Dubai Healthcare

DHCC Facility License: Operating Permit and DHA Rules in Dubai Healthcare City (2026)

Note: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice. Please consult official government websites or professionals for reliable information.

A facility license in Dubai Healthcare City is not one document but three. Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA) issues the commercial license for the company and the operating permit for the clinical location, and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) handles the health regulation and the licensing of every clinician who works there. The operating permit is the part specific to the free zone: it fixes the cluster, segment, activity and specialty you may deliver at one address, and every later change to your service mix runs through it. This guide covers what each document is, what DHCA requires, what it costs, how long it takes, and how the route differs from opening on the Dubai mainland.

What is a DHCC facility license?

In everyday use, DHCC facility license means the full set of approvals a clinical operator needs to run a facility inside the free zone. Formally there is no single document with that name. There are three:

Document	Issued by	What it covers
Commercial license	DHCA	The legal entity and its permitted business activities in the free zone
Operating permit (OP)	DHCA	The clinical location: cluster, segment, activity and specialty at that address
Health facility licensing and regulation	DHA	Clinical standards, inspection, and the license of every clinician working in the facility

The split matters because the two authorities ask for different things at different times. DHCA wants a legal entity, a lease and a business plan. DHA wants premises that meet the clinical standard for the facility category and clinicians who are licensed to work in it. Neither approves the other’s part, and an application that stalls usually stalls because one side was started too late.

What the DHCC operating permit covers

The operating permit is issued per location and describes what you are allowed to do there, in four levels:

Cluster. The broad area of business, for example healthcare or wellness.
Segment. The facility type, for example an outpatient clinic, a day surgery centre or a pharmacy.
Activity. The services delivered under that segment.
Specialty. The clinical specialties you may offer.

Two consequences follow. First, adding a specialty later is a formal amendment, not an internal decision. Second, the permit is tied to the address, so a second branch inside DHCC needs its own permit rather than an extension of the first.

Requirements before you can apply

Space first. DHCA requires a lease reservation, a lease agreement, a purchase agreement or a title deed before the license application. Clinical units in DHCC start at roughly 1,500 sq ft.
A legal entity. An FZ-LLC with at least one shareholder and one director, a branch of a UAE company, or a branch of a foreign company.
A business plan. Required for clinical activity. Non-clinical businesses do not need one.
Corporate and personal documents. Passports for director, manager, legal representative and shareholders, plus incorporation documents, memorandum and articles, good standing certificate and ultimate beneficial ownership details for corporate shareholders.
A board resolution for incorporation, or for establishing the branch.

The DHCC facility licensing process step by step

Sign up as an investor with DHCA and submit the initial application.
Pay the initial application fee and receive provisional approval. DHCA quotes 3 to 10 working days for initial approval on a new commercial license, depending on the activities applied for.
Secure the unit and complete the lease or purchase documentation.
Submit the commercial license application, pay the license fee and submit the original legal documents.
Collect the commercial license and set up the operating permit for the location, with the cluster, segment, activity and specialty you intend to deliver.
Fit out the premises to the clinical standard for your facility category.
Run the DHA side: the health facility requirements for the category, the inspection, and the professional licensing of your clinicians.
Connect the facility to the Dubai health information exchange before you open.

The realistic bottleneck is not step 1 to 5. It is the fit-out and the clinician licensing, both of which run in months. Start primary source verification for your first hires while the unit is still being built.

DHCC facility license fees

Item	Fee	Timeline
Initial application, one time	AED 1,550	Initial approval 3 to 10 working days
Registration, one time	AED 3,500	Initial approval 3 to 10 working days
Commercial license	Per the DHCA price list, by activity	With the license application
Amending segment, activity or specialty, clinical	AED 2,500 modification fee	5 to 10 working days
License amendment	AED 520	5 to 10 working days
Innovation and knowledge fee	AED 10 plus AED 10 per transaction	Every transaction

All DHCA fees are non-refundable. These are the free zone fees only. The DHA facility requirements, the professional licenses, the fit-out and any medical equipment approvals are separate budgets.

Changing or expanding a DHCC facility later

Two services cover almost every change an operating clinic makes.

Amendment of segment, activity and specialty. Used when the service mix at an existing location changes, keeping the location and the facility name intact. Requires a valid commercial license and a valid operating permit, plus a board resolution where segments are added, removed or changed, and an updated business plan for clinical facilities.
Location upsizing. Used when the facility adds or expands the space it operates in. It combines the new location with an amendment of segment, activity and specialty, and requires a lease reservation, lease agreement or Ejari, plus a board resolution and business plan where applicable.

Plan the specialty list generously at the start. Adding one later costs an AED 2,500 modification fee for clinical facilities plus the amendment fee, and takes 5 to 10 working days before the DHA side even begins.

DHCC or mainland: which route for a clinic?

	DHCC	Dubai mainland
Company license	DHCA, free zone	Department of Economy and Tourism
Location-level permit	DHCA operating permit	Handled inside the DHA facility route
Health regulator	DHA	DHA
Choice of address	Phase 1 Oud Metha or Phase 2 Al Jaddaf only	Anywhere in Dubai
Smallest clinical unit	About 1,500 sq ft	Set by the DHA standard for the category
Ownership	100 percent, free zone	100 percent for most activities since the ownership reforms

Since the health regulator is DHA either way, the decision is about property, cost and patient catchment, not about which clinical rulebook applies. A fuller comparison, including other free zones, is in the guide on Dubai Healthcare City as a free zone. For the DHA side in detail, see the DHA facility license guide.

Why DHCC facility applications stall

No lease in place. Space is a prerequisite for the license, not a parallel task.
A thin business plan. For clinical activity the plan is a review document, not a formality.
Specialties left off the operating permit. Each one added later is a paid amendment with its own waiting time.
Clinician licensing started too late. Verification and the DHA route take months, and the facility cannot open without licensed staff.
Fit-out that does not meet the clinical standard for the facility category, which is discovered at inspection.
Corporate documents missing attestation for foreign parent companies.

Frequently asked questions

Does DHCC issue the health facility license?

No. DHCA issues the commercial license and the operating permit. All healthcare regulation inside the free zone is managed by the Dubai Health Authority.

Can one commercial license cover two DHCC clinics?

One company can hold more than one location, but the operating permit is issued per location. A second address is handled through the location upsizing service, with the segment, activity and specialty specified for that address.

How long does a DHCC facility license take?

DHCA quotes 3 to 10 working days for initial approval of a new commercial license and 5 to 10 working days for amendments. The total time to opening is driven by the lease, the fit-out, the DHA facility requirements and the licensing of your clinicians.

Do I need a business plan for a DHCC facility license?

Yes for clinical activity, both for the initial license and when adding or changing segments, activities or specialties. Non-clinical activities do not require one.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice. While we strive to ensure accuracy, regulations may change. Readers are encouraged to verify information with official government sources or consult qualified professionals for personalized advice. Happich Consulting assumes no liability for decisions made based on this content.