CPD Requirements to Renew a Health Licence in the UAE
Short answer: CPD requirements in the UAE start with the Unified PQR, which MOHAP, DOH, DHA and SHA publish together. It sets a minimum each year of 40 CME or CPD credits for physicians and dentists, 20 for nurses, 20 for pharmacists and 10 for allied health and TCIM practitioners, all relevant to your specialty. Dubai multiplies that by the length of the licence you renew (80 points for a two year doctor licence, 120 for three years), Dubai Healthcare City runs its own two year system, and a Dubai licence cannot be renewed until the points are complete.
Last verified: October 2026 against the Unified PQR (third version, April 2025), the DHA Sheryan Update CPD Points and renewal pages and FAQ, the DOH Standard for Continuing Professional Development, the MOHAP and SHA renewal services and the DHCC renewal guideline.
Key Takeaways
- The yearly minimums are 40 credits for physicians and dentists, 20 for nurses and pharmacists, and 10 for allied health and TCIM (PQR, April 2025, section 2.2).
- In Dubai, the target grows with licence length, extra points never carry forward, and a shortfall blocks renewal.
- In Abu Dhabi, at least half of your credits for each licensure cycle must come from formal, accredited activities, and one hour of learning equals one credit.
- Dubai Healthcare City asks for 80 points from doctors and 30 from registered nurses over the two years before expiry, with online learning capped at half.
- Surgeons and dentists in surgical specialties must also submit a surgical logbook every two years to renew.
- CPD is only one renewal condition. You also need valid malpractice insurance and no unpaid fines, and some regulators ask for a life support card.
How Many CPD Credits You Need, by Regulator
| Regulator | Physicians and Dentists | Nurses | Pharmacists | Allied Health | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHA (Dubai) | 40 | 20 | 20 | 10 | Per year of licence: 1, 2 or 3 year targets |
| DOH (Abu Dhabi) | 40 | 20 | 20 | 10 | Every year, under the PQR |
| MOHAP (Northern Emirates) | 40 | 20 | 20 | 10 | Every year, under the PQR |
| SHA (Sharjah) | 40 | 20 | 20 | 10 | Every year, under the PQR |
| DHCC (Dubai Healthcare City) | 80 doctors, 50 dentists | 30 registered nurses, 20 assistants | Not listed separately | 30, or 20 for assistants and technicians | The two years before licence expiry |
MOHAP and SHA point to the PQR for their CPD requirements rather than printing their own number on their renewal pages, and the DOH CPD Standard does the same. SHA’s page asks you to “fulfil the minimum annual CME/CPD points requirements as mentioned in the PQR”. MOHAP asks for CME “in the same specialty domain”.
Dubai: DHA Rules on Points, Carry Forward and Logging
DHA links its CPD requirements to the licence you are renewing. On the Sheryan Update CPD Points page, physicians and dentists need 40 points for a one year licence, 80 for two years and 120 for three. Nurses and pharmacists need 20, 40 or 60, and allied health and TCAM professionals need 10, 20 or 30.
Two rules catch people out. Extra points do not carry over to the next renewal. If you earn less than your target, the licence cannot be renewed until you finish the missing points. If your licence covers more than one category, the targets are added together.
You log points through the free Update CPD Points service on Sheryan or the DHA app, uploading proof for each activity. DHA reviews it in about one working day, and points from a blacklisted CPD provider are not accepted.
Your facility files the renewal from 90 days before expiry. It needs valid malpractice insurance, the CPD target met and any fines paid. A full time licence can be renewed up to six months after expiry with a penalty, but you cannot practise while it is expired. The renewed licence keeps its original expiry date. Past six months, the facility must cancel the licence, pay the penalties and activate it again. DHA’s renewal page lists late penalties in the AED 600 a month range for physicians and dentists and the AED 200 a month range for nurses, allied health and TCAM.
Abu Dhabi: What Counts Under the DOH CPD Standard
DOH’s Standard for Continuing Professional Development (version 1, effective July 2024) explains which activities count and how credits are worked out:
- Credit value: one hour of CPD is one credit, 30 minutes is 0.5, and the smallest unit is 15 minutes (0.25).
- Formal activities (Category 1): at least 50 percent of your credits for each licensure cycle. They must be accredited by DOH, by a national accreditation body, or to an international standard by a DOH approved accreditor. Live, e-learning, blended and “read, write, teach, research” formats can qualify.
- Non formal activities (Category 2): at most 50 percent.
- Examples from Appendix 1: one credit per hour for courses and conferences, two credits per hour for teaching on a formal CPD activity, 10 credits per peer reviewed publication (up to 20), 40 credits a year in an accredited residency or fellowship, 10 for a specialty board certificate, and two per manuscript you peer review (up to 10).
Keep a CPD portfolio ready for audit. Your employer must monitor your progress against the CPD requirements. The older DOH Healthcare Professionals Manual (2017) says renewal must be filed at least 90 days before the renewal date and can be filed up to six months ahead. A licence not renewed in time is suspended automatically.
Sharjah and the Northern Emirates: SHA and MOHAP Renewals
SHA’s renewal is filed by the facility on the SHA portal and takes about eight working days. It needs a recent certificate showing CME hours, a BLS or ACLS card, malpractice insurance, an Emirates ID copy, a surgical logbook for surgical specialties, and a health report if you are over 60. You can renew up to three months before expiry, and monthly late penalties apply. The full time fee is in the AED 3,000 range for physicians, dentists and TCIM practitioners and the AED 1,000 range for nurses, pharmacists and allied health. A part time licence is in the AED 4,000 range.
MOHAP covers facilities in the Northern Emirates. Its renewal asks for CME documents in your specialty, malpractice insurance, and a physical and mental report from Emirates Health Services for doctors aged 60 or above. For private facilities, the fee is in the AED 3,000 range for doctors and the AED 1,000 range for nurses, technicians and pharmacists, plus an application fee in the AED 100 range. Government facility licences renew automatically on the expiry date.
Dubai Healthcare City: A Two Year Cycle
DHCC sets its own CPD requirements and counts points over the two years before your licence expires. The guideline sets 80 points for doctors, 50 for dentists, 30 for registered nurses and midwives, 20 for nursing assistants and practical nurses, and 30 for most allied health roles (20 for assistants and technicians). Most points must relate to your main area of practice. Conferences, lectures and grand rounds can make up the whole target, while online courses and journal reading can count for half at most. A MEDLINE listed publication is worth 10 points, and BLS course points do not count.
Specialists and consultants who pass a recertification exam in their specialty within two years of expiry meet the 80 points that way. Apply on the Masaar e-services portal 30 to 60 days before expiry. Late renewal is allowed for up to six months, after which the licence is cancelled automatically and you must reapply.
If You Fall Short
In Dubai, the licence will not renew until the points are complete, and you cannot practise on an expired licence. Abu Dhabi suspends a licence that is not renewed by its date, and DOH can apply sanctions under its disciplinary rules. The PQR says a suspension by one regulator applies at every other UAE regulator where you hold a licence. If you have been away from practice for more than three years, a different rule applies: the PQR gap of practice table asks physicians with a gap of three to four years for 80 credits plus six months of training before relicensing, and more for longer gaps.
The simplest protection is a shared tracker. List every clinician with their regulator, licence expiry, the CPD requirements for that licence length and points logged so far, and check it every quarter. A shortfall found six months out is easy to fix. One found in the final month usually means a gap in the rota.
Frequently Asked Questions.
How many CME hours does a doctor need to renew a licence in the UAE?
At least 40 CME or CPD credits a year under the PQR. In Dubai that becomes 80 for a two year licence and 120 for three years. Dubai Healthcare City asks for 80 points over the two years before expiry.
Do extra CPD points carry forward in Dubai?
No. DHA’s Update CPD Points page says points above your target are not carried forward to the next renewal.
Do online courses count?
Yes, with limits. In Abu Dhabi, accredited e-learning counts as formal CPD, and non formal activities can make up at most half your credits. In Dubai Healthcare City, online courses and journal reading can count for half of the target at most.
Does BLS count towards CPD?
Not in Dubai Healthcare City, whose guideline says BLS course points do not count. A valid BLS card is still required there, and SHA asks for a BLS or ACLS card at renewal.
Where This Comes From.
- DOH: Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (third version, April 2025), sections 1.7, 2.1, 2.2 and 3.4
- DHA Sheryan: Update CPD Points
- DHA Sheryan: Renew Professional License
- DHA Sheryan: Frequently Asked Questions
- DOH: Standard for Continuing Professional Development (DOH/ST/HCWS/CPD/V1/2024)
- DOH: Healthcare Professionals Manual (2017)
- MOHAP: Renewal of Health Professional License
- SHA: Request for Renewal of Healthcare Professional License
- DHCC: Healthcare Professional License Renewal Guidelines
- DHCC: FAQ for Professionals
How OzaniX Partners Can Help.
We track licence expiry dates, CPD targets and malpractice cover for every clinician on your team, and warn you early enough to fix a shortfall before it delays renewal. Our Licensing and Regulatory Advisory team handles DHA, DOH, MOHAP, SHA and DHCC renewals, so your doctors and nurses can keep seeing patients.
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