Reference Guide
Doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals need an active Dubai Health Authority (DHA) licence before they can practise in a DHA-licensed facility. This guide sets out who needs one, how the Sheryan process works, and what shapes the cost and timeline.
Requirements vary by profession, qualification and country, so there is no single checklist that fits everyone. Speak to an Aurum consultant about your specific title and background before you start the Self Assessment. Setting up a healthcare business rather than practising? See UAE Company Setup.
Last reviewed: September 2026 Costs and timelines below are estimatesJump to Section
Section 01
Healthcare professionals who want to practise in a DHA-licensed facility in Dubai generally need DHA professional registration and an active professional licence. DHA processes these applications through its Sheryan system.
This includes:
Allied Healthcare Professionals
Section 02
DHA runs this through Sheryan in three broad stages: self-assessment, registration, and licence activation. Registration itself has several steps, and not every applicant needs all of them.
Not sure which steps apply to your title?
Speak to Aurum →Section 03
Eligibility depends on your profession, qualification, specialty, experience and country of qualification or licensure. The PQR sets different qualification and experience requirements for different professional titles, so there is no single checklist that applies to everyone.
Generally Required
Section 04
Primary Source Verification (PSV) is the process of verifying your qualifications and professional credentials directly with the institutions or authorities that issued them. DHA carries this out through DataFlow, its designated verification provider. DataFlow is the company; PSV is what it does.
A positive PSV result is required as part of DHA licensing.
Depending on Your Profession, Verification May Cover
Section 05
Not for every applicant. Depending on your professional title, DHA may require a Computer-Based Test (CBT), generally conducted through the designated testing provider, and some applicants also need an oral assessment.
Candidates are generally allowed a limited number of attempts, commonly cited as three, before needing to revisit their eligibility. It is worth confirming the current attempt limit for your title before you sit the exam.
May Not Apply to Everyone
Some senior consultants with extensive experience and specific board certifications may be exempt from the CBT. This is assessed case by case, not granted automatically, so it should not be assumed without confirmation from DHA.
Section 06
Yes, but not through a simple rule such as "Indian professionals need X while UK professionals need Y." DHA's PQR evaluates qualifications by country, institution, professional title, specialty and experience together, so two applicants from the same country can face different requirements depending on their title and where they trained.
Common Source Countries
| Country | How the PQR Approaches It |
|---|---|
| India | Assessed against the applicable PQR requirements, including qualification, registration and experience |
| Pakistan | Qualifications and professional registration assessed under the applicable PQR title |
| Philippines | Qualifications, professional registration and experience assessed under the relevant PQR requirements |
| UK | Qualifications and professional registration assessed according to the applicable professional title |
| USA | Assessed under the relevant PQR requirements |
| Canada | Assessed under the relevant PQR requirements |
| Australia | Assessed under the relevant PQR requirements |
| South Africa | Assessed under the relevant PQR requirements |
| Egypt, Jordan and other MENA countries | Assessed according to the applicable professional title, qualification and experience requirements |
This table describes how the PQR approaches each country, not a fixed outcome. The specific requirement always comes down to your professional title, institution and experience within that framework.
Section 07
DHA does not publish a single, all-in fee schedule the way some government services do. The figures below are directional estimates drawn from professional advisers who process these applications regularly, not official DHA pricing, and they vary by profession and individual circumstances.
Indicative Cost Components
| Component | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| DataFlow verification | AED 900 to 2,000 |
| CBT / Prometric exam | AED 500 to 1,800 |
| DHA application fee | AED 250 to 2,000 |
| Good Standing Certificate | AED 100 to 500 |
| Document attestation | AED 200 to 800 |
Total cost commonly falls somewhere around AED 2,700 to 6,500 depending on profession and how many documents need verification. Confirm current figures at the time you apply.
Section 08
Most delays are avoidable. They tend to come from timing and documentation, not from the underlying eligibility itself.
Worth Requesting Early
Its validity window does not pause while DataFlow works through your file. Requesting it early, and being ready to have it reissued if verification runs long, is the single most common way applicants avoid a late-stage delay.
Common Questions