How the DHA Licence Process Actually Works: From Self-Assessment to Activation

Passing the DHA exam is only one of the many requirements to become a licensed healthcare professional in Dubai, and simply passing the exam does not grant the candidate the right to actively treat patients. Depending on what type of healthcare professional (and title) you are seeking to become, the DHA may request a computer-based test, an interview with a panel of reviewers (oral exam), or no examination at all. In addition to the actual test, each candidate must have a pre-permission review of his or her eligibility status, and have their documents validated as being authentic. Once a candidate has been given the option of sitting for the DHA exam, they will have the opportunity to complete registration and then be activated by their employers in order to practice in Dubai.

Much of the confusion arises from treating all of these steps as just one event in time. Many candidates prepare financially for the DHA exam fees and are surprised by the additional costs of the verification process as well as other associated fees. Many candidates pass the DHA exam only to wait for their licences, which may never be issued without action taken by the candidate’s potential employer. All of the information below has been validated against the DHA’s own manuals and service pages published in September 2026. The starting point of this whole discussion should be: Exactly what position is the DHA exam in?

• The DHA licence in one sequence: where the exam actually sits
• DHA exam requirements and eligibility: the Self-Assessment Tool, the PQR and the manual review route
• Sheryan is not a separate website: accounts, your Unique ID and linking your records
• What DataFlow verifies, and why verification sets your timeline
• The Prometric CBT: format, fees, booking — and what pass-or-fail really means
• Registration is not permission to practise: Get Registered, validity and the oral assessment
• Activation: how only a hiring facility turns registration into a licence
• What the DHA route really costs, payee by payee
• Where does a DHA licence stop? Dubai Healthcare City and moving between authorities

The DHA licence in one sequence: where the exam actually sits

In this article, I will provide an overview of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) rules governing the practice of healthcare professionals within the Emirate of Dubai as of September 2026. The information is purely for informational purposes and does not provide specific legal, immigration, or licensing advice. It is important to note that any Sheryan live application information provided through the DHA should take precedence over the general information contained in this article.

The DHA Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals (Version 1.3, effective July 18, 2025), outlines the sequence in which an applicant must complete the following steps: creation of a Sheryan account and completion of the Self-Assessment Form; meeting the qualification requirements; obtaining a favourable primary source verification (PSV) outcome; passing the appropriate professional examination; obtaining a Professional Registration Certificate; and obtaining licence activation from an employer with a current DHA facility licence. Note that the professional examination occurs between the completion of the PSV step, and that both steps may be completed concurrently, in contrast to many applicants’ misunderstandings about the order of completion.

Another point of confusion many applicants have is regarding the term “license,” as many believe the terms “Registration” and “License” to be interchangeable terms. “Registration” is the first step in obtaining the licence and establishes eligibility for employment. “License” is the formal authority to practise in the field of healthcare and must be activated by a hiring facility before the applicant can practise.

The final row in this table illustrates where the majority of applicants go astray with regards to planning their journey to obtaining a licence. The first four steps can be completed without a job offer (employer) from a hiring facility, yet the activation of the licence cannot be completed without the hiring facility.

DHA exam requirements and eligibility: the Self-Assessment Tool, the PQR and the manual review route

DHA does not decide eligibility on its own. The guidelines for eligibility come from the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR). According to DHA’s FAQ, the PQR serves as the licensing guideline for the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH) and DHA. Each title in the PQR has specific requirements for that title. The version of the PQR referenced by DHA is the April 2025 edition, and DHA informs us that the PQR is updated every 2-3 years.

DHA has developed the Self-Assessment Tool as a free means of determining how you stack up against the PQR. According to the Self-Assessment Tool manual, this is “a free preliminary evaluation result.” No documents are uploaded to the Self-Assessment Tool, and it identifies the specific assessments your role requires. If the Self-Assessment Tool indicates “eligible,” you can use the “Get Registered” service. If the Self-Assessment Tool indicates “not eligible,” this is not a final denial. You may submit an application for Review Registration Eligibility (an AED 200 credentialing fee and approximately 10 days), at which point the DHA credentialing team will compare your actual documents with the PQR. The FAQ section of the DHA includes a provision saying that if your qualification (or your country of origin) does not appear in the PQR, select the most similar title from the PQR for the credentialing team to evaluate.

There are many PQR related rules that can be difficult for applicants, so it’s a good idea to review these rules before making any purchases. The DHA classifies “experience” as hands-on clinical practice; it does not include any volunteer roles, observer, or clinical attachments. A gap greater than 2 years from the last date of practice constitutes a break in practice. The DHA states on their FAQ section that the break cannot exceed 5 years if you are applying from outside the U.A.E and 10 years if you are applying from within the U.A.E. The manual has also included a limited number of special cases. For example, UK graduates completing Foundation Year 1 and 2 must have a minimum of three (3) years of work experience after graduation to be eligible to apply for the GP title.

The practical guidance for applicants is fairly straightforward. The input you provide into the PDF tool should reflect your factual circumstances. The DHA will review the evidence at the time of verification of the information you submit. If you embellish your experience to attain the “eligible” status in the tool, the verification will uncover the inconsistencies upon completion of your verification.

Sheryan is not a separate website: accounts, your Unique ID and linking your records

According to the FAQ page for DHA, Sheryan is DHA’s online licensing and inspection system used to facilitate the licenseing and regulations of Health Care Facilities and Professionals. Each of the tasks in the table is either done within Sheryan or there are links back into Sheryan. As such, the DHA Sheryan Portal will be the main work space you will use to complete all licensing and inspection tasks for DHA and is accessible via your DHA Account, using the same Username/Password that you use to log in to the DHA Account.

The most important detail regarding accounts is that each person can only have one account. DHA states that if you are creating a new email address for Sheryan, the email should not be used for any other Sheryan account. In addition, DHA states that the information for your Name, Nationality, Date of Birth, and Passport cannot be edited from your Sheryan account; all changes must be processed through other services, or emailed to DHA with a copy of your Passport. Be sure to set your name exactly as it appears on your Passport from the moment you create your account. Any errors entered into the system will propagate and create problems throughout the licensing process, so be careful to set up your name correctly.

The second item is your DHA Unique ID. This is how your records are connected between external systems and the Sheryan files. Please refer to the Generate DHA CBT Eligibility ID page to access the DHA CBT Eligibility ID. It will prompt you to enter your DHA Unique ID and the position you are seeking (Category, Title, Specialty). You will need to save the Eligibility ID and to use the same passport information in your CBT Evaluation and your DHA application. Additionally, the verification reports will be linked electronically. In the DHA FAQ section it explains that in order to link the two, you will first need to enter your DataFlow Case Number. If the documents appear with “Verifications and CBT Assessments” and you do not see the verification document associated with your CPT Assessment, you must request a transfer from the DataFlow side of the process.

GCC Med License, an agency guide, documented a nurse whose DataFlow file was linked to an incorrect reference as opposed to connecting it to her Unique ID. It indicated that correcting the URL took the agency three weeks; therefore, while the timeframe documented through the agency (which is a secondarily-reported event) was not necessarily reflective of the DHA process, it reinforced why it is critical to maintain consistency between the Unique ID and passport details on each of the systems used by DHA and the respective agencies.

DHA also has a section in Sheryan for ‘status comments.’ According to their Frequently Asked Questions, status comments show up on the My Applications page, both under the active and closed tabs. DHA will also close applications that are inactive after three months and keep the corresponding payment. If the DHA returns an application to the applicant, timely response time is included in the process of completing the application.

What DataFlow verifies, and why verification sets your timeline

Primary Source Verification (PSV) – means contacting the issuing institution concerning each document and confirming its authenticity. [The Department of Health and Ageing (DHA)] states in its handbook, “PSV has, at this time, been delegated by DHA to third party professional agencies to perform this function.” DataFlow Group has been a verification partner with DHA since 2007. The DHA handbook outlines the types of documents that are typically verified: qualifications, work experience/employment, licensing/registration, good standing certificate(s), surgical logs for relevant physicians, and any proof of test exemption.

DHA makes the final eligibility determination based on the verification by DataFlow as to whether the document(s) are valid or not. A valid document may not necessarily meet the Primary Qualification Requirements (PQR) for the position you are applying for.

According to the frequently asked questions section, from the date of payment, 15 business days are required to produce a new PSV report and five business days are needed to transfer an existing PSV report. This is only an estimate from DHA based on information provided by outside entities over which the DHA does not have control. Those who have undergone this process frequently report that it took longer than expected. For instance, one individual on the social networking website r/indianmedschool account posted that it took DataFlow 2-3 months to complete their sister’s PSV. Likewise, another individual, on the r/Nurses thread, told the story of how the Sri Lankan nurse had an in-person Coventry University degree that was obtained via a local partner but was designated as “online/distance learning.” More than seven months after sending the PSV request to DataFlow for her, this issue remained unresolved, causing her employer to be delayed in the hiring process. Again, these are specific examples that do not reflect the general experience of everyone going through the process, but they further illustrate why the verification phase of finding a job often takes longer than passing the exam.

The DHA outlines the regulations for resolving issues with a PSV (Proof of Service) report, while forums do not dictate how the issues should be resolved. According to DHA’s Guidebook, there are three possible results: Positive, Unable to Verify (UTV) and Discrepancy. If the result is UTV, the requesting party may request re-verification of the same documents twice. If the result is Discrepancy, the requesting party may request re-verification only once. Although the two results are similar, they are distinct. UTV indicates that the investigation could not be performed and the result is not final; Discrepancy indicates that the issuing body provided negative information, and that a PSV report with negative feedback is one of the grounds for being blacklisted from the DHA. An individual or organization that holds a PSV document must contact the issuing body (the university and/or registrar) in order to formally rectify the issue.

DHA states that there are two rules that will expedite the process of resolving a PSV report and result in decreased costs. In response to frequently asked questions, DHA has stated that PSV reports do not have an expiration; and therefore, an individual can add new PSV reports to an existing PSV report. In addition, DHA has included a transfer fee of AED 300 when an individual or organization wishes to submit PSV reports from other UAE authorities; however, DHA may require verification of those reports before the submission to DHA.

The Prometric CBT: format, fees, booking — and what pass-or-fail really means

Prometric conducts exams in cases when a computer-based test (CBT) is required. According to the DHA Manual for Professional Assessment, (version 1.1, effective May 8, 2025), you must first obtain an eligibility id through Sheryan in order to schedule your exam. You can book your exam through the DHA Page on Prometric’s website. You will be required to pay for your test using a Credit Card from one of the following providers: American Express, MasterCard, or Visa. The format for the CBT exam is determined by the Specialty you have selected. The DHA CBT Assessment Guidelines that are referenced on the Get Registered page show General Practice (code #GEN5331) to have a total of 150 questions, a test duration of 3 hours, a minimum passing score of 60%, and an examination fee of $280. Unfortunately, I was unable to open the guideline PDF while doing my research for this article but I did find the figure above on my indexed version of the PDF on the DHA website and it aligns with the independent summaries that have been published. Please verify the amount on the live booking page during the scheduling of your exam before paying for it. There are several different types of specialty exams which each have unique codes, fees, and passing criteria.

The DHA does not provide a detailed grade for the exam, only a pass or fail grade. The DHA Assessment Manual states that you will not receive a score or a topic-specific breakdown of your exam results. The Learning Outcomes Letter that you receive from Prometric once you complete your exam will not indicate whether you passed or failed your examination. You will only receive confirmation of your test results from the DHA via the Sheryan system. The DHA Assessment Manual indicates that CBT Exam results are posted to your account on the DHA portal within 2 business days, however, per the DHA FAQ page, Prometric will provide exam result information on an instantaneous basis. In order to view your test results, please log into your DHA Assessments Page rather than waiting for an email from the DHA.

The fact that you haven’t gotten a score is by far the most common issue being reported. Many users of the expat.com forum have shown their frustrations when posting about how they were convinced that they passed at least 65% or 70% of their exams and were contacted to let them know that they failed; many have also asked if there is any way to have their score rechecked. The answer to this question that was provided in one of the threads on the forum was that the policies and procedures set by the DHA do not allow for any type of re-evaluation of the test results. The DHA has established one official method through which an applicant can appeal their test result — “applicants may submit an appeal letter to info@dha.gov.ae within 30 days of receiving their results” — this is the only method mentioned by the DHA for requesting an appeal.

The attempt rules matter more than any single sitting:

• Three attempts in total. The licensing manual gives three attempts, and the Get Registered page says you must pass “within 3 attempts across the Authorities.” That means DHA, DOH and MOHAP together, and you must declare past failures.
• Two-year block. Failing the third attempt blocks you from reapplying for a DHA licence for two years.
• Limited fourth attempt. DHA may allow one final attempt with a different authority. It may also allow a fourth DHA attempt if you sign a declaration that you haven’t failed with another UAE authority. This doesn’t apply to Tier 3 qualification holders upgrading to consultant.
• A fresh set of three. You get three new attempts after gaining an extra recognised qualification, or at least two years of licensed clinical experience after your last attempt.
• Missed sittings. Cancelling or not attending is not counted as a failed attempt. There is no refund, though: Prometric’s DHA page states a strict no-refund policy.

The manual that has been provided by the DHA suggests that if test-takers choose to cancel or change appointments the five calendar days before the scheduled exam date, they may incur costs from the testing centre as well.

Registration is not permission to practise: Get Registered, validity and the oral assessment

Get Registered is DHA’s way of reviewing your overall application package (the entire application is reviewed together) and includes prerequisites as stated on the Get Registered service page (e.g. PSV submission and any required CBT(s) passed), the AED 200 credentialing fee and takes approximately five (5) days to complete. According to the manual, you must submit a Good Standing Certificate that is no more than six months old when you submit your application. In addition to allowing you to obtain your professional registration, the DHA review may approve your application, deny your application, request additional documents, make changes to your title, add a trainee restriction on your registration, and/or limit your registration.

You will receive a registration that is valid for one (1) year upon approval and your name will be added to the Dubai Medical Registry. The FAQ section of the DHA website defines active registration: “Active Registration is proof of your eligibility to seek employment in Dubai”. An active registration does not allow the holder to practice until the professional license is activated. In the Manual, the situation is described as “Active Professional Registration without activating the Professional License”.

Timing is critical. According to the FAQ section of the DHA website, you may apply for renewal of your registration only during three (3) months prior to a registration expiry and the three (3) month window after your registration has been cancelled. In the event your registration has expired, you may reapply for the Get Registered process and complete all requirements. Practically speaking, your search for a job in Dubai has a minimum of one (1) year from the date of receipt of your registration.

It is important to understand that some roles require an oral assessment as opposed to a Computer Based Test (CBT). This will be made available to you after the DHA reviews your Get Registered file. On the Schedule Oral Assessment webpage, you’ll see that the cost of a routine assessment is AED 250, while the cost of an urgent appointment is AED 2,000. In addition to requesting your CV, you’ll see that scheduling will take approximately 5 working days. According to the assessment manual, the oral assessment is typically held in English via an online platform and will include a minimum of 5 clinical scenarios. The duration of the oral assessment will last no less than 20 to 30 minutes. The FAQ provided by the DHA indicates a duration of 30 to 45 minutes for physicians/dentists. During the oral assessment, you must be in a closed-off area with no smart devices. If you request to reschedule your oral assessment more than 5 working days prior to the scheduled appointment, you can do so once free of charge. The assessment results are provided to the applicant through the Sheryan registry within 3 to 5 working days after the oral assessment; your registration will only be issued if you are successful.

Activation: how only a hiring facility turns registration into a licence

This is not your last chance to begin the final step. The DHA activates the Professional License Service (facility). Only Delegated Representatives of the Facility can apply for an activation on behalf of their Employee (professional). The Facility must hold an active License as it pertains to the Specialty. The Employee must be a registered Professional by having completed the Application Process with the DHA and provided written consent of the issuance. The Employee must have Professional Liability coverage (Malpractice). All Non-UAE Nationals must provide their Labour Card and pay any outstanding fines before they will qualify to have their Professional License activated by the DHA. Processing is listed as “Immediate” or “Next Working Day” if there has been an alteration made to your professional file. Your Professional License will be activated and your eLicense generated upon DHA approval and you may practice with your Professional License once it has been issued by the DHA.

There are two essential points located in the Licensing Manual that determine Job Offer eligibility. You may receive offers from multiple Facilities; however, your Full Time Professional License will be activated by the Facility that remits Payment first. You can Withdraw Consent to activate your Professional License at any time until the Facility has paid.

Once approved and your License has been activated, you must maintain compliance with DHA’s Guidelines and Accountabilities. If you meet any of the following criteria, you are not eligible to practice; Inactive/UAE Expired facility License; Expired Professional License; you have not Practiced for a consecutive period of Six (6) Months without exceptional circumstances accepted by DHA. The FAQ section supports that if the facility’s licence is expired, you are no longer able to Practice; and your status is ‘Inactive – Awaiting Facility License.’ You cannot practice while your status is inactive and must check your status on the Dubai Medical Registry to ensure that your Professional License status is Active.

What the DHA route really costs, payee by payee

There are multiple organisations receiving fees at different steps of working with your employer to handle the many fees they cover for you. The following tables will help clarify the initial fees you paid to whom. The amounts below were taken from the relevant pages of DHA, Prometric and MOHAP at the time you checked those sites. On the DHA service pages, it states that the Knowledge and Innovation Fees are applied at checkout. Dubai law (Law No. (1) of 2018) sets the Knowledge Dirham at AED 10 for every AED 50 charged or higher, plus the Innovation fee.

You will be able to check the activation page to learn about the different amounts you may see for each category. The higher fee for physicians was indexed by DHA, while the lower fee is what you see when you open it directly. Be sure to find your own category and verify the amount in Sheryan. If your contract requires you to pay the activation fee back to your employer, that will determine whether or not you are responsible for it. According to one account on r/indianmedschool, the employer will pay approximately AED 3,000 for the licence with the fee marked “employer paid,” while the applicant will pay for their exam and DataFlow with approximately AED 1,020 and AED 1,200, respectively. This is an individual’s situation, so take it as such and not as a price list.

The easiest payment that you can avoid making is paying twice for the same item. You will not receive a refund for an exam you miss, and DHA has the right to close any application that remains inactive and maintain the previous payment for that application. When considering purchasing another DataFlow package, confirm that a report from prior accounts can be transferred.

Where does a DHA licence stop? Dubai Healthcare City and moving between authorities

The DHA License is issued for the entirety of the Emirate of Dubai. This information is confirmed on the DHA FAQ page in response to the question, “What areas does the DHA regulate?” with the answer, “All of Dubai.” To clarify, the main area previously regulated by another body, the Dubai Healthcare City Authority, has been the Healthcare City of Dubai (DHCC), which was the main point of contention for many involved in this issue. The summary of Law No. 14 of 2021, which was passed in 2021 replaces the Dubai Healthcare City Authority as the regulator of healthcare professionals and is effective from October 24, 2021. Under this new law professional licensing requirements in the DHCC are now conducted through Sheryan and any application for a license must be submitted to the DHA. The new law, Law No. 16, which was passed on September 4, 2024 and is available online at http://www.dubai.ae/en/image/Pages/Law-No-(16)-of-2024-Concerning-the-Dubai-Healthcare-City.aspx maintains this jurisdictional division for the DHCC. The new Dubai Law specifically states that “No person may perform or provide any healthcare services or perform or provide any healthcare activities within the DHCC unless such person has obtained all necessary licenses and permits from the DHA, in addition to any other permits and approvals of the Dubai Healthcare City Authority.”

Some new information sources are describing a separate regulatory body issuing professional licenses for DHCC employees to provide services or perform activities. These resources do not match the text of Law No. 16 of 2024, so this article is in accordance with the new law. If you are being directed to a resource or document that states otherwise from a DHCC employer, please ask your employer to provide you with the instrument used as the basis for their direction.

Transferring to another emirate is an independent transaction governed by its own regulatory authority. The new facility will use MOHAP’s Transfer License from DHA/DOH issued via the DHA or DOH (depending on where the facility is situated). To complete this transaction, you must currently hold a valid active DHA or DOH license at the time of application, accept the job offer/recruitment to work at the new facility and have a clean criminal record within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). MOHAP allows for applications to be processed within two (2) working days of receipt and charges a licensing fee of AED 3,000 for doctors and AED 1,000 for nurses/technicians to establish a new facility within an emirate.

This comparison is intended to function as an informational resource for individuals using this guide based on the information contained in the references cited in this document; this comparison is not intended to provide a formal regulatory classification or regulatory framework issued by any authority or regulatory body.

The Practical Verdict

In the DHA system, taking an exam is the first step in a long process, where your registration means you qualified for the exam and the activation of a facility will let you work there as long as the facility and the DHA are in sync. Make sure to protect the aspects of the process that belong to you! When creating your account with Sheryan, only use one identity type that matches your passport, start the verification process as soon as you can, do it at the same time as you’re taking the exam, and remember that the maximum number of attempts allowed to pass is shared among all the UAE Licensing Authorities. Once you’ve registered with the DHA, that you have one year from registration to establish employment with a DHA-licensed employer. Check the specific service fees and regulations prior to making a payment by going to the link of each respective service on the DHA website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I complete the DHA process without a job offer?

Yes, you can complete all items related to eligibility, verification, and registration without working for a facility or employer. The only thing you need a DHA-licensed facility for is activation of your licence, and the registration is only valid for one year.

Does a failed DOH or MOHAP exam count against my DHA attempts?

Yes, per the Get Registered page on the DHA web site, you must pass the assessment within three attempts across the authorities. The licensing manual stipulates that you must declare all prior failed attempts.

Do nurses and allied health professionals take the same DHA exam as doctors?

No, the type of exam, code, length, fee and passing score will vary based on your category, title and area of expertise. The Self-Assessment Tool indicates which assessment is required based on the position you are applying for.

What happens if my registration expires before an employer activates it?

No, once your registration has expired, you cannot renew it; you must complete the Self-Assessment Tool again from the beginning. However, you can renew your registration within three months prior to its expiration.

I already hold an active DHA licence. Do I retake the exam to change employer?

Normally, no, but the licensing manual states that if you hold an active registration, do not need to take the assessment again to obtain a licence if returning to the same position within five years from the date of cancellation, without a gap in practice, as long as you meet the requirements set forth in the manual.

Is a DHCC employer licensed differently from other Dubai employers?

You would not be able to purchase a professional licence. Under Legislative Act No. 16 of 2024, any healthcare activity being conducted within a DHCC facility is under the DHA, and the DHA may issue permits to the facility as well.