaluates your qualifications and experience against the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) for your title.
3. DataFlow verification. DataFlow verifies your documents directly with the institutions that issued them.
4. Exam or exemption. Most titles sit the DHA licensing exam at a Prometric centre.
5. Eligibility. DHA issues your registration, often called the eligibility letter. It is valid for one year.
6. Activation. Your license becomes active when a DHA-licensed facility employs you and activates it.

Experience you need

The PQR sets the minimum for each title. For common titles:

• General Practitioner: a one-year internship and two years of clinical experience
• General Dentist: an internship and two years of experience
• Registered Nurse: a bachelor's degree in nursing, with no minimum experience
• Pharmacist: two years after qualifying; experience with pharmaceutical companies or in sales does not count

For Specialist and Consultant titles, the experience required depends on the PQR tier of the country where you trained. Most allied health titles need one to four years.

The DHA exam

Depending on your title, the assessment can be written, oral or an OSCE, and it is held in English. The PQR allows three attempts across the UAE health authorities. After three failed attempts, you have one final attempt with a different authority.

Who is exempt from the exam

The PQR exempts UAE nationals and holders of listed international qualifications or registrations, such as UK and US boards, PLAB, USMLE or NCLEX. If you already hold a valid DOH, MOHAP or SHA license, you can apply to DHA for the same title without the exam, with a good standing certificate and a full DataFlow report. Exemptions do not apply after more than two years out of practice.

Documents and DataFlow

DataFlow verifies your educational qualifications, experience certificates, professional licenses and good standing certificate. The good standing certificate comes from the regulator in the country where you last worked and must be no older than six months when you apply. Names and dates must match across all documents.

Time out of practice

A break of more than three years means completing CME credits and a period of training in an approved setting before you can be licensed, and you still sit the exam. Non-UAE nationals cannot apply after a break of more than five years.

Timeline and costs

Most DHA applications take 6 to 8 weeks. The time depends mainly on DataFlow verification, the next available exam date and how complete your documents are. You pay DHA's fees, the DataFlow fee and the exam fee separately. Your first consultation with Alpha Health Group is free; the licensing process itself is a paid service.

Keeping your license

Every year you complete continuing education in your specialty: 40 CME credits for physicians and dentists, 20 for nurses and pharmacists, and 10 for allied health professionals. Physicians and dentists in surgical specialties also submit a surgical logbook every two years for renewal.