DHA licence steps and application
You can get DHA registration before you have a job offer. A Dubai facility activates your licence after it hires you.
Facts last verified 5 October 2026. Updated 6 October 2026.
Check your title before you pay
You need a DHA licence for work in Dubai facilities it regulates. Visiting professionals also need one. Use the Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) to check your title.
| Title | Qualification | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| General Practitioner | MBBS, MBChB or equivalent; at least 5 years of study, excluding a 1-year internship | 2 years of clinical experience after internship |
| General Dentist | BDS, DMD, DDS or equivalent; completed internship, usually 1 year | 2 years of clinical experience after internship |
| Registered Nurse | Bachelor’s in nursing; at least 3 years full time | No minimum experience; practice-gap rules apply |
| Pharmacist | BSc in Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy | 2 years in the related field after qualification; industry and sales work do not count |
Only paid clinical work with a valid licence counts as experience. Volunteering and observerships do not count (DHA licence manual). UAE nationals, children of Emirati women and some UAE graduates have experience exceptions.
| Your case | Next step |
|---|---|
| Nursing diploma | At least 18 months leads to Assistant Nurse, working under a Registered Nurse. No minimum experience; practice-gap rules apply. Distance or correspondence nursing qualifications do not count. |
| Diploma documents | DHA also asks for a secondary-school certificate. BSc or higher qualifications are exempt from this document. DHA checks your transcript and matches unlisted awards to the closest title. |
| Assistant Nurse upgrading | After a bachelor’s, apply through Add/Upgrade Professional Registration. Assistant experience must be no more than 5 years. Approval is not automatic. |
| No internship proof | Check the PQR’s alternatives. An internship within an overseas course counts only after the final degree exam. |
| Clinical or Specialized Pharmacist | These are separate titles with their own qualification and experience rules. |
| Break from practice | The PQR starts extra rules after more than 3 years. DHA’s licence manual and FAQ use more than 2 years. Ask DHA which applies before paying. |
| Practice-gap training | PQR §1.7 requires credits and training in an authority-recognised practice setting. Its first table band starts at 3 years, despite “exceeding” 3 years in the text. Ask DHA about the threshold. |
| Gap | Physicians and dentists | Nurses | Pharmacists, allied health and TCIM | Training |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to under 4 years | 80 credits | 40 credits | 20 credits | 6 months |
| 4 to under 5 years | 120 credits | 60 credits | 30 credits | 8 months |
| 5 to 10 years; UAE nationals and children of Emirati women only | 200 credits | 100 credits | 50 credits | 12 months |
The PQR’s general gap limits are over 5 years for non-UAE nationals. For UAE nationals and children of Emirati women, the limit is over 10 years. After this training, you must sit an exam even if you have proof of an exemption. UAE nationals and children of Emirati mothers are the exception.
Check if you need an exam
If DHA accepts an exemption, you skip only the exam. You still need the right degree, work experience, document checks and licence activation. The proof you send must be for your title. If your proof has no expiry date, you can use it within 5 years of issue.
| Title | Routes and conditions |
|---|---|
| General Practitioner | AMC written and clinical route, LMCC, PRES, NZREX, EMREE, PLAB Parts 1 and 2, USMLE Part III. Exact route and proof dates matter. |
| General Dentist | ADC, NDEB, Irish and New Zealand routes, ORE, UK graduate/GDC routes, NBDE parts, EDEE. Each has conditions. Ask DHA before treating a newer US exam as NBDE. |
| Registered Nurse | Licence and good standing from a listed country; qualified within 3 years or no gap since the last job. NCLEX route: USA, Canada, Australia. Country, practice and English conditions apply. |
| Pharmacist | Licence and good standing from a listed country, with the same recency rule; or EPREE. English evidence may be needed. |
| Earlier DHA pass | Same title, within 5 years of the registration application, with no practice gap. |
| Other UAE licence | PQR recognition permits no more than 6 months since expiry or cancellation. DHA has a separate 5-year assessment-exemption window after MOHAP/DOH cancellation, with no gap and PQR compliance. See licence transfer rules. |
The assessment manual allows CBT, an oral assessment or both, by category. The Sheryan FAQ mentions only one assessment. Check in Sheryan which assessment your title needs.
Prepare your documents
- Recent photograph and valid passport copy.
- Qualification and experience certificates, with true dates and job titles.
- Valid professional licence or registration from your home or last work country, where applicable. It must cover the full period of experience you claim.
- Good Standing Certificate from your last regulator, or employer if none exists. It shows a clean record. It must be no older than 6 months when you submit it.
- Proof for any exam exemption.
- Valid CPR, BLS or ACLS for your role. Nurses need BLS.
- Surgical logbook, if your specialty needs it.
Send a legal translation with the original for documents not in Arabic or English. DataFlow does not ask for attestation or an apostille for these checks. Your employer or regulator may still ask for it.
The licensing manual says that logbooks need checks. The Sheryan FAQ says surgical logbooks do not need checks. Send a logbook if your title needs one; ask DHA and DataFlow if they need checks.
Apply through Sheryan and DataFlow
Create your account using the Sheryan help page. Run the free, instant self-assessment without documents. If it rejects your title, request Review Registration Eligibility. DHA checks your documents. Approval means that you meet the rules; you still cannot work.
DataFlow checks your degrees, licences, work history and good standing with the bodies that issued them. Use the name, email and DHA Unique ID from Sheryan. If a certificate has a former name, ask DataFlow what proof it needs.
DHA’s FAQ gives 15 working days from payment for new verification. A transfer takes 5 working days from payment. DataFlow’s general FAQ gives 15 to 25 working days after you pay and send all documents. Both can take longer if an issuer replies late. DHA reports have no expiry; updated documents may need new checks.
DataFlow checks and the CBT can run at the same time (Get Registered). Follow DHA fees and booking to book your exam. After it, follow DHA results and registration.
Arrange the job and activation
You can register before you get a job offer. Your hiring facility must activate your licence before you work. You need active registration and valid malpractice insurance. The facility must offer the right service, and you must agree to its request. If you are not a UAE national, you also need a labour card. Pay any fines you owe (Activate Professional License).
Your employer arranges the work permit and residence visa. MOHRE’s checklist asks for a professional licence; DHA activation asks for a labour card. Ask your employer which approval it will submit first.
| Step | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Mainland work permit | Employer’s authorised signatory applies. You and the employer sign the official offer. Regulated professions need a professional licence. |
| Residence | ICP needs a medical report and, for MOHRE jobs, a work permit. Apply for Emirates ID at the same time. Complete residence within 60 days of entry. |
| Activation | Employer submits; you approve in Sheryan. Instant, or 1 working day if personal records changed. |