All about HAAD licence in Abu Dhabi

• Who Can Apply?
• How to Apply for a New Licence
• HAAD Licence Validity
• HAAD Licence Renewal
• FAQs

Every healthcare professional who wants to work in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain must first acquire a HAAD licence. The HAAD licence is a requirement for all healthcare professionals, including nurses, doctors, dentists, physiotherapists and pharmacists. If you want to apply for one, here is everything you need to know about the HAAD licence, its exam, validity, procedure and more in Abu Dhabi.

WHO CAN APPLY FOR THE HAAD LICENCE IN ABU DHABI?

Department of Health (DoH), Abu Dhabi, is responsible for licencing individuals with the experience and skill set required to practice medicine in the emirate. Healthcare professionals from Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (T&CM) eligible to apply for a HAAD licence in Abu Dhabi include:

• Physicians (consultants/ medical practitioners/ specialists)
• Dentists (consultants/GP dentists/specialists)
• Nurses/Midwives
• Allied Healthcare
• Pharmacies

WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS TO START A NEW HAAD LICENCE PROCEDURE IN ABU DHABI?

• Non-UAE nationals with a gap in practice of over five years, whereas the UAE nationals/children of Emirati women with a gap of more than 10 years are not eligible to apply for the licence. 
• Healthcare professionals with an interruption in the medical practice of over two years must follow the CME (Continuing Medical Education)/CPD (Continuing Professional Development) requirements.
• UAE nationals who experienced an interruption in clinical practice because of the country’s mandatory national services are eligible to apply for a licence.

OTHER CONDITIONS

• Eligible Emirati nationals must present a family book as proof of their genealogy.
• When applying for a HAAD licence, surgeons must provide an official log list of surgical procedures for the past two years.

HAAD LICENCE REQUIREMENTS: HOW TO GET A HAAD LICENCE IN ABU DHABI

STEP 1: INITIATE THE PROCESS 

• Submit the request using one of the two ways:
  • Create a unique identification number on the Department of Health (DoH) user management system
  • Go to the dataflow website and submit all the documents required for primary source verification
• Get notification of the completion of the verification process
• Check and analyse your application before sending it for the credentialing process via User Management System (UMS)
• Pay the application fee
• Wait for the credentialing/review process to determine your eligibility status for a licence
• Submit the issuance fee
• Print your licence after payment completion

WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR HAAD LICENCE?

Here is a list of documents you need to apply for a HAAD licence in Abu Dhabi:

• Passport size photographs
• A copy of experience certificates*
• A copy of attested educational qualifications
• A copy of Emirates ID (if available)
• A copy of a “Good Conduct Certificate/Certificate of Good Conduct” from relevant regulatory authorities
• A copy of the staff data clearance form (provided in the application)
• A copy of the e-tarasol barcode
• A copy of the valid health licence issued by the relevant regulatory authority of the country where you recently practised
• A letter of nomination from an Abu Dhabi-based healthcare facility (for applicants sponsored by facilities)
• A copy of medical school transcripts

*Please visit doh.gov.ae/en/pqr to know the specific requirements for each profession.

Please note that it may take you up to 30 working days to get a medical licence, as per TAMM

WHAT IS THE FEE REQUIRED FOR A NEW HAAD LICENCE?

Here is a list of HAAD licence fees for different medical practices:

STEP 2: PASS THE HAAD LICENCE EXAM

The HAAD Licence exam is an assessment that healthcare professionals must undergo to obtain a medical licence in Abu Dhabi. The licence enables doctors, nursing staff, and other medical professionals to practice officially in Abu Dhabi.

• Applicants will be given three attempts to pass the examination across all authorities.
• Upon failing the first three attempts, applicants will be given one last attempt by a different authority.
• Applicants are required to declare the number of attempts they have undertaken across authorities.
• Authorities have the right to re-examine applicants if they deem it necessary.
• Physicians with privileges exceeding two years are exempted from the DoH exam.

HAAD LICENCE EXAM FEE

As per TAMM’s website, examination fees vary depending upon the physician and clinical support service. Physicians pay AED 100 for a Computer-Based Testing (CBT) exam, whereas technicians pay around AED 50 for the assessment. The fee is subject to change.

HAAD LICENCE VALIDITY

A HAAD licence is valid for five years from the date of passing the HAAD exam. The medical licence must be current and valid during a health professional’s practice.

Additionally, it must be renewed three months before the expiry date. Medical professionals may also require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their hospital management for the licence. 

HAAD LICENCE RENEWAL

Medical professionals who have successfully acquired HAAD licences are required to renew them before expiry. The sponsoring healthcare facilities can request the renewal of their healthcare professionals’ licences. 

HOW TO APPLY FOR HAAD LICENCE RENEWAL?

Like the HAAD licence application process, renewals can be applied online. Here is the process:

• Go to TAMM’s homepage
• Scroll down to the “Services by Category” option
• Find the “Health & Safety” section and click it
• Click the “Healthcare Professionals” option shown on the left 
• Click on the “Licencing and Certificates” tab
• Scroll below to the “Manage a Healthcare Professional Licence” option and click it
• Wait for the new tab to open and click the “Start” icon on the top left
• Sign in with UAE Pass
• Continue to complete the process

WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR HAAD LICENCE RENEWAL?

• A copy of experience certificates (for re-registrations and professional title updates)
• A copy of attested educational qualifications (only for professional title updates)
• A copy of Emirates ID (to amend your professional title)
• A copy of a “Good conduct certificate/Certificate of good conduct” from relevant regulatory authorities (for re-registrations and professional title updates)
• A copy of a dataflow report (only for professional title updates)
• A copy of a family book (applicable to only UAE nationals)
• A copy of the staff data clearance form
• A copy of e-tarasol barcode
• A copy of the current health licence (for re-registrations and professional title updates)
• A letter of nomination from an Abu Dhabi-based healthcare facility (for re-registrations of licences of healthcare professionals)
• A copy of the passport
• A copy of the residency visa
• Photos
• A copy of medical school transcripts (only for professional title updates)

WHAT IS THE LICENCE RENEWAL FEE? 

Please note that it may take up to 17 working days to renew your licence, as per TAMM.

Licences not renewed within six months of their expiry dates may be cancelled by law. Also, applicants will incur penalties if they do not renew their licences before they are scheduled to expire. For more information, you can check out DoH’s official website.

FAQS ABOUT HAAD LICENCING REQUIREMENTS & MORE

CAN THE DHA LICENCE BE CONVERTED TO HAAD?

Yes, it can. The only condition is that you must have six months of on-the-job experience on the DHA licence. You can check out the official website of the Government of Dubai or the Department of Health (DoH) Abu Dhabi to learn more.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RENEW HAAD LICENCE?

As per TAMM, it takes around 17 days to renew a HAAD licence in Abu Dhabi.

WHAT IS THE COST TO CANCEL HAAD LICENCE IN ABU DHABI?

It will take AED 100 to cancel your HAAD licence in Abu Dhabi.

WHAT IS A DATAFLOW REPORT?

It is the final verification report issued by the Dataflow group for the Department of Health Abu Dhabi.

CAN I RENEW MY HAAD LICENCE VIA TAMM?

Yes, you can. You can follow the steps below to get your HAAD licence renewed via TAMM.

• Go to the official TAMM website and select the ‘Health & Safety’ tab
• Click on the ‘Healthcare Professionals’ option
• Select the ‘Licensing and Certificates’ tab
• Click on the ‘Manage a Healthcare Professional Licence’ option
• Attach the required documents and submit

That ends our guide on obtaining the HAAD licence and its renewal. Healthcare professionals who have acquired a HAAD licence can work in any hospital in Abu Dhabi, including the branches of UAE’s top healthcare chains in the emirate.

Expatriates who want to apply for a visa in Abu Dhabi must obtain a medical certificate. Our guide lists visa medical centres in Abu Dhabi.