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Obtaining a DHA medical license in Dubai involves a process where healthcare professionals are required to possess all the necessary qualifications and experience and follow all the regulatory, technical, and professional standards mentioned by the Dubai Health Authority. The application process has multiple steps, and each step has specific guidelines from the DHA. Healthcare professionals who don’t follow those guidelines will face penalties as per Federal Law No.6 of 2023.
The application process for the DHA medical license starts with registration on the Sheryan portal, which requires personal details. The applicants can do a self-assessment to determine their eligibility for a DHA license.
After this confirmation, applicants pay registration fees and PSV verification fees, which vary depending on the medical profession. The applicants submit their educational degrees, experience certificates, and Good Standing Certificates (GSC) to verify them through DataFlow. Additionally, medical professionals must pass the DHA medical license test, which can be a Computer-Based Test (CBT) via Prometric and an Oral Assessment to ensure expertise and competence in their respective fields.
While meeting all the educational, professional, and language proficiency requirements, such as verified degrees, clinical experience, and passing licensing exams, healthcare professionals need to pay several license fees, such as CBT fees, application fees, and document verification fees. The total cost of obtaining a DHA medical license ranges from AED 3,000 to AED 10,000, covering application fees, PSV verification, exam fees, and license activation. The whole medical license process takes four to six weeks, which varies depending on document processing and exam scheduling.
DHA Medical License Application Process
The DHA medical license application process has several steps, such as registering on the Sheryan portal, submitting DHA registration fees, verifying documents, etc. This step-by-step application process ensures that healthcare professionals have the proper qualifications and experience for their respective medical licenses and fulfill all the standard, technical, and professional regulations of the DHA. On the other hand, healthcare professionals who don’t follow the guidelines regarding medical licenses will face penalties like fines, imprisonment, and deportation as per Federal Law No. (6) of 2023.
The right pathway of medical license application is very important to make the process easy and smooth. The application procedure is different for every healthcare professional. Moreover, general guidelines for the healthcare professional are given below to streamline the DHA medical license application process and get fast approval :
1. Sign Up on the Sheryan Portal
2. Complete Self-Assessment (If Applicable)
3. Submit DHA Registration & Primary Source Verification Fees
4. Verify Documents Through Primary Source Verification (PSV) via DataFlow
5. Take the Computer-Based Test (CBT) via Prometric (If Required)
6. Attend the Oral Assessment (If Applicable)
7. Receive and Activate Your DHA License
1. Sign Up on the Sheryan Portal
Open the Sheryan portal and start registering on it. Fill out the registration form with the correct personal information, such as your full name, email address, contact details, and a strong password. Moreover, you need to verify and activate the email through the email verification link. After activation, you need to complete your professional profile by uploading your educational qualifications, experience letters, and other required documents, as mentioned on the official website of the DHA.
2. Complete Self-Assessment (If Applicable)
The complete self-assessment is not a compulsory step however, it can help the applicants know whether they are eligible for the license or not. For this purpose, you need to log in to the DHA Sheryan portal, go to the professional tool, and click on assessment tools. You have to select the options according to your educational background and experience. After you put in all the information, the assessment tool will give you results about your eligibility.
3. Submit DHA Registration & Primary Source Verification Fees
During the application process, you will need to pay several types of fees, as mentioned on the Dubai Health Authority portal. You pay these fees through the Sheryan portal with your debit/credit/Visa card.
- The registration fee is AED 200.
- Primary Source Verification fees are AED 935 for nurses and AED 1235 for doctors.
- DHA license test fees for doctors and dentists are AED 500, and for nurses, they are AED 300 to 400.
- License activation fees are AED 3000 for physicians and AED 100 for nurses.
4. Verify Documents Through Primary Source Verification (PSV) via DataFlow
The verification of educational and experience documents through the Primary Source Verification (PSV) via Dataflow is compulsory to get the Dubai medical license, as mentioned on the official website of the Dubai Health Authority.
- Open the PSV section on the DHA Sheryan Portal.
- Register on the DataFlow group with personal and professional information.
- Now, submit all the documents that need verification, such as the passport copy, educational details, experience certificates, professional licenses, and Good Standing Certificate (GSC), as mentioned on the Dubai Health Authority Portal.
- Pay the verification fees as mentioned above through the online Dataflow portal.
The verification of documents can take several weeks. They will send a PSV report to the DHA, from where you can download it. You can only proceed further if the report is positive.
5. Take the Computer-Based Test (CBT) via Prometric (If Required)
The DHA medical license test is not compulsory for healthcare professionals registered in the United States. That’s why it is recommended to read the service description in the DHA’s Get Registered Section. If your profession requires a CBT test, you should visit the Prometric website of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and create an account on it. Choose the relevant sections from the type, time, date, and location of the test. You will also pay the CBT fees through the recommended ways mentioned above.
To understand the exam format, content areas, number of questions, durations, and passing criteria, you should read all the DHA Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment Guidelines. Moreover, you need to take valid identification to sit in the examination center. Once you complete the test, the respective authorities announce the result after some days.
6. Attend the Oral Assessment (If Applicable)
The medical professionals trained in recognized countries like Australia, Ireland, and the USA don’t require any oral assessment. That’s why you need to check the service description of the Oral Assessment mentioned on the official website of DHA. First of all, you need to log in to the Sheryan portal and open the Oral Assessment section. Fill out all the sections according to your preferences and pay the Oral Assessment fee through the above-mentioned ways.
7. Receive and Activate Your DHA License
When you have proven your eligibility and verified all the documents, it is time to submit an online application for the DHA license on the Sheryan portal. For this purpose, you have to open the registered Sheryan portal and select your required professional medical license option to activate, complete the application form, and submit it. After paying the license activation fee and approval from the healthcare authorities, your e-license will be activated. You can download and print it.
Who needs a DHA Medical License?
The healthcare professionals and facilities need a DHA medical license to provide their health-related services in Dubai. The healthcare professionals include doctors or general physicians, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, physiotherapists, lab technicians, radiographers, and other healthcare professionals. The healthcare facilities that require a DHA medical license include hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centers, pharmacies, and other healthcare professionals.
The healthcare professionals mentioned in the Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) outlined by the Dubai Health Authority are the following:
- Physicians like General Practitioners, Specialists, and Consultants
- Dentists like General Dentists and Dental Specialists
- Nurses and Midwives, like Registered Nurses, Assistant Nurses, and Midwives
- Pharmacists
- Physiotherapists
- Radiographers
- Laboratory Technicians
- Dietitians
- Occupational Therapists
- Respiratory Therapists
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Optometrists
- Hospitals
- Clinics and Polyclinics
- Dental Centers
- Rehabilitation Centers
- Diagnostic Laboratories
- Home Healthcare Providers
- Pharmacies
- Day Surgery Centers
- Radiology Centers
- Physiotherapy Centers
- Occupational Therapy Centers
- Speech Therapy Centers
- Traditional and Complementary Medicine Centers
What is the Easiest Way to Get a DHA Medical License in Dubai?
The easiest way to get a DHA medical license in Dubai is to verify all the educational and experience certificates, pass the DHA medical license test, fulfill the language proficiency, and apply for the license on the official portal of DHA. They will review the application and credentials in 2 to 4 weeks and issue an e-license on the portal. This process becomes easier if healthcare professionals follow the tips given below:
Choosing the Right Pathway Based on Qualifications
Every type of medical professional with different years of clinical experience will follow different pathways during the medical license application.
| Healthcare Professional | Educational Requirement | Clinical Experience Required |
|---|---|---|
| General Physicians | 5-year MBBS degree | 3 years of clinical experience |
| Nurses | 2-year diploma or 4-year bachelor’s degree | Minimum of 2 years of clinical experience |
Ensuring all Required Documents are Ready
The Dubai Health Authority will not issue a medical license if applicants don’t upload all the required documents in the verified form. That’s why it is recommended to ensure that all required documents are ready before the process. The required documents for the healthcare license in Dubai, according to the guidelines of the Dubai Health Authority, are the following:
- Passport copy
- Visa copy
- Passport-sized photographs
- Medical degree certificate
- Academic transcripts
- Experience certificates
- Certificate of good standing
- Medical license from the native country
- Medical fitness certificate (for those 60 or above 60)
Following the Correct Registration Process
Following the correct registration process is very important for the issuance of the Dubai medical license. The correct registration process according to the DHA official portal involves the eligibility assessment, account creation on the DHA official panel by fulfilling all the prerequisites, and waiting for the medical license activation.
Meeting Exam and Training Requirements Efficiently
Meeting exam and training requirements efficiently is compulsory for getting the Dubai medical license. There are different exam and training requirements for every type of medical professional. For instance, general physicians must pass the exam with medical knowledge and clinical experience, while nurses must pass the medical test with clinical knowledge. At the same time, doctors must have a clinical internship of one year and clinical experience of at least three years. On the other hand, nurses must have clinical experience of at least two years, as mentioned on the official website of the DHA.
What are the challenges in getting a Dubai Medical License?
The challenges in getting a Dubai medical license are eligibility criteria, Data Flow verification delays, and Prometric exam difficulties. These healthcare professionals waste a lot of their time and money due to these challenges.
Here are the challenges in getting a Dubai Medical license:
- There are specific qualifications and experience standards for every type of healthcare professional, which are given in the Professional Qualification Requirements outlined by the Dubai Health Authority. The healthcare professionals cannot get a license without fulfilling these requirements.
- The Data Flow Primary Source Verification of document delays is another challenge for healthcare professionals. The healthcare professionals face this challenge due to a mismatch of information and a lack of required documents.
The DHA Prometric exam is required to pass to get a medical license. This test is considered more difficult than expected, and several medical professionals fail in this test and are unable to get their DHA medical license.
