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Choose your profession and answer four short steps. Questions that do not apply to you stay hidden.
Your Likely Result
General information only, based on the PQR (3rd version, April 2025) used by DHA, DOH, MOHAP and SHA. It is not a licensing decision: the health authority decides after verifying your documents. Confirm with the authority before you pay fees or make plans. Sources and notice.
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How Doctor Titles Work in the UAE
All four UAE health authorities use the same rule book for professional titles: the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements, known as the PQR. A doctor's title depends on the medical degree, the specialty certificate and the experience after it.
- General Practitioner: an accredited medical degree, a one year internship and two years of clinical experience after it, in one of eight listed fields.
- Specialist: a Tier 1 or Tier 2 specialty certificate needs no further experience. A Tier 3 certificate needs three years after the main specialty, or two after a sub-specialty.
- Consultant: two years after a Tier 1 certificate (one after a sub-specialty) or five years after a Tier 2 certificate (four after a sub-specialty). Tier 3 holders cannot normally become Consultants.
- No internship proof: two extra years are added to the experience the title needs.
How Dentist Titles Work
- General Dentist: a BDS, DMD, DDS or equivalent, a one year internship and two years of clinical experience.
- Specialist Dentist: a Tier 1 or Tier 2 dental specialty certificate needs no further experience. A Tier 3 certificate needs three years after it (one year for UAE nationals, none for UAE dental graduates).
- Consultant Dentist: two years after a Tier 1 certificate or five years after a Tier 2 certificate. Tier 3 holders cannot normally become Consultants.
How Nursing and Midwifery Titles Work
- Registered Nurse: a bachelor's degree in nursing of at least three years full time, with no experience needed.
- Assistant Nurse: a nursing diploma of at least eighteen months, with no experience needed. Assistant Nurses work under a Registered Nurse.
- Specialty Nurse: a Registered Nurse with a clinical master's or postgraduate specialty qualification of at least one year, plus one year in the specialty; or a three year specialty bachelor's plus two years in the field.
- Nurse Practitioner: a Registered Nurse with a Nurse Practitioner master's, doctorate or national certification, plus two years of experience as a Nurse Practitioner.
- Registered Midwife: a three year midwifery bachelor's, or a nursing bachelor's plus a one year midwifery certificate, and two years of experience as a midwife.
How Pharmacist Titles Work
- Pharmacist: a BSc in Pharmacy or a PharmD and two years of experience in the related field (one year with a master's or PhD in pharmacy).
- Clinical Pharmacist: a BSc with a clinical pharmacy residency of at least two years, or a PharmD or recognised clinical postgraduate route plus two years of experience including six months in a hospital.
- Specialized Pharmacist: a one year postgraduate qualification in a listed specialty plus two years, or an American Board certificate with no experience needed.
- Pharmacy Technician: a pharmacy diploma of at least two years and two years of experience.
Experience with pharmaceutical companies or as a sales representative does not count.
Social Care Professionals in Dubai (CDA)
Social workers, social counselors, psychologists, behavioral analysts, special education and learning support teachers who provide community based social care in Dubai are licensed by the Community Development Authority (CDA), not under the PQR. CDA asks for a related first university degree, at least one year of experience, good conduct and UAE residence, plus Ministry of Education equivalency for foreign degrees, Dataflow verification, and either CDA's licensing exam or a British University in Dubai training program depending on the category. Our CDA Social Care Professional License guide explains it step by step.
Who Does Not Need the Exam
UAE nationals and Children of Emirati Women are exempt from the authority exams. Doctors at Specialist or Consultant level with a Tier 1 certificate from one of 21 listed countries are exempt, and General Practitioners can be exempt with a valid pass in an exam such as PLAB, USMLE Part III or the AMC. Nurses and midwives can be exempt with a valid license from one of 20 listed countries (if they qualified in the last two years or have had no gap since their last day of work) or a valid NCLEX pass. An exemption covers the exam only, and it does not apply after a gap of practice of more than two years, except for UAE nationals and Children of Emirati Women.
Already Licensed in the UAE?
If you hold a valid license from one UAE authority, another authority can recognise it without the exam, as long as you meet the title requirements, present a valid Good Standing Certificate and a full verification report, and have not used up your exam attempts for that title.
Read the Full Guides
DHA License for Doctors in Dubai, DOH License for Doctors in Abu Dhabi and DHA License for Nurses explain the steps and documents in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the DHA, DOH and MOHAP title the same?
Yes. All four UAE health authorities use the same PQR rules, so the same qualifications and experience lead to the same title. The application steps, exams and fees differ by authority.
How do I know if my specialty certificate is Tier 1, 2 or 3?
The PQR lists recognised specialty certificates by country and awarding body. Choose your country and certificate in this checker and it shows the Tier from that list.
Can a nurse get a UAE license without experience?
Yes. The Registered Nurse and Assistant Nurse titles need no experience under the PQR, as long as there is no long gap of practice. Specialty Nurse, Nurse Practitioner and midwife titles do need experience.
How many times can I take the licensing exam?
You have three attempts across all UAE health authorities, plus one final attempt with another authority.
Can I get a UAE license after a long break from practice?
After more than three years away you need CME credits and supervised training, and professionals who are not UAE nationals then sit the licensing exam. After five years, professionals who are not UAE nationals generally cannot apply. UAE nationals and Children of Emirati Women can apply up to ten years.
Is this checker the final decision?
No. It gives general information based on the published PQR. The health authority decides your title and license after verifying your documents.
Sources and Important Notice
The rules in this checker come from the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), 3rd version, April 2025, the joint rule book of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Health Authority, the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Sharjah Health Authority, and from each authority's published application steps. Social care rules come from the Community Development Authority's own service page. We last checked them on 20 October 2026.
This checker gives general information only. It is not a licensing decision, legal advice or a guarantee of any title, exemption or license. The health authority makes every decision after reviewing and verifying your documents, and it can apply other requirements or change its rules. OzaniX Partners is an independent company and is not part of, or endorsed by, any health authority. Confirm your title and requirements with the authority before you pay fees, resign from a job, sign a contract or travel. OzaniX Partners accepts no responsibility for decisions made using this checker.
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