Career·Middle East· 9 min read

DHA vs DOH vs MOHAP: Which UAE Health Authority Do You Need to Be Licensed By?

The UAE licenses health professionals by emirate, not nationally. Here is the plain-English map of DHA (Dubai), DOH (Abu Dhabi) and MOHAP (Northern Emirates), plus the shared DataFlow and Prometric steps.

Last updated 3 July 2026

Key facts

DHA: Dubai Health Authority — licenses professionals in Dubai (dha.gov.ae)
DOH: Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (ex-HAAD) — Abu Dhabi & Al Ain (doh.gov.ae)
MOHAP: Ministry of Health and Prevention — Northern Emirates (mohap.gov.ae)
Shared standard: Unified Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) across the authorities
Shared steps: DataFlow Primary Source Verification + a Prometric licensing exam (most categories)
Transferability: Licences are emirate-specific; transfer is not automatic — verify with the destination authority

Why the UAE has three health authorities, not one

Unlike a single national medical licensing body, the UAE licenses health professionals by jurisdiction. Where you intend to work — which emirate — decides which authority licenses you. This trips up many internationally trained doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied-health professionals who assume one licence covers the whole country.

There are three regulators to know: the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) for Dubai, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH, formerly HAAD) for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), the federal body that licenses the Northern Emirates.

This is a neutral map of who licenses whom and what the shared steps are. It is not professional-licensing advice, and every specific requirement, fee and exam detail below should be confirmed on the relevant authority's official portal, since these change.

The UAE licenses health professionals by emirate, not nationally
Your workplace emirate decides your authority
This guide maps the authorities — it is not licensing or medical advice

DHA — Dubai

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA, dha.gov.ae) licenses health professionals who will practise in the Emirate of Dubai. If your job — hospital, clinic or pharmacy — is in Dubai, DHA is your authority.

DHA runs its own online licensing portal (its Sheryan health-professional services system) through which you create an account, submit credentials, and track your application. As with the other emirates, an eligibility/assessment step and a licensing exam apply for most professional categories.

Because Dubai also contains healthcare free zones with their own arrangements, confirm on the official portal exactly which pathway applies to your specific role and workplace.

DHA licenses professionals working in Dubai
Applications run through DHA's official online licensing system (Sheryan)
Some Dubai healthcare free zones have their own arrangements — verify your case

DOH — Abu Dhabi and Al Ain

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH, doh.gov.ae), previously known as HAAD, licenses health professionals practising in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, including Al Ain. If your job is in Abu Dhabi city or Al Ain, DOH is your authority.

DOH publishes the Professional Qualification Requirement (PQR) framework, which sets the educational, experience and licensure standards applicants are assessed against. You typically complete credential verification, meet the PQR criteria for your profession and category, and pass the required assessment or exam.

As always, the specific documents, experience levels and exam vendors are defined by DOH — check the current requirements for your profession on doh.gov.ae.

DOH (formerly HAAD) licenses professionals in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain
DOH publishes the Professional Qualification Requirement (PQR)
Meet the PQR for your profession/category, then complete the assessment

MOHAP — the Northern Emirates

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP, mohap.gov.ae) is the federal authority that licenses health professionals in the Northern Emirates — Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. If your job is in any of those emirates, MOHAP is your authority.

MOHAP operates its own health-professional licensing services online, covering evaluation of your qualifications and the licensing/re-licensing process. The structure mirrors the others: credential verification, meeting the requirements for your category, and the applicable exam or assessment.

Sharjah also has the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) in some contexts, so if your role is specifically in Sharjah, confirm on the official portals which body handles your licence.

MOHAP licenses Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah
MOHAP handles evaluation and licensing/re-licensing online
For Sharjah specifically, confirm whether MOHAP or SHA applies to your role

The shared steps: PQR, DataFlow and Prometric

Although the three authorities are separate, they share a common backbone. The three regulators (with the Sharjah Health Authority) jointly publish the unified Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) — the common standard your education, experience and licensure are assessed against.

Two shared operational steps appear across all three: Primary Source Verification (PSV) by the DataFlow Group (dataflowgroup.com), which independently confirms your degree, licence and experience directly with the issuing bodies; and a licensing exam, most commonly delivered through Prometric, for your profession and category. PSV is frequently the slowest, most administrative part of the journey.

Do not treat these as interchangeable across emirates automatically — verification and exam results are submitted to the specific authority you are applying to. Because the sequence (DataFlow before or after the exam) and the exam requirement vary, follow the current instructions on your chosen authority's portal.

Unified PQR standard is shared by MOHAP, DOH, DHA (and SHA)
DataFlow performs Primary Source Verification of your credentials
Prometric commonly delivers the licensing exam for many categories

Moving between emirates and transferability

A common question is whether a licence in one emirate lets you work in another. Because licensing is jurisdiction-specific, a DHA licence is for Dubai, a DOH licence for Abu Dhabi, and a MOHAP licence for the Northern Emirates — working in a different emirate generally means holding that emirate's licence.

The good news is that the shared PQR standard and a completed DataFlow verification can reduce duplicated effort when you apply to another authority, but transfer or reciprocity is not automatic and is defined by each authority's current rules. Some categories and pathways have specific arrangements.

Before accepting a role in a new emirate, check the destination authority's official portal for exactly what carries over and what must be redone. This is general, neutral information — the authorities set the rules, and they change.

Licences are emirate-specific — plan for the authority of your workplace
Shared PQR + existing DataFlow can reduce, but not eliminate, repeat steps
Transfer/reciprocity is not automatic — confirm with the destination authority

Frequently asked questions

If I get a DHA licence, can I work anywhere in the UAE?

Not automatically. A DHA licence covers Dubai. To work in Abu Dhabi/Al Ain you generally need a DOH licence, and for the Northern Emirates a MOHAP licence. The authorities share a unified PQR standard which can streamline a second application, but each emirate issues its own licence. Confirm the current transfer rules on the destination authority's portal.

What is DataFlow and do all three authorities use it?

DataFlow is the third-party company that performs Primary Source Verification (PSV) — it contacts your university, past employers and licensing bodies directly to confirm your credentials are genuine. It is used across the UAE health authorities. It is often the slowest step, so start it early and follow the specific authority's instructions.

Is the Prometric exam always required?

An assessment or licensing exam applies to most professional categories, and Prometric is a common delivery vendor, but the exact requirement depends on your profession, category and experience — some cases have exemptions or different assessments. Check your specific profession's requirements on the authority you are applying to.

Which authority handles Sharjah?

MOHAP is the federal authority for the Northern Emirates including Sharjah, but Sharjah also has the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) in some contexts. For a role in Sharjah, verify on the official portals which body issues your specific licence before you apply.

Does being licensed let me study or work on a student visa?

No. A professional health licence permits you to practise once you are lawfully employed and sponsored; it is not a study permit or a work visa. Immigration and labour matters are handled by the UAE government authorities. This is general information, not immigration advice — verify visa rules on the official source.

Official sources

This guide explains the process and is for guidance only. Eligibility, dates, fees and rules change every year — always confirm the current details on the official site before you act.

Verified against: Department of Health – Abu Dhabi — Professional Qualification Requirement (PQR); Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) — licensing/re-licensing of a health professional; Dubai Health Authority (official website); DataFlow Group — Primary Source Verification.

Last verified: 3 July 2026.