DHA License Process for Doctors 2026: GP Requirements, DataFlow, Exam, Registration, and Activation
Updated July 2026 · ExamCure Team
A doctor does not receive an active DHA licence simply by passing the Prometric examination. The current process has three distinct stages: establish eligibility and complete verification and assessment, obtain an active DHA professional registration, and then have a DHA-licensed healthcare facility activate that registration into a professional licence.
The process in one sentence
Create a Sheryan account, complete the Self-Assessment Tool, satisfy the Professional Qualification Requirements, complete DataFlow primary-source verification and the required DHA assessment, submit the Get Registered application, receive a one-year professional registration, secure employment with an eligible DHA facility, accept its activation request, and practise only after the professional licence is issued.
DHA registration is not the same as an active licence
The professional registration confirms that DHA has approved you for the stated category, title, and specialty. It places you in the Dubai Medical Registry and is currently valid for one year from the date of issue.
The professional licence is the permission to practise at a specific DHA-licensed healthcare facility. The employing facility activates it through its Sheryan account. DHA states that a healthcare professional may practise only after the licence is issued.
Do not start clinical work with registration alone
An active registration or a passed Prometric examination does not independently authorize practice. You need an active professional licence linked to an eligible facility.
Basic DHA General Practitioner eligibility
Eligibility is assessed against the current Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements and the DHA licensing manual. For the General Practitioner title, the core requirements generally include:
- A recognized primary medical degree with a study duration of at least five years, excluding internship.
- A completed clinical internship meeting the required rotational standards.
- Valid professional registration or licence from the relevant authority where the applicant practised.
- Good standing from the relevant regulatory body.
- Required post-internship, hands-on clinical experience for the applicant’s route.
- Positive primary-source verification of the required credentials.
- Passing the DHA assessment unless an official exemption applies.
- No disqualifying practice gap, disciplinary restriction, blacklist status, or unresolved negative verification result.
Many internationally educated GP applicants ordinarily require two years of post-internship clinical experience. However, the PQR contains exemptions and special routes for defined applicant groups, including certain UAE nationals, children of Emirati women, UAE university graduates, and applicants who qualify for trainee conditions. Use the Self-Assessment Tool for your exact profile rather than relying on another doctor’s outcome.
What counts as experience?
DHA defines experience as hands-on clinical work gained while licensed during salaried or contractual employment. Volunteer work, observerships, and clinical attachments are not treated as equivalent licensed experience.
Documents to prepare
The exact upload list depends on your title and history, but a GP applicant should prepare clear copies of:
- Recent passport-size photograph.
- Valid passport.
- Primary medical qualification and final academic transcript.
- Internship completion certificate with rotations where applicable.
- Post-internship experience certificates showing exact start and end dates, title, facility, and full-time or part-time status.
- Professional licences or registrations covering the relevant employment periods.
- Good Standing Certificate issued by the appropriate regulatory authority and not older than six months at application.
- Name-change evidence where document names differ.
- Exam-exemption evidence when claiming an exemption.
- Certified legal translations for documents not issued in English or Arabic.
DHA licence process step by step
- Create a Sheryan account: use your own email, mobile number, passport details, and legal name.
- Complete the Self-Assessment Tool: select Physician, General Practitioner, and answer the qualification, internship, experience, licence, and practice-gap questions accurately.
- Request Review Registration Eligibility when needed: use this route when the automated result is not eligible, unclear, or does not reflect a documented exception. This is a formal DHA review, not a licence.
- Start DataFlow PSV: submit the credentials requested for verification and respond promptly to requests for additional details.
- Complete the DHA assessment: schedule the CBT through the authorized Prometric route unless an exemption is confirmed.
- Submit Get Registered: link the completed prerequisites, upload the requested personal documents, pay the credentialing fee, and submit for DHA review.
- Resolve returned comments: correct only what DHA requests and resubmit within the permitted application period.
- Receive professional registration: once approved—and after any required oral assessment—the registration certificate is issued and your name is added to the Dubai Medical Registry.
- Secure an eligible job: the facility must hold an active DHA facility licence and the relevant professional service or specialty.
- Activate the professional licence: the facility sends an activation invitation, you grant consent in Sheryan, the facility completes its requirements and payment, and the licence is issued.
DataFlow primary-source verification
Primary-source verification confirms credentials directly with the issuing institutions. The current licensing manual lists documents that may require verification, including educational qualifications, experience or employment documents, licences or registrations, Good Standing Certificates, and proof supporting an assessment exemption.
DataFlow and the CBT assessment may be completed in parallel. However, DHA cannot finalize Get Registered until the required verification outcome and assessment requirement are satisfied.
Common causes of DataFlow delay
- The issuing institution does not respond.
- The applicant submits the wrong contact details for the issuing body.
- Names or dates differ between documents.
- An experience letter lacks the title, exact dates, employment status, or authorized signature.
- The professional licence does not cover the claimed experience period.
- The applicant does not respond to a DataFlow request.
A positive result supports the application but does not guarantee approval. DHA still decides whether the verified credentials satisfy the requested title.
DHA GP Prometric assessment
| Item | Current published DHA GP information |
|---|---|
| Format | Computer-based multiple-choice examination |
| Questions | 150 MCQs |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Passing score | 60% |
| Assessment fee | USD 280 in the current DHA CBT guide |
| Official result | Pass or Fail through Sheryan |
DHA’s current professional-assessment manual states that the CBT result is uploaded to Sheryan within two working days. DHA reports the result as Pass or Fail and does not provide the numerical score or detailed domain feedback.
Review the DHA GP Exam Topics 2026 guide for the official content areas and practical study priorities.
How many DHA assessment attempts are allowed?
The current DHA licensing manual gives applicants three attempts to pass the required assessment across the UAE health authorities. This is not a rule of three attempts every calendar year.
After exhausting the three failed attempts, the PQR route for a new set of attempts requires either an additional recognized qualification or at least two years of licensed clinical experience acquired after the last failed attempt, followed by a new application and DHA review.
Cancellation or non-attendance is not classified as a failed assessment attempt in the current DHA manual, although booking or cancellation fees and Prometric terms may still apply.
The Get Registered stage
Get Registered is the DHA credentialing application after the prerequisites are complete. DHA lists an average processing time of five working days, but this is a service estimate—not a guarantee for every application.
DHA may return the application for clarification, request further PSV, change the approved title, impose a trainee restriction, add a licence limitation, or require an oral assessment according to the submitted credentials.
When approved, the registration is valid for one year. It should be activated into a licence or renewed before it expires.
How the professional licence is activated
Licence activation is initiated through the employing healthcare facility’s Sheryan account. The professional must have an active registration and must accept the facility’s request.
- The facility licence must be active.
- The facility must be approved for the relevant professional service.
- The professional registration must be active.
- The professional must consent to the activation request.
- A valid labour card is required for non-UAE nationals under the current manual.
- A medical fitness report is required for professionals aged 65 or older.
- Professional liability insurance and employment documentation must be maintained as required.
DHA permits professional licence activation for one, two, or three years. The professional must maintain CPD and malpractice-insurance requirements throughout the licence period.
DHA licence costs for doctors
| Stage | Current published amount | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Assessment Tool | No fee displayed | The automated tool is preliminary and does not grant a licence. |
| Review Registration Eligibility | AED 200 credentialing fee | Knowledge and Innovation fees may be added at checkout. |
| DataFlow PSV | Variable | Depends on the package, number of documents, issuing countries, and any additional verification. |
| DHA GP CBT | USD 280 | Use the amount and currency shown in the authorized live booking flow. |
| Get Registered | AED 200 credentialing fee | Knowledge and Innovation fees may be added at checkout. |
| Physician or dentist licence activation | AED 3,000 for 1 year; AED 5,000 for 2 years; AED 7,500 for 3 years | Paid through the facility activation process; checkout additions may apply. |
Do not advertise one guaranteed “all-inclusive DHA licence fee”
The final cost depends on verification volume, assessment status, translations, eligibility review, application returns, bank charges, and licence duration. Always use the live Sheryan and Prometric checkout amounts.
How long does the DHA licence process take?
There is no reliable universal completion time. DHA publishes service-level estimates for individual stages—for example, five working days for Get Registered and ten working days for Review Registration Eligibility—but the total process also depends on:
- How quickly issuing institutions respond to DataFlow.
- Whether the documents are complete and internally consistent.
- Prometric appointment availability.
- Whether DHA requests clarification, re-verification, or an oral assessment.
- How soon the doctor obtains employment with an eligible DHA facility.
- How quickly the facility completes licence activation.
Common mistakes that delay approval
- Applying under the wrong professional title.
- Counting internship, observership, or volunteer activity as required post-internship experience.
- Submitting a Good Standing Certificate older than six months.
- Using an experience letter that does not match the professional licence period.
- Beginning DataFlow before correcting name discrepancies.
- Assuming a passed exam is equivalent to an active licence.
- Allowing the one-year registration to expire before activation or renewal.
- Starting clinical work before the facility licence activation is complete.
Prepare for the DHA GP assessment
Use the official content areas, topic-based clinical MCQs, and timed 150-question simulations before scheduling your examination.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for DHA without a job offer?
You can complete eligibility, verification, assessment, and professional registration without an employing facility. A DHA-licensed facility is required to activate the registration into a professional licence before you practise.
Is the old “DHA eligibility letter” the same as a licence?
No. Applicants often use “eligibility letter” informally, but the current DHA process issues a professional registration. It confirms approved eligibility and is valid for one year; it must still be activated into a licence by an eligible facility.
Can DataFlow and the DHA exam be completed together?
Yes. DHA states that primary-source verification and the CBT assessment can be performed in parallel.
Does passing the DHA GP exam guarantee registration?
No. DHA must also approve the qualifications, internship, experience, licences, good standing, verification results, practice history, and requested professional title.
How long is DHA professional registration valid?
The current DHA licensing manual states that professional registration is valid for one year from the date of issue.
Can I work while my licence activation is pending?
No. DHA states that healthcare professionals cannot practise with registration alone and may practise only after the professional licence is issued.
How many times can I take the DHA exam?
The current rule provides three attempts across the UAE health authorities. It is not three attempts per year.
Official sources
- DHA Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals
- DHA Manual for Professional Assessment
- Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements 2025
- DHA Get Registered Service
- DHA Activate Professional License Service
- DHA CBT Assessment Guideline
- Official Prometric DHA Program Page
Disclaimer: This independent guide does not constitute an eligibility decision or licence approval. DHA, the UAE health authorities, DataFlow, and Prometric may update qualification rules, fees, document requirements, assessment conditions, processing times, and activation procedures. Verify all requirements through the current Sheryan application and official documents before payment.
