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The DHA Medical License is a legal certificate that is compulsory for every healthcare professional and facility to practice their medical services in Dubai. The DHA medical license ensures that only qualified and verified professionals practice as per Federal Law No. 6 of 2023 and Law No. 6 of 2018. Every healthcare professional, such as physicians, pharmacists, clinics, and diagnostic centres, must comply with DHA’s licensing standards. They need to fulfil the eligibility criteria that include the academic qualifications, clinical experience, and Prometric exam, alongside the completion of the Data Flow Primary Source Verification.
The process of getting a DHA medical license involves making an account on the Sheryan portal, submitting all the required documents, passing the medical license test or oral assessments, and activating the license through an employer. The cost of a DHA medical license is different for every type of medical profession, ranging from AED 3,000 to AED 10,000. The DHA medical license is valid for one year, and the medical professionals must renew their licenses annually. The healthcare professionals enjoy high-paying jobs, tax-free job opportunities, and access to advanced medical technologies in Dubai. The DHA medical license applicants may face delays in verification, examination hurdles, and strict eligibility criteria.
The purpose of the DHA medical license is to ensure the safety of patients, enforce accountability for the medical professionals, and set international standards for license applicants to improve the healthcare systems of Dubai. The DHA medical license is valid only in Dubai, so the healthcare professionals convert their DHA medical license into MOH and DOH medical licenses to provide their services in other emirates.
To maintain high healthcare standards in Dubai, DHA mandates annual license renewal for every healthcare professional. Otherwise, they can face penalties for late renewal, including fines. Their licenses will be canceled if the license renewal is delayed beyond six months. Moreover, Dubai healthcare professionals can convert their DHA license to a Department of Health (DOH) Abu Dhabi or Ministry of Health (MOH) license by meeting specific eligibility criteria, having an NOC, and paying the license conversion fees.
What is the process of getting a DHA Medical License in Dubai?
The process of getting a DHA medical license in Dubai includes self-assessment, Sheryan account creation, document submission, Primary Source Verification, DHA license assessment, and license activation as mentioned on the official portal of Dubai Health Authority. The applicants need to ask the employer’s health facilities to activate their licenses on their behalf.
Here is the step-by-step process of getting a DHA medical license in Dubai:
- Check the eligibility for the DHA medical license by using the self-assessment tool on the official portal of the Dubai Health Authority.
- Create an account on the DHA Sheryan portal by filling in the sections for username, email, password, and other basic information.
- Open the DHA license application section, and start the application process by filling out the online application form.
- Submit all the required documents like passport copies, photographs, medical degrees, and other documents.
- Pass the oral assessment and DHA Prometric medical license test.
The Dubai Health Authority issues the DHA medical license if all the requirements are met properly.
What are the Requirements for a DHA Medical License in Dubai?
The requirements for a DHA medical license in Dubai are verified educational documents, clinical experience, and an English proficiency certificate as mentioned on the official portal of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Medical professionals will only get a license when they meet all the requirements of the DHA according to their profession. Here are the requirements for the DHA medical license which are general for every healthcare profession.
- Educational documents, such as MBBS, BDS, or Nursing Diploma, are required according to the profession.
- Clinical experience of two or six years, depending on the respective type of license.
- A professional, valid license from the current country.
- Good Standing Certificate from the relevant Health Authority.
- Primary Source Verification (PSV) of educational and experience letters.
- Certification of Dubai medical license tests (Computer-Based Test and Oral Assessment).
- Verified medical fitness certificate.
- Medical malpractice insurance.
- The application form was filled with correct information.
- Payment of application fees.
How Much Is the DHA Medical License Cost in Dubai?
Dubai medical license costs range between AED 3000 and AED 5000 for general practitioners and nurses, and AED 6000 and AED 10,000 for specialists and consultants. There are several steps in the application process for a Dubai medical license, which include fees, such as the self-assessment of eligibility, application fee, PSV fee, Dubai medical test fee, and license activation fee. At the same time, these fees are different for every type of medical profession. For instance, the license activation fee for doctors and dentists is AED 3000, while the license activation fee for nurses is AED 1000, as mentioned on the official portal of Dubai Health Authority. Here is the breakdown of the total cost of the Dubai Medical License:
| Application fees | AED 200 |
|---|---|
| Primary Source Verification | AED 935 to AED 1235 |
| Examination fees | AED 500 to AED 1000 |
| License activation fees | AED 1000 and AED 3000 |
How Long Does a DHA Medical License Take in Dubai?
A DHA medical license takes 4 to 6 weeks, which is different for every type of license and medical professional. For instance, it is 4 to 8 months for nurses while 4 to 6 weeks for pharmacists. As there are several steps in the Dubai medical license application, every step will take a different amount of time. You can understand the time for every step through the following breakdown of total time:
- Self-assessment to know the eligibility can be done immediately.
- The preparation of documents takes 1 to 2 weeks, which is different for every type of professional.
- Document submission can be done immediately.
- Primary Source Verification (PSV) will take 2 to 4 weeks.
- Examination scheduling and completion can take 1 to 2 months.
How to Renew a DHA Medical License in Dubai?
To renew a DHA medical license, healthcare professionals prepare and submit documents, fill out an online application form, and pay the required application fees. Every medical professional has to renew their license after one year, as mentioned on the official website of the Dubai Health Authority.
In addition to this, the medical professionals have to renew three months before the expiry. Healthcare professionals face penalties if they do not renew their licenses. For instance, if they can’t renew before the expiry date, they will be penalized AED 600 for physicians and dentists and AED 200 for nurses and allied health professionals. Moreover, if they don’t renew their licenses for six months after expiry, their licenses will be canceled, as mentioned in the service limitations section of the DHA official portal. Here are the key steps to renew the medical license in Dubai:
Document Preparation
You need to prepare and submit all the required documents mentioned on the DHA Sheryan portal, including the following:
- Valid Passport Copies
- Valid Emirates ID
- Primary Source Verification (PSV) reports of educational and professional documents, such as degrees, licenses, Good Standing Certificates, and experience certificates.
- Insurance for malpractice
- Verified medical fitness reports of professionals above 65.
Sheryan Portal Registration & Renewal Application
Now, register your account on the Sheryan portal of DHA by providing your personal information. You need to open the license renewal section and fill out the application form with the correct information. Now, upload all the prepared documents in PDF or JPG format.
License Renewal Fees
After submitting all the required documents, pay the license renewal fees which is different for every healthcare professional. For general practitioners and dentists, the license renewal fee is AED 3000. On the other hand, nurses, Allied Health Professionals, and TCAM practitioners need to pay AED 1000. You can use a credit, debit, or Visa card to pay the license fees through the online payment method mentioned on the Sheryan portal.
DHA Application Review and Approval
When healthcare professionals have submitted all the documents and paid license renewal fees, the Dubai Health Authority will review the medical license renewal application within five working days. They will notify you if your application is approved. Now, you can download the e-license by logging in to your Sheryan account.
How to Convert a DHA Medical License in Dubai?
To convert a medical license in Dubai from a DHA medical license to a DOH medical license or from a DOH medical license to a DHA medical license, you need to follow the key steps mentioned in the DHA’s official guidelines. Along with this, there are several requirements to convert a medical license, such as the Non-Objection Certificate (NOC), passport copies, experience certificates, Good Standing Certificate (GSC), etc. The key steps to convert a Medical license in Dubai are the following:
- First of all, ensure that you are eligible for the DHA medical license. For this purpose, visit the official portal of DHA and fulfill all the requirements mentioned on it.
- Then, get the Non-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the current employer.
- Register on the Sheryan portal of the DHA and log in to your account. Then, open the license conversion section and select the required category.
- Now, you have to upload all the required documents in PDF or PNG format, which include the following:
- Passport Copy
- Emirates ID
- Current Medical License
- Good Standing Certificate
- Primary Source Verification (PSV) Report of Education and Experience
- Updated Insurance for Malpractice
- Medical Fitness Test for professionals above 60.
- Pay the Dubai medical license conversion fees directly on the Sheryan portal through a debit/credit/visa card.
- Some medical professionals are required to pass the DHA medical license test (Computer-Based Test or Oral Assessment), which is conducted by the Prometric of Dubai Health Authority.
- Once the Dubai Health Authority has approved the application for license conversion, the medical professional will be able to download it from the Sheryan portal.
How to Convert a DHA Medical License to an HAAD/DOH Medical License in Dubai?
Conversion of a DHA medical license to a Department of Health (DOH) Medical license or Health Authority_Abu Dhabi (HAAD) involves proving eligibility for the DOH license, submitting all the required documents, and applying for the license conversion on the DOH portal.
- Prove your eligibility for the DOH license through TAMM (Abu Dhabi E-Services Platform).
- Make an account on the Dataflow group website specifically for the DOH license to verify all the educational and experience credentials. Upload all the required documents mentioned on the TAMM official website for e-services of Abu Dhabi, which include the following:
- Emirates ID
- Experience certificates
- Family Book
- Good conduct certificate
- Health Licence
- Notice of Appointment
- Passport
- Personal photo
- Residence Visa
- Transcript or Residency Programme
- Make an account on the DOH licensing portal through your personal information. Open the license conversion section, fill out the application form with accurate personal details, and pay the mentioned fees.
The Department of Health (DOH) of Abu Dhabi will review all the documents and applications and issue the e-license on the portal.
How to Convert a DHA Medical License to a Ministry of Health (MOH) Medical License in Dubai?
To convert a DHA medical license to a MOH medical licnese, the healthcare professionals prove their eligibility for the DHA license, complete all the required documents for the MOH license, submit the PSV-verified documents, and file application for the license conversion.
- First of all, ensure that you are eligible for the MOH license by checking the following factors:
- Have a valid DHA license with a minimum validity of at least six months.
- Have passed the DHA medical license test and all the assessments for the DHA license.
- Have all the PSV-verified educational and experience documents.
- Have a verified Good Standing Certificate (GSC) from the DHA.
- Complete all the documents mentioned on the MOH official website, which are the following:
- Valid assessment certificate
- Certificates of recent experience from the employer
- Certificate of Good Conduct
- A letter of authorization request from the facility
- Job offer
- Copy of a valid passport
- A recent photo with a white background
- Copy of a valid residence license
- Copy of a valid Emirates ID
- Employment contract
- Labor card
- Insurance against medical errors
- Register on the official MOH portal and fill out an application form to convert a DHA medical license into an MOH license. At the same time, pay the license conversion fee, which is AED 100, as mentioned in the official portal of MOHAP.
The MOH will take up to three working days to process the information and issue the e-license on the portal. The medical professional can download their license and provide their services through this license.
What is the Eligibility for DHA Medical Exams in Dubai?
The eligibility criteria for DHA medical exams in Dubai include a verified MBBS or any other medical degree, clinical experience of a minimum of two years, a valid license from the home country, and a Good Standing Certificate (GSC), as mentioned on the DHA official portal. However, you can check your eligibility for the medical exams in Dubai through several other ways, such as the following:
Self-Assessment for Job Eligibility
The Sheryan portal of the DHA website has an online eligibility checker tool. The healthcare professionals check their eligibility by uploading all the credentials and personal information on the portal which will compare them with the Unified Healthcare Professional Requirements (PQR). In this way, healthcare professionals like physicians, dentists, nurses, and allied health can know their eligibility within no time.
Manual Review for Registration Eligibility
Healthcare professionals can also know the eligibility through a manual review. There is a Review Registration Eligibility service on the official website of DHA. Healthcare professionals who are not satisfied with the results of online eligibility checkers pay AED 200 to judge the eligibility manually.
