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A plastic surgeon working in Dubai needs a DHA professional license for the title of Specialist or Consultant in plastic surgery, and the facility needs a license that matches the operations you intend to perform. The second half is where plastic surgery differs from every other specialty: liposuction and anything needing deep sedation or general anaesthesia may only be done in a day surgery centre of the right class or in a hospital, not in an outpatient clinic. This page covers both halves, the licensing route for the surgeon and the facility classification that decides what you may actually operate on.
What is a DHA license for plastic surgeons?
It is a personal license from the Dubai Health Authority for a defined title in plastic surgery, activated against a facility that is licensed for the specialty. It applies inside Dubai Healthcare City as well, since professional licensing in the free zone is managed by DHA.
Titles: Specialist and Consultant plastic surgeon
| Title | Basis |
|---|---|
| Specialist Plastic Surgeon | A recognised plastic surgery qualification with the experience required for your qualification tier |
| Specialist under supervision | Recognised qualification, experience requirement not yet met |
| Consultant Plastic Surgeon | The qualification plus the longer experience required at consultant level |
The tier your qualification falls into decides the years of experience DHA asks for. Check it in the professional qualification requirements before applying, because applying for the wrong title is the most common cause of a returned file.
DHA license requirements for plastic surgeons
- A primary medical degree from a DHA recognised institution.
- A recognised plastic surgery specialty qualification or board certification.
- Post-qualification surgical experience in the amount set for your tier and title.
- Current registration in the country where you last practised, plus a good standing certificate.
- A clean professional record and a complete logbook of your surgical practice.
- A job offer from a facility licensed for plastic surgery, at the right facility class for your operations.
The facility class decides what you may operate
DHA classifies standalone day surgery centres by the depth of anaesthesia they may use, and that classification limits the procedure list. This is the point most surgeons discover too late, after signing with a clinic that cannot host their operations.
| Class | Anaesthesia permitted | Setup required |
|---|---|---|
| Class A | Local anaesthesia and minimal sedation, including oral sedatives | A surgeon and a nurse |
| Class B | Moderate sedation, conscious sedation | Surgeon and nurse team, part-time anaesthetist for narcotic procedures |
| Class CM | Deep sedation and analgesia | At least two operating theatres, a full-time anaesthetist, surgery capped at two hours |
| Class C | General anaesthesia | At least two operating theatres, a full-time anaesthetist, surgery capped at three hours |
Two rules follow directly from the standard:
- Liposuction requires deep sedation, general anaesthesia or major conduction blockade, so it belongs in a Class CM or Class C centre, or a hospital. An outpatient clinic is not the right setting.
- The service must be consultant or specialist led, and the treating surgeon has to stay on site until the patient is discharged.
If you are also building the clinic, this is the single most expensive decision in the plan, because Class CM and C mean two theatres and a full-time anaesthetist on the payroll. See the DHA facility license guide and, for a free zone address, the DHCC facility license and operating permit.
Liposuction: the rules in detail
DHA has a dedicated standard for liposuction services, and it is stricter than the general surgical rules. If liposuction is part of your business plan, these are the numbers to build around.
| Requirement | What the standard sets |
|---|---|
| Who may perform it | A DHA licensed Specialist or Consultant Plastic Surgeon only, as a consultant led service at all times |
| Surgeon training | Documented training in liposuction, in fluid and electrolyte management and in emergency resuscitation, plus active ACLS certification |
| Continuing education | 50 CME credits per year |
| Staffing per procedure | At least two perioperative registered nurses plus a dedicated recovery nurse |
| Volume limit | 5,000 ml total aspirate per procedure, including supernatant fat and fluid |
| Combined with other procedures | Maximum drops to 2,000 ml |
| Above 3,000 ml | A catheter is required |
| Setting | General hospital, specialty hospital or day surgical centre only |
| Day surgical centre extras | Ventilators and hemodynamic monitoring on site, plus a transfer agreement with a hospital |
| Monitoring | Continuous pulse oximetry and blood pressure, emergency equipment including oxygen, bag-valve-mask and crash cart |
Read the volume limits as a business constraint, not only a clinical one. A high volume liposuction offer built on single long sessions runs into the 5,000 ml cap and the three hour cap in a Class C centre at the same time.
Non-surgical cosmetic procedures
Under the DHA standards for non-surgical cosmetic procedures, plastic surgeons and dermatologists are the two groups permitted to perform them without additional cosmetic training. Every other specialist or consultant needs documented training first, and a general practitioner needs training plus a year of mentorship under a plastic surgeon or dermatologist and privileging committee approval. Laser and IPL carry their own requirement of documented hands on cases. Details on that side are in the guide to the DHA license for dermatologists.
The licensing route step by step
- Confirm your qualification tier and the title you can realistically hold.
- Submit the application and documents in the DHA licensing system.
- Primary source verification of degree, specialty qualification, registration and experience.
- Receive the eligibility letter with your assessable title.
- Sit the assessment, or the interview where that applies.
- Secure a job offer at a facility whose license and class cover your operations.
- Obtain the good standing certificate, timed so it does not expire.
- Activate the license against the facility.
Why plastic surgery applications and openings stall
- Signing with a clinic whose class does not permit the anaesthesia your operations need.
- Applying for Consultant when the qualification tier supports only Specialist.
- An incomplete surgical logbook, so the experience cannot be verified.
- Planning liposuction in an outpatient setting.
- Budgeting a Class C centre without the full-time anaesthetist and the second theatre.
- Good standing requested too early and expired by activation.
Frequently asked questions
Can a plastic surgeon operate in an outpatient clinic in Dubai?
Only for what that setting permits. Procedures needing deep sedation or general anaesthesia, liposuction included, belong in a Class CM or Class C day surgery centre or a hospital.
Do plastic surgeons need extra training for botox and fillers in Dubai?
No. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists may perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures without additional cosmetic training. The facility still needs DHA permission for those services.
How long does a DHA plastic surgery license take?
Plan in months. Primary source verification is the slowest step because it depends on third parties, then the assessment and activation follow.
Is the license valid in Abu Dhabi?
No. Abu Dhabi licenses through DOH and the Northern Emirates through MOHAP.
Related guides
- DHA license for doctors
- DHA license for dermatologists
- Professional qualification requirements
- DHA facility license in Dubai
- Where to open a clinic in Dubai
- DHA license for gynaecologists
- DHA license for dentists
- DHA license for ophthalmologists
- DHA license for psychiatrists
- DHA license for orthopaedic surgeons
