Getting licensed in Saudi Arabia

Main route

SCFHS classification and registration (general practice level, SMLE route)

Who it is for: Foreign-trained doctors with a primary medical degree, a completed internship and at least one year of experience who want to work in Saudi Arabia at general-practice level.

1. 1

   Step 1

   Create a Mumaris Plus account and check your qualification

   Mumaris Plus is the SCFHS portal for all practitioner services. After logging in you apply for professional classification; if your qualification is not already on SCFHS's list, you first apply for a qualification study so SCFHS can evaluate it.

   Run by

   Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS)

   Where people get stuck

   • Working out which specialty and grade to apply for, since SCFHS decides the final grade itself.
   • Qualifications SCFHS has not seen before go through a separate study, which adds a step and documents such as a programme description.
   • Portal instructions and some regulation documents are only in Arabic.

   What it opens up

   • Submitting a classification application from outside Saudi Arabia
   • Starting DataFlow verification linked to your SCFHS application

   SourcesSCFHS Mumaris FAQSCFHS Practitioner services

   Saudi Arabia
2. 2

   Step 2

   Gather your qualification, internship, experience and licence documents

   SCFHS asks for your degree and all earlier qualifications, an internship completion certificate, your academic record, an experience letter and a valid registration or licence from the country where you last practised. Non-Saudis need at least one year of experience (graduates of Saudi universities excepted), and the employment letter must be recent, from the employer's personnel department, and state your specialty, category and start date.

   Run by

   Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS)

   Where people get stuck

   • Getting a currently valid licence and a formal experience letter from the country of last practice; if that country has no registration body, a Ministry of Health letter is needed instead.
   • Employment letters go out of date quickly, so timing matters.
   • Documents must be in Arabic or English, so others need translation.

   What it opens up

   • A complete classification application that is not returned for missing documents

   SourcesSCFHS Professional Classification RequirementsSCFHS Procedural Guide for Classification and Registration Applications (Arabic, Aug 2025)

   Saudi Arabia
3. 3

   Step 3

   Submit your classification application and pay the fee

   You choose your specialty, upload the documents and pay the service fee in Mumaris Plus. If the application meets the requirements, SCFHS sets your professional grade, sends your documents for verification and refers you to the professional assessment unless you meet an exemption criterion. Incomplete applications are returned and cancelled if not completed within the stated period.

   Run by

   Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS)

   Timing

   SCFHS's FAQ lists service-level targets of about 7 working days for a direct decision, about 30 working days when a written exam is needed and about 35 working days when a practical evaluation is needed.

   Where people get stuck

   • Fee amounts are shown inside Mumaris Plus rather than on public pages.
   • Returned applications have a short window to be completed before they are cancelled.
   • Understanding whether you qualify for an assessment exemption.

   What it opens up

   • Referral to DataFlow verification
   • Referral to the SMLE or another assessment, or an exemption decision

   SourcesSCFHS Procedural Guide for Classification and Registration Applications (Arabic, Aug 2025)SCFHS Mumaris FAQ

   Saudi Arabia
4. 4

   Step 4

   Complete DataFlow primary source verification

   SCFHS verifies documents directly with the issuing body or through an approved third party; for qualifications from outside the Kingdom this is DataFlow. The physician package checks one educational qualification and one professional licence plus a database check, and the report goes straight to SCFHS. A negative result leads to rejection and referral to SCFHS's violations committee, and an unverifiable document can also end the application.

   Run by

   DataFlow Group (for SCFHS)

   Timing

   DataFlow states an average of 25 working days after all documents are submitted, or about 14 working days with its optional express service.

   Fee

   SAR 600 for the physician new-licence package; express service SAR 500 extra (DataFlow SCFHS customer reference kit, checked 2026-10-17)

   Where people get stuck

   • Universities or licensing bodies that are slow to answer verification requests.
   • Submitting documents that do not match the classification SCFHS assigned; DataFlow advises checking your classification on Mumaris Plus first.
   • Doctors without a licence from their last country of work need an endorsement letter plus an experience certificate.

   What it opens up

   • A positive verification result, which SCFHS needs before it issues a final decision

   SourcesDataFlow customer reference kit for SCFHSSCFHS Procedural Guide for Classification and Registration Applications (Arabic, Aug 2025)

   Saudi Arabia
5. 5

   Step 5

   Pass the Saudi Medical Licensure Examination (SMLE)

   SCFHS says you must take the SMLE to practise in Saudi Arabia or to enter its postgraduate training; it is listed as the 'Professional Medical' licensure exam. It is a computer-based exam of 200 single-best-answer questions in two timed parts with a scheduled break, taken at SCFHS-approved Prometric centres in Saudi Arabia and abroad. The pass mark is 560 on a 200-800 scale.

   Run by

   Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS), delivered at Prometric centres

   Timing

   Results are announced 2-6 weeks after the testing window closes. Bookings open no more than three months ahead, and SCFHS lists twelve testing windows in 2026.

   Where people get stuck

   • Booking a seat: SCFHS says scheduling your attempts during the year is your responsibility and it is not responsible if no seat is available late in the year.
   • Official pages describe the retake rules differently, so check your remaining attempts in Mumaris Plus.
   • You may not sit twice in the same testing window; a second sitting counts as an attempt and its result is void.
   • Arriving more than 30 minutes late or missing the test counts as an attempt unless an excuse is accepted.

   What it opens up

   • Completing the assessment requirement for classification
   • Eligibility to apply to Saudi Board training (results count for five years in the match)

   Practise for this exam on MedReadySee availability in the app

   Official practice for this exam

   SourcesSCFHS SMLE Examination Content Guideline 2026SCFHS Professional Practice Licensure Exams (2026 dates)SCFHS SMLE Applicant Guide 2024

   Saudi Arabia
6. 6

   Step 6

   Receive your professional classification

   Once verification is positive and the assessment is passed or exempted, SCFHS issues your classification, which sets your specialty and professional grade. You can print the certificate from 'My Certificates' in Mumaris Plus.

   Run by

   Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS)

   Where people get stuck

   • The grade awarded may be lower than the title you held abroad.
   • Being classified is not the same as being registered; you still cannot practise until registration is done.
   • If you gain new experience abroad before registering, you may need re-classification.

   What it opens up

   • Applying for jobs with Saudi employers using your SCFHS classification
   • Professional registration once you have a job and residency

   SourcesSCFHS Mumaris FAQ

   Saudi Arabia
7. 7

   Step 7

   Get a job offer, work visa and residency through a Saudi employer

   Practising requires a Ministry of Health licence, and the law says appointment to a health post in a government body counts as that licence once you are registered with SCFHS. Registration itself needs lawful residence in the Kingdom with a valid resident ID and an employment letter from the employer's personnel department, so the employer (the Ministry of Health, another government body or a private facility) is central to this step.

   Run by

   Ministry of Health and employing health facility (Health Professions Practice Law)

   Where people get stuck

   • You need a job offer before you can register, but employers often want to see your classification first.
   • Visa and residency steps are handled by the employer and timing is outside your control.
   • The regulations allow a time-limited licence for practitioners already under contract while classification is still in progress, provided their qualifications are approved; the details are set by SCFHS.

   What it opens up

   • A resident ID and employer letter, which SCFHS registration requires

   SourcesHealth Professions Practice Law and Executive Regulations (hosted by SCFHS)SCFHS Mumaris FAQSCFHS Professional Registration Requirements

   Saudi Arabia
8. 8

   Step 8

   Register with SCFHS and keep your registration current

   With residency and your employer's letter you apply for professional registration in Mumaris Plus. Registration lasts two years; renewal opens up to three months before expiry and needs continuing professional development hours, and late renewal brings a fine.

   Run by

   Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS)

   Timing

   SCFHS's FAQ gives a service-level target of 5 working days for registration.

   Where people get stuck

   • Collecting enough CPD hours in your specialty before renewal.
   • Long periods outside the Kingdom or a break in practice can force re-classification, and a break of two years or more also means a licence exam or a return-to-practice programme.
   • Letting registration lapse for more than a year means starting again as a new registration.

   What it opens up

   • Practising legally in Saudi Arabia
   • Applying to Saudi Board training, which requires valid classification and registration at the registration stage

   SourcesSCFHS Mumaris FAQSCFHS Procedural Guide for Classification and Registration Applications (Arabic, Aug 2025)

   Saudi Arabia