DHA Facility Categories Explained: Which License Fits Your Clinic
Short answer: DHA licenses health facilities under defined categories, and the category you choose drives your fees, staffing, premises rules and inspection. The main groups are hospitals, outpatient facilities (clinics, centers and day surgery), diagnostic centers, pharmacies, specialized units, home healthcare, TCAM, clinical support and long term care facilities.
Last verified: October 2026 against the DHA Manual for Licensing Health Facility (version 1.1, Appendix 1) and the Sheryan fee page.
Key Takeaways
- Pick the category first. It decides the license fee, the inspection fee and the documents DHA expects.
- A general clinic is run by one or more general practitioners; a specialty clinic offers one health service; a polyclinic needs at least two different specialties.
- Day surgery centers are classified by the AAAASC classes A, B, C-M or C.
- Home healthcare and telehealth can be licensed on their own or added to an existing facility as add-ons.
- Fees below are yearly ranges grouped from DHA’s published schedule. Confirm exact amounts on Sheryan.
The Main Categories and What They Mean
| Group | Examples | What DHA Says |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital | General or specialty hospital | Overnight care over 24 hours, in three size bands: under 50, 50 to 100 and over 100 beds |
| Outpatient facility | General clinic, specialty clinic, polyclinic, dental clinic, school, nursery and express clinics, clinic within a pharmacy | No overnight stay. A polyclinic needs at least 2 specialties; a specialty clinic gives one health service |
| Outpatient centers | Day surgical center, fertility, dialysis, oncology, GI endoscopy, psychiatric, sleep medicine, thalassemia, medical fitness | Standalone centers with their own staffing and equipment rules |
| Diagnostic | Medical laboratory, radio-diagnostic center, multi-specialty diagnostic center | Laboratory and imaging services without overnight stay |
| Pharmacy | Community or retail, hospital, ambulatory, drug store | Pharmacy services and medicine storage or distribution |
| Specialized units | Mobile facility, first aid unit, blood bank, cord blood and stem cell center, patient transfer | Units that must be owned or linked to a licensed facility where DHA states so |
| Home healthcare and telehealth | Home healthcare agency, telehealth center | Can be licensed independently or as a sub-service of another facility |
| TCAM | Acupuncture, Ayurveda, chiropractic, osteopathy, naturopathy, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, hijama and others | One or more complementary specialties |
| Clinical support | Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, audiology, prosthetics, dental laboratory, optical, psychology, dietitian, podiatry | Ancillary services supporting clinical assessment |
| Long term care | Convalescence, nursing home, hospice, addiction treatment and rehabilitation | Residential or long stay services without emergency and intensive care |
DHA License Fee Ranges by Group
DHA publishes fees per facility type on Sheryan. Grouped into ranges per year of license, they look like this. Two and three year terms cost roughly 1.75 and 2.5 times the one year fee.
| Group | 1 Year License (AED) | Inspection (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery clinic, first aid unit | About 2,500 | About 1,000 to 2,000 |
| General, dental and school clinics, home healthcare, psychiatry, radiology, laboratories, specialty clinics | 5,000 to 6,000 | About 2,000 |
| Pharmacies and drug stores | About 7,500 | About 2,000 |
| Telehealth platform or provider, diagnostic centers (multi-specialty), blood bank, medical fitness | About 12,000 | About 2,000 |
| Polyclinic and multi-specialty clinical support | 10,000 to 15,000 | About 2,000 |
| Day surgery, fertility, dialysis, oncology, endoscopy, nursing home, mobile and transfer services | About 18,000 to 20,000 | About 2,000 to 3,000 |
| Hospitals by bed count | 20,000 to 40,000 | About 4,000 |
How to Choose Your Category
- List the services you will actually offer in the first two years, including diagnostics, pharmacy and any procedures needing sedation.
- Check whether the service set fits one category or needs a polyclinic. Two specialties means a polyclinic, even if one is dental.
- Decide whether home healthcare, telehealth or pharmacy delivery will be a sub-service or a separate facility. They can be added later as add-ons.
- Confirm that your premises and trade license activity match the category before you lease or file.
- Ask DHA early if your model does not fit neatly. Changing category later needs an amendment and can restart the license term.
Frequently Asked Questions.
What is the difference between a general clinic and a specialty clinic?
A general clinic is run by one or more general practitioners. A specialty clinic provides one health service such as a single medical specialty, preventive care or therapeutic outpatient services.
When do I need a polyclinic license?
When the facility offers at least two different specialties, which may include diagnostics, dental and TCAM services, for patients who do not need an overnight stay.
Can I add telehealth or home healthcare to an existing clinic?
Yes. DHA lists home healthcare, telehealth, 24 hour facility and pharmacy delivery among the add-ons you can add or remove through an amendment.
Do fees change with category?
Yes. DHA fees are set per facility type and term, so moving from a general clinic to a polyclinic or day surgery center changes the fee.
Where do I find the official list?
In Appendix 1 of the DHA Manual for Licensing Health Facility and in the fee table on the Sheryan Activate Facility License page.
Where This Comes From.
How OzaniX Partners Can Help.
We prepare the application, coordinate the drawings and approvals, and run the renewal calendar so nothing lapses, then set up empanelment, bookkeeping and cash planning. See licensing and regulatory advisory or book a discovery call.
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