A DHA license from the Dubai Health Authority is mandatory for every doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist and allied health professional working in Dubai. Alghafat manages the full licensing file — eligibility, DataFlow verification, Sheryan application and activation — so you can start work sooner.
Who needs a DHA license
Any healthcare professional practising in Dubai's private sector needs a DHA professional license before treating patients. That covers physicians and specialists, dentists, nurses and midwives, pharmacists, and allied health roles such as physiotherapists, radiographers and lab technologists. Abu Dhabi (DOH) and the other emirates (MOHAP) run separate licenses — if you plan to work across emirates, tell us and we will plan the right sequence.
How the process works
- Eligibility check against the PQR — the Professional Qualification Requirements define the degree, experience years and registrations required for each title
- Primary Source Verification through DataFlow — your degrees, experience letters and home-country license are verified with the issuing bodies
- Assessment where the PQR requires it — a Prometric computer-based exam or an oral assessment for some titles
- Application in the DHA Sheryan portal with your verified file
- Eligibility letter, then license activation once you are linked to a licensed Dubai facility
Timelines and what affects them
DataFlow verification is usually the slowest stage, since it depends on universities and regulators abroad responding. A clean, complete file typically clears the whole journey in a few weeks to a few months; missing documents, name mismatches or unresponsive issuing bodies are what stretch it. We pre-check the file against the PQR before anything is submitted, which is where most delays are prevented.
Documents you will need
- Passport and a recent photo
- Degree certificate and final transcripts
- Experience certificates covering the years the PQR requires
- Home-country professional license and a good-standing certificate
- For some titles: logbooks, internship certificates or specialty certificates
Why applicants use Alghafat
We handle DHA files end to end: we read the PQR for your exact title, prepare and verify the documents before DataFlow sees them, follow up the application inside Sheryan, and coordinate activation with your employer. If a file has a problem — a naming mismatch, an unverifiable certificate, a wrong title — we tell you before it costs you months.
This guide was reviewed and updated by the Alghafat team in September 2026. Official references: DHA Sheryan (services.dha.gov.ae) and the DHA Professional Qualification Requirements.