Qatar DHP licence steps: eligibility to permission to work
You need a licence to work in Qatar. An exam pass alone gives no right to practise. The Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP) replaced QCHP in February 2019 (DHP history). Apply to DHP for evaluation, then for the licence.
Facts last verified 5 October 2026. Updated 6 October 2026.
Check your scope and experience
Use the DHP guideline for your job. These are the basic routes from abroad. Nationality and family groups have separate rules.
| Scope | Qualification | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| General Practitioner | 6-year medical degree; check how internship counts | 5 years as a GP abroad |
| General Dentist | At least 5 years of dental study; check how internship counts | 2 years after the degree |
| Registered General Nurse | 4-year bachelor’s; or 3-year diploma after 12 years of school | 2 years of clinical experience after registration |
| RGN with associate degree | Associate degree and RGN licence | 3 years of clinical experience after RGN registration and licensing |
| Pharmacist | Pharmacy bachelor’s; registration in country of experience | 2 years after graduation |
Online and distance nursing courses do not count. For scopes with no listed paper, DHP reviews your degree or uses an assessment panel.
| Route | Rule |
|---|---|
| Assistant Nurse | Nursing diploma: 18 months to 2 years after 12 school years, or 3 years after 9 school years. Or a practical-nursing graduate licensed in their home country or country of graduation. You need 2 years as an Assistant Nurse after registration and licensing. No qualifying exam. |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 2-year practical-nursing diploma after high school or equivalent; at least 2 years as an LPN. |
| Supervised GP or Assistant Specialty | Family-sponsored Qatari ID (QID) required. Normal physician evaluation accepts a valid QID or national ID copy. |
| Approved supervised practice | Circular DHP/2024/20 covers Qataris, equal categories and family-QID holders with too little experience or a practice gap. DHP permission first. |
| Supervised training | Start within the 6-month permission period. The officer decides training length. Send the completion certificate and any required exam pass for evaluation. |
| Pharmacy supervised training | No exam required during approved training. A pass is needed for evaluation afterwards if the exam applies. |
| Qatar pharmacy graduates | Circular DHP/2025/24: no experience required for public or private university and college graduates, in either sector. |
| Pharmacists trained abroad: listed family groups | The children and spouses listed in DHP/2025/24 need 1 year of experience. DHP-approved supervised training can count. |
| Pharmacy gap abroad: 4 to under 7 years | Break-in-practice policy: 6 months of full-time supervised practice or clinical attachment. |
| Pharmacist certificates | PSV by an approved company replaces certificate attestation. |
| Older pharmacy experience rules | 15/2022 required some Qatar pharmacy graduates to have 6 months of licensed work or approved supervision before private facilities other than private hospitals. DHP/2025/24 cancels it. DHP/14/2023, 26 June 2023, ended the Qatar University rule across private facilities. |
Check exemptions before paying
DHP/2025/24 exempts Qataris, children of Qatari women and graduates of Qatar’s public and private universities and colleges. It applies from 30 December 2025. Family residence alone is not listed.
| Profession | Accepted proof |
|---|---|
| GP | IFOM CSE, USMLE Step 2, PLAB Part 1, MCCQE Part 1, AMC MCQ, MRCGP Part 1 AKT or PRES MCQ Part 2. |
| General Dentist | NJCE-II; all parts of Canadian NDEB, Irish Dental Council or NZDREX exams. ORE for non-UK graduates, no older than 5 years. |
| General Dentist | Local-board registration after an accredited course in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand or the UK. |
| Nurse | NCLEX-RN. |
| Pharmacist | NAPLEX, PEBC, OSPAP, OPRA or CAOP. |
From 1 January 2026, send verified proof of an equivalent exam (DHP/2025/19). Keep the validity stated on your certificate. If it gives none, the exam policy gives 3 years. Another Gulf licence is not listed as an exemption in DHP/2025/24 or the equivalent-exam circular. Ask DHP before relying on one.
The nurse guideline accepts NCLEX passed within 5 years. The exam policy gives 3 years when proof has no stated validity. Ask DHP to confirm whether it accepts your certificate.
The pharmacist guideline exempts a pharmacy bachelor’s plus a relevant master’s or equivalent. DHP/2025/24 limits exemptions to its listed groups. Ask DHP whether your degree counts; the guideline does not name M.Phil. This route still needs 2 years of work after graduation.
Verify your documents
Finish primary source verification (PSV) before you apply for evaluation (DHP PSV page). PSV checks your documents with the places that issued them. You can use DataFlow or Quadrabay. DHP/2026/36 added Approved Verification Services (AVS) from 3 September 2026.
| Application | Documents |
|---|---|
| DataFlow Qatar form | Passport; signed letter of authorisation; qualifications, marksheets or transcripts, degree reverse; experience letters and health licence. |
| DataFlow extras | Good standing or surgical logbook if requested. Original and translated qualifications. Legal name-change proof if names differ. |
| Document titles | The form records licence title and employment title separately. It does not require your passport job title to match. |
| Evaluation checklist | Passport, national ID, academic certificates, experience letters, previous licences, photograph, updated CV, PSV report and exam pass if required. |
A positive PSV report only proves your documents are real. DHP still decides your title and licence. False credentials can prevent you from working; DHP can warn other regulators. For delays or wrong details, read DataFlow problems.
Apply for evaluation
Apply online. DHP/2024/22 allows primary evaluation without an employer from 12 September 2024. The older applicant manual sends the request to your employer first.
Enter your degree, exam details, work history and PSV report. Pay and send the request. DHP sends news by email and SMS. The certificate proves you meet the technical rules. It lasts 6 months, cannot be renewed and gives no right to work.
| Application | Physicians and dentists | Nurses and pharmacists |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation | 25 working days | 15 working days |
| Licence | 15 working days | 10 working days |
Apply for the licence
After DHP approves evaluation, apply for the licence in the same system. The licence checklist asks for QID, an approved medical report, a criminal record check and professional good standing. A Qatari ID (QID) and employer are needed at this stage. The licence is tied to a workplace, except for Qataris.
You can work only in the profession and specialty named on your licence. Private and semi-government licences last 2 years. Government licences renew automatically each year for up to 4 years. Then you must request renewal (licence service).
Supervised GPs and general dentists send a valid pass for evaluation. You do not send it again to move to the full general scope (DHP/2023/08).
| Step | Rule or published service figure |
|---|---|
| Employer and visa | A foreign worker needs a Qatari employer. The employer normally arranges the temporary visa and converts it to a work residence permit. |
| Residence permit conversion | Hukoomi gives a typical 2 to 4 weeks, sometimes longer. Do not leave Qatar during conversion. Residence and work permits. |
| Residence medical | QAR 100; service time 6 days 1 hour. Residence medical service. |
| Healthcare-practitioner medical | QAR 50; service time 6 days. Practitioner medical service. |
| Two medicals | Residence and healthcare-licence medicals are separate. We did not find an official rule on using one result for both. Ask your employer before booking. |
| Immigration budget | Visa, work-permit, residence-permit and QID charges are separate from licence costs. We did not find an official residence-permit conversion fee. |
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Service documents | Passport and QID; employer no-objection letter; new degree and experience certificates; PSV report for new documents. |
| Processing | 15 working days from a complete file. A returned file restarts the clock (DHP/2024/16). |
| Conflicting documents | The policy index marks the old add/change-scope policy “currently not applicable”. Guidelines and DHP/2024/16 still list the service. Ask DHP which route applies. |
Use Qatar fees and booking to plan costs and exam day. After the exam, follow Qatar results and next steps.