All about the DHA License

Healthcare professionals in Dubai need a DHA license to pursue their career. This healthcare practice licence in Dubai is issued by the Health Regulation Department (HRD) of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Professionals in the healthcare industry must apply for a DHA license and pass the skill test and assessments to obtain one. 

WHO CAN APPLY FOR THE DHA LICENSE?

The DHA Health Regulation Department (HRD) is exclusively responsible for licensing healthcare professionals who have the proper skills and qualifications to provide quality healthcare services to residents of Dubai. Professionals from traditional, complementary and alternative medicine who require a DHA license to operate in Dubai include and are not restricted to:

• Physicians
• Dentists
• Nurses/Midwives
• Allied Healthcare

HOW TO GET A DHA LICENSE?

The DHA license process is quite long but straightforward. To apply for your medical license in the UAE, here’s what you need to know.

STEP 1: THE SELF ASSESSMENT TOOL

The first thing to do for your DHA license application is to complete the initial self-assessment. For that 

• Visit the Sheryan self-assessment portal
• Enter the required information and submit

Based on the information you provide, the portal will reveal whether you’re eligible to be a part of the Dubai Medical Registry or not. 

If you are, you can move on to the next step. If not, you can opt for the Manual Review of your profile. For the Manual Review you need to:

• Submit an online application with the required details and documents
• Pay the fees (AED 200)
• Await your DHA review, which may take up to 10 days

STEP 2: CREATE A SHERYAN ACCOUNT

Before you formally begin the DHA licensing process, you should create a personal ID on the DHA Sheryan portal.

• Visit the DHA “Single Sign On” portal

• Click on “Register New Account”
• Enter the required information
• Click “Register”

You will receive account authentication details via email. 

STEP 3: THE PSV AND CBT ASSESSMENT

Those who are eligible for the DHA license in Dubai should get their Primary Source Verification (PSV) done and clear the CBT assessment (if required). 

THE PSV VIA DATAFLOW

The DHA has partnered with DataFlow Group to screen professional applicants for the Dubai healthcare sector. The PSV runs thorough checks on the educational backgrounds and credentials of all professionals who submit a DHA license application. These checks ensure that only the most genuine profiles make it to the Dubai Medical Registry. 

THE CBT ASSESSMENT VIA PROMETRIC

For some healthcare professionals, particularly doctors, dentists and nurses, the DHA may require an initial CBT Assessment. This DHA license exam is conducted by Prometric – an independent examination board to assess the knowledge and skill levels of the applicants. 

Once you pass your Prometric CBT assessment and the PSV review, you can move on to register yourself for the DHA license in Dubai. 

STEP 4: GET REGISTERED

To formally process the license application, you need to register on the DHA Sheryan. For that, simply:

• Click on the “Register a Professional”
• Provide the relevant information
• Upload the necessary documents 
• Pay the DHA registration fees (AED 200) and submit

The DHA will review your application in light of your CBT and PSV results and then either approve, reject or return your application for more information. 

STEP 5: SCHEDULE ORAL ASSESSMENT

Depending on the professional healthcare position you apply for, the DHA may require you to take an oral assessment. 

• Schedule a date for the oral assessment
• Pay the fees (AED 250 – AED 500)
• Take and pass the assessment

STEP 6: ACTIVATE PROFESSIONAL LICENSE

As soon as you pass the oral assessment, you will be a registered DHA professional. All you need to do now is activate your DHA professional license. For that, here’s what you need to do via your Sheryan account:

• Apply for DHA license activation
• Submit offer letter and malpractice insurance certificate
• Pay license activation fees (AED 1000 – AED 3000)

After activation, the DHA will issue an interim license till the time the original one is delivered to you. 

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

According to the DHA license requirements, you need to submit the following documents for initial processing:

• A recent photograph (passport size)
• Copy of your valid passport
• Your educational qualifications
• Your experience certificates
• Practice license or registration 
• The Good Standing Certificate (GSC)
• A 2-year surgical logbook (for surgeons)
• A medical fitness test in case the applicant is aged 65 and above. You can get this done at any of the visa medical centres in Dubai. 

When your DHA license application is approved, you also need to submit:

• An offer letter from your recruiting facility
• A malpractice insurance certificate from your recruiting facility

DHA LICENSE RENEWAL

Your DHA license is valid for one year, after which you need to renew it. You can apply for DHA license renewal three months prior to the expiry date. 

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR LICENSE RENEWAL

Anyone who wishes to stay and work in Dubai as a licensed healthcare professional must renew their license/registration with updated experience and qualification details. Here are the documents you need for license renewal. 

• A copy of your valid passport
• PSV result for 
  • Good standing
  • License validity
  • Experience 
• Updated experience
• Renewed malpractice insurance

RENEWAL PROCESS

To renew your DHA license, you need to:

• Upload the PSV document
• Upload the new certificate of the Malpractice Insurance
• Submit the application for licence renewal on Sheryan
• Pay the DHA license renewal fees
• Await DHA review

Once approved by DHA, your medical license in Dubai will be automatically renewed and delivered to you via courier. 

DHA LICENSE FEE STRUCTURE

There are several payments required during the different steps of the DHA licensing process. Here is a step-wise breakdown of DHA license fees for your convenience.

APPLICATION & REGISTRATION FEES

LICENSE ACTIVATION FEES 

 LICENSE RENEWAL FEES

PSV FEES

ORAL ASSESSMENT FEES 

CBT FEES

That’s all we have on the DHA license and how to get it. You should know that the DHA medical license is only for Dubai. To operate in the Abu Dhabi healthcare sector, you need to apply for the HAAD license. 

In order to maintain quality services in the public and private sectors, Dubai only allows the best of the best to be a part of its growing industries. You need a license to open a virtual company in Dubai, and a license to teach in Dubai – ensuring that quality always remains high 

Have you ever applied for a license in Dubai? What was it for? Let us know in the comments section below.