DHA Facility License Renewal, Amendments and Closure
Short answer: Renew a DHA facility license from three months before it expires, with fines cleared, the trade license renewed and every professional license active. If you do not renew within six months of expiry the license is considered cancelled. Changes such as a new specialty, location, owner, name or medical director each have their own Sheryan service and rules.
Last verified: October 2026 against the DHA Manual for Licensing Health Facility (version 1.1, chapters 8 to 18).
Key Takeaways
- Renewal opens three months before expiry. Active licenses renew for one, two or three years.
- You must clear all fines first, upload the renewed trade license and have all professional licenses active.
- Non-renewal for more than six months cancels the license, and a cancelled license cannot be reissued. You apply again as a new facility.
- You can keep operating on the existing license while an amendment is processed.
- The medical director role must not be vacant for more than two weeks.
Renewing a DHA Facility License
- Renewal can be started three months before expiry.
- All financial penalties must be cleared before renewal.
- For an active license: upload the renewed trade license, make sure all professional licenses are active and pay the renewal fee.
- An inactive license can be renewed for one year only, after DHA approval.
- Late renewal attracts delay fines. After six months without renewal the license is considered cancelled.
- Until the license is renewed, the facility must not provide services and licensed professionals must not practice. Practicing on an expired license is a violation for both facility and professionals.
Amending the License
What You Can Amend
- Add or remove a specialty.
- Change facility category.
- Change ownership or facility name.
- Expand the facility building or renovate the layout.
- Add or remove add-ons such as home healthcare, telehealth, 24 hour facility, pharmacy delivery or drive-thru.
- Update accreditation or FANR license details.
An inactive facility can only amend its details (for example add or remove a specialty or change the layout) or activate. Ownership and classification changes need an active license. Amendments may require an inspection or trade license modification, and the validity stays as per the existing expiry unless the category changes, in which case a new license runs from the activation date.
Changing Location, Name or Ownership
Change of Location
You need a valid active license, an updated layout and an updated trade license. DHA reviews the application and carries out a field inspection before approval. You may add or remove specialties at the same time, and a detailed proposal is then requested.
Change of Name
The proposed name must comply with Dubai rules, must not duplicate or resemble an existing trade name for the same activity, must match the approved trade name from DET or the free zone authority and must not mislead patients about the facility type or size.
Change of Ownership
The new owner details are submitted and DHA may reject non-compliant owners. Ownership change is not available with a pending violation, an expired, cancelled, suspended or revoked license. The validity is not extended by a change of ownership. Heirs must complete the transfer within six months of the owner’s death unless an extension is approved.
Medical Director, Temporary Closure and Cancellation
Medical Director
The facility license must be active. The selected professional must have an active license and must not be medical director of another facility outside the same group. One director may serve several facilities of the same group in Sheryan. The role must not be vacant for more than two weeks, and a suitably qualified licensed professional must be designated during longer absences.
Temporary Closure
A facility can close for one day up to six months, once during an active license, for the whole facility or for a specialty. Renewal duties continue during the closure, and the license reactivates automatically at the end date.
Cancellation
- No investigation, appeal or medical complaint pending and no outstanding fines.
- No licensed professionals under the facility other than the medical director.
- The facility must stop services immediately and arrange safe custody of patient records.
- Facilities handling narcotics and controlled drugs need clearance from the drug control section.
- A cancelled license cannot be reissued. A new facility application is required.
Fines and Instalments
Outstanding fines must be paid before you can activate, renew, amend, change name, cancel or change ownership. DHA may allow instalments for fines of at least AED 20,000, with a bank statement, finance review and post-dated cheques.
Frequently Asked Questions.
When should I renew my DHA facility license?
Start three months before expiry so fines, trade license and professional licenses are in order. Do not let it run past expiry, because after six months the license is cancelled.
Can I operate while an amendment is being processed?
Yes. DHA states the facility can operate with the existing license until the amended license is approved.
What happens if my medical director leaves?
The role must not stay vacant for more than two weeks. Designate another qualified licensed professional and submit a change of medical director request on Sheryan.
Can I get a cancelled license back?
No. A cancelled facility license cannot be reissued. You apply as a new facility and meet the full requirements again.
Can I close temporarily to renovate?
Yes. A temporary closure can run from one day to six months and can be used once during an active license.
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.
Book a Discovery Call