GNM and diploma nurses: which Gulf licence title and exam you can apply for
A nursing diploma can lead to a Gulf licence. The board decides your title. In the UAE, the diploma route leads to Assistant Nurse.
Facts last verified 5 October 2026. Updated 6 October 2026.
Check the title before booking
Your nursing award does not name a Gulf licence title. The board reads your award and course record. Check which paper fits that title before you buy practice questions.
| Board | Diploma route | Full conditions |
|---|---|---|
| DHA, Dubai | Assistant Nurse: nursing diploma of at least 18 months; work under a Registered Nurse. No minimum experience; practice-gap rules apply. | DHA nursing routes |
| DOH, Abu Dhabi | Same PQR diploma route. Registered Nurse needs a nursing bachelor’s of at least 3 years full time. | DOH nursing routes |
| MOHAP | Assistant Nurse route. MOHAP removed the 6-month experience rule for registered and assistant nurses on 1 April 2026. | MOHAP nursing routes |
| SCFHS, Saudi Arabia | Technician: accepted diploma. SCFHS says at least 3 years; Prometric says 2. The scope’s 2-year exception is for already-classified Saudi technicians. | SCFHS qualification check |
| DHP, Qatar | Registered General Nurse: 3-year diploma after 12 school years, then 2 years’ clinical experience after registration. Assistant and practical routes have separate rules. | Qatar nursing routes |
| OMSB, Oman | Diploma paper: 100 questions, 2 hours 30 minutes, 50%, USD 200. BSN pass mark: 60%. Private-sector nursing needs at least 4 years’ experience with a diploma, or 3 with a bachelor’s. | Oman nursing routes |
| NHRA, Bahrain | General Nurse: diploma or associate degree of at least 3 academic years. Practical Nurse: a shorter eligible programme. Non-Bahrainis have experience conditions. | NHRA nursing routes |
| MOH, Kuwait | Private-sector resident route: recognised qualification of at least 3 years, home-country registration, equivalence and verification. Nurse experience: 1 year; midwife: 3 years. | Kuwait licence routes |
Compare your full education history
Course length alone does not settle the title. Send your full course record and earlier awards when the board asks for them.
| Award | Published education detail | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Indian GNM | 3½ years for earlier groups; 3 years from 2015 to 2016. Registers graduates as RN and RM. | UAE: diploma route. Qatar: school years before entry. Bahrain: combined nursing and midwifery entry. |
| Philippine BSN | 4-year programme. | Matches the bachelor length listed in UAE, Qatar and Bahrain rules. |
| Pakistani diploma | Old 3-year diploma after 10 school years. Diploma plus Post-RN BSN has 16-year equivalence in Pakistan. | Qatar RGN diploma route needs 12 school years. Pakistani equivalence does not decide Gulf licensing. |
| Egyptian technical-institute diploma | Beni-Suef University: 2 academic years plus 6 months’ compulsory training. | We did not find an official Gulf title mapping. Ask SCFHS about the conflicting diploma-length rules. |
Post-basic degrees and title upgrades
Ask the board to check your full course history and how you studied. Do not add diploma and top-up years and assume they make a degree.
UAE rules exclude distance and correspondence nursing courses. Qatar excludes online and distance courses. Check how you studied before paying for a top-up degree.
A UAE Assistant Nurse with a new bachelor’s can ask to upgrade. Assistant work must be no more than 5 years. The board must approve.
| Stage | What you need | Charge and time |
|---|---|---|
| Registration upgrade | Active registration, verified new evidence, any required assessment and a DHA-issued Good Standing Certificate no older than 6 months. | AED 200; average 5 working days. Verification and assessment cost extra. |
| Facility’s licence upgrade | Your facility updates the licence after your registration upgrade. | Another AED 200. Check current Sheryan charges. |
For other routes, use Qatar scope changes or SCFHS reclassification.
Use SCFHS Professional Re-Classification to upgrade. Send your current classification, new certificate, course record and course details. Add proof of training if needed and the results of document checks. If you apply from abroad, check the residence-permit conflict before paying.