The UAE has no single medical licence. Each regulator licenses facilities and professionals in its own territory, so a licence is tied both to an authority and to a facility.
Talk to usHealth regulation in the UAE is split by emirate and, in Dubai, by zone. Always check the regulator of the specific facility: arrangements have shifted in recent years.
| Territory | Regulator |
|---|---|
| Dubai mainland and most Dubai free zones | DHA |
| Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) | DHCR |
| Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Dhafra | DOH Abu Dhabi |
| Sharjah | SHA (check the facility) |
| Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah | MOHAP (check the facility) |
The four authorities share one set of qualification rules, the PQR, and it has a chapter on licence recognition between them. In practice this is a shorter route, not an automatic transfer.
We check which authority the candidate is licensed with, the title and the validity before the interview, and tell you what the switch to DHA involves for this person. Recruitment fee: one month's salary of the placed employee, 50% when they start and 50% after probation, with a free replacement within 2 months. Consulting and CRM projects are priced after a free review.
No. Abu Dhabi facilities need professionals licensed by DOH. A DHA licence holder can usually use the recognition route under the PQR, which typically removes the exam for the same title, but the DOH application still has to be completed.
No. Dubai Healthcare City has its own regulator, DHCR, which licenses facilities and professionals inside the free zone. A clinic in DHCC recruits DHCR-licensed staff or licenses them with DHCR.
Only after getting a DHA licence. A valid MOHAP licence usually shortens the route: exam exemption for the same title and acceptance of the existing verification, subject to DHA's review.
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