Getting licensed in United Arab Emirates

Main route

Authority licence under the unified PQR (general practitioner)

Who it is for: Doctors with a primary medical degree, a one-year internship and recent clinical experience who want to work as a general practitioner in any emirate.

1. 1

   Step 1

   Pick the authority and check the PQR requirements for your title

   Apply to the authority for the emirate where you plan to work. For the general practitioner title, the PQR asks for a medical degree of at least five years of study (not counting internship), a one-year internship and two years of clinical experience after it in accepted fields. You also need a valid licence from your home country or country of last work and a good standing certificate no older than six months. Non-UAE nationals with a gap in practice of more than five years generally cannot apply, and shorter gaps need extra CME and supervised training.

   Run by

   UAE health authorities (MOHAP, DOH, DHA, SHA) - Unified PQR

   Where people get stuck

   • Experience counts only if it was hands-on, paid clinical work in an accepted specialty while you were licensed; observerships and teaching do not count.
   • Gap-of-practice rules: time away from clinical work can mean extra CME, supervised training or being unable to apply.
   • Internship done before the final degree exam may not be accepted.
   • Surgical specialties need a logbook of recent cases.

   What it opens up

   • Knowing which title (GP, specialist, consultant) you can apply for
   • Knowing whether you are exempt from the exam

   SourcesUnified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025DOH PQR page

   United Arab Emirates
2. 2

   Step 2

   Open an account on the authority's portal and confirm eligibility

   In Dubai you create a Sheryan account, use the free self-assessment tool and, if it says you are not eligible, can pay for a formal eligibility review. In Abu Dhabi you create a TAMM profile through UAE PASS (non-residents use a mobile number and email), get a unique identification number and submit a new-licence application. All DHA applications must go through Sheryan; manual or email applications are not accepted.

   Run by

   DHA (Sheryan) / DOH (TAMM)

   Fee

   DOH new-licence application AED 100 (DOH Licensing Procedure Manual 2024, checked 2026-10-17)

   Where people get stuck

   • Each authority has its own portal and steps, so switching emirates later means learning a new system.
   • The DHA self-assessment is only a preliminary result; DHA confirms eligibility when it reviews the application.
   • You must declare any past exam attempts and disciplinary history across all UAE authorities.

   What it opens up

   • Starting primary source verification and exam booking

   SourcesDHA Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals v1.3 (July 2025)DOH Circular 151/2024 with Licensing Procedure Manual

   United Arab Emirates
3. 3

   Step 3

   Complete primary source verification with DataFlow

   Every authority checks your degree, experience letters, licences, good standing certificate, surgical logbook and any exam-exemption proof directly with the issuer through a third-party verification company (DataFlow). DHA accepts PSV reports transferred from DOH, SHA and MOHAP. A report that cannot be verified can be appealed twice, and a discrepancy result once; a negative result leads to DHA blacklisting.

   Run by

   DataFlow Group (for DOH, DHA and MOHAP)

   Timing

   DOH states a PSV time-frame of 24 working days.

   Fee

   DOH packages: AED 1,260 for general physicians and dentists, AED 1,680 for specialists and consultants (DOH Licensing Procedure Manual 2024, checked 2026-10-17)

   Where people get stuck

   • Slow responses from universities, hospitals or overseas regulators.
   • Good standing certificates expire after six months, so they may need to be reissued if things drag on.
   • Inconsistent names or dates across documents can trigger a discrepancy result.

   What it opens up

   • A positive PSV report, which DHA requires before registration and DOH before licensing

   SourcesDHA Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals v1.3 (July 2025)DOH Circular 151/2024 with Licensing Procedure ManualDataFlow: Ministry of Health and Prevention

   United Arab Emirates
4. 4

   Step 4

   Pass the authority's licensing exam (unless exempt)

   Depending on the title, the exam is a computer-based test (CBT) or an oral or OSCE-style exam, held in English. DHA's CBT is booked with Prometric using your Sheryan eligibility ID. DOH's CBT is booked with Pearson VUE after paying in TAMM, and DOH lists 120 MCQs over 2.5 hours for the GP CBT. You get three attempts in total across all UAE authorities, with a possible final attempt at a different authority. DHA blocks re-application for two years after a third failure.

   Run by

   DHA (Prometric) / DOH (Pearson VUE)

   Timing

   DOH announces CBT results within 24 hours and oral or OSCE results within 5 working days. You must pass within 6 months of the exam step opening, or apply again.

   Fee

   DOH GP assessment AED 570; DOH lists exam booking at AED 100 for physicians plus CBT scheduling of AED 450-490 depending on title (DOH Licensing Procedure Manual 2024, checked 2026-10-17). DHA exam fees were not found on an official page.

   Where people get stuck

   • Attempts are counted across all authorities, so failing in one emirate affects you in the others.
   • Results show only pass or fail, with no breakdown of marks.
   • Exam content is set by each authority, and DHA notes it is still moving some oral exams to CBT.
   • Rescheduling close to the exam date can cost a new fee.

   What it opens up

   • Professional registration (DHA) or licence issue once employed (DOH)

   SourcesUnified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025DHA Manual for Professional Assessment (May 2025)Pearson VUE: DOH Abu Dhabi examinationsDOH Circular 151/2024 with Licensing Procedure Manual

   United Arab Emirates
5. 5

   Step 5

   Receive your registration or eligibility

   In Dubai, a positive PSV, a CBT pass where needed and DHA's approval lead to a Professional Registration certificate and a listing in the Dubai Medical Registry. Titles that need an oral exam take it after this approval. The registration does not let you practise until an employer activates it. In Abu Dhabi, after the exam you must be linked to a hiring facility within three months or the application expires.

   Run by

   DHA / DOH

   Timing

   DHA registration is valid for one year from issue and can be renewed if it has not yet been activated.

   Where people get stuck

   • Registration can lapse if you do not find a job within its validity.
   • DHA may approve a lower title, or add trainee restrictions or limitations, based on your experience.

   What it opens up

   • Job offers from licensed UAE health facilities

   SourcesDHA Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals v1.3 (July 2025)DOH Circular 151/2024 with Licensing Procedure Manual

   United Arab Emirates
6. 6

   Step 6

   Get hired and have the employer activate your licence

   A licensed health facility with your specialty requests activation (DHA) or links you to its account (DOH). Non-UAE nationals need a valid labour card for DHA activation, and medical malpractice insurance is required. DOH also runs a security clearance before issuing a licence valid for two years.

   Run by

   Employing health facility with DHA / DOH / MOHAP

   Timing

   DHA licences can be activated for one, two or three years; DOH licences are valid for two years.

   Fee

   DOH physician licence AED 3,250 for two years, plus an AED 100 application fee (DOH Licensing Procedure Manual 2024, checked 2026-10-17). The manual lists the health facility representative as able to apply; who pays is not stated.

   Where people get stuck

   • You cannot practise on registration alone; the employer's activation and visa or labour-card steps control the timing.
   • Your first DHA licence is always full-time; part-time work needs your full-time medical director's approval.

   What it opens up

   • Practising legally in that emirate
   • Moving to another authority later under the PQR licence-recognition rules

   SourcesDHA Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals v1.3 (July 2025)DOH Circular 151/2024 with Licensing Procedure Manual

   United Arab Emirates
7. 7

   Step 7

   Keep your licence: CME/CPD, logbooks and practice gaps

   The PQR sets minimum yearly CME/CPD in your specialty, and surgeons must submit logbooks every two years at renewal. A licence held with one authority can be recognised by another without a new exam if you meet that authority's requirements and the licence has not been expired for more than six months.

   Run by

   UAE health authorities - Unified PQR

   Where people get stuck

   • Not practising for six months in a row during a DHA licence period, without an accepted reason, means you need a new licence.
   • A suspension or revocation by one authority applies across all of them.

   What it opens up

   • Renewal, title upgrades and moves between emirates

   SourcesUnified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025DHA Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals v1.3 (July 2025)

   United Arab Emirates