SHA Healthcare Professional License Sharjah: Steps and Fees
Short answer: The SHA healthcare professional license is mandatory in Sharjah: a doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist or allied health professional needs a Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) professional license before treating patients. The process has two parts: an assessment certificate that verifies your qualifications and experience, and then the professional license itself, which the hiring facility applies for through the SHA portal. SHA lists 8 working days for each.
Last verified: October 2026 against SHA’s own service pages. SHA is updating its services, so confirm fees and requirements on the SHA portal before you apply.
Key Takeaways
- The facility applies for your license, not you. The hiring facility’s Healthcare Facility Representative Officer submits it, and the facility license must be valid and active.
- The assessment certificate is a verification step only. It does not let you practice.
- License fees depend on category, from about AED 1,000 for full-time nurses, pharmacists and allied health staff up to about AED 3,000 for full-time physicians and dentists.
- Full-time and part-time licenses are valid for one year. Renewal needs CME or CPD points, valid malpractice insurance and BLS or ACLS evidence.
- Your practice gap must not exceed three years. Longer gaps need an accredited training program first.
Step 1: Healthcare Professional Assessment
This service gives you an assessment certificate for a health professional title, based on your education and experience. SHA reviews the application and documents, and where an exam is required you must complete it before the certificate is issued.
Fees
| Category | Assessment Fee (AED) |
|---|---|
| Physicians, dentists and TCIM practitioners | About 500 |
| Allied health, TCIM therapists, nursing and midwives, pharmacists | About 300 |
You may also pay application, review, data flow and exam fees where they apply.
Requirements
- Qualifications must be accredited and from a recognized institution.
- Your practice gap must not exceed three years.
- Documents must be in Arabic or English, or legally translated into one of them.
- If an exam is required you must accept the disclaimer and declare your previous attempts with other UAE health authorities.
Documents
- Valid passport and Emirates ID copies.
- Recent primary source verification (data flow) reports and any exam exemption documents.
- Academic qualification, plus transcript or marksheet if required.
- Internship completion certificate for GPs, dental GPs and TCIM practitioners.
- Copy of current license, recent work experience certificate and Certificate of Good Standing from the current licensing authority, where applicable.
- Residency training program documents, if applicable.
- Surgical logbook for the last two years, for surgical specialties only.
Turnaround for the application review is 8 working days. SHA does not state how long the certificate remains valid. Anyone listed in the UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR) can apply.
Step 2: SHA Healthcare Professional License
This is the license that authorizes you to work in an SHA licensed facility. The facility’s representative logs in to the SHA portal, enters your information, uploads the documents and pays the fee. SHA then issues the license under that facility’s name and generates an eLicense and a professional card.
Conditions
- The facility license is valid and active.
- You hold a valid assessment certificate.
- Practice gap not more than 3 years. If longer, the license is granted only after completing a required accredited training program under PQR standards.
- A trainee license needs a facility approved as a training site.
Documents
- Offer letter.
- Medical malpractice insurance. It is mandatory to activate the license and can be submitted within 14 days of approval.
- No objection letter from your full-time facility, for part-time applications.
- Pledge letter from the facility, for temporary or visiting applications.
- Physical and mental health report, for professionals over 60.
License Fees and Validity
| License Type | Category | Fee Range (AED) | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | Nursing, pharmacists, allied health, TCIM therapists, trainees | 1,000 range | 1 year |
| Full-time | Physicians, dentists, TCIM practitioners | 3,000 range | 1 year |
| Part-time | All categories | 4,000 range, paid annually | 1 year |
| Visitor | Physicians, dentists, TCIM practitioners | 2,000 range | 2 months |
| Temporary | As approved by SHA | Not published on the service page | 3 months per the license page |
Other License Types
- Part-time license: for a professional who holds a permanent license at another SHA facility. SHA lists an annual fee in the AED 4,000 range and 5 working days. You need an employment contract or offer, the full-time license copy, malpractice insurance, a no objection letter from the sending facility and a commitment letter. The part-time license stays suspended until the hiring facility receives its final license.
- Temporary license: for urgent employment, or while a professional completes the requirements for a permanent license. SHA lists 3 working days. You need a recent work experience certificate, a recent security clearance from the last country of work, a good conduct certificate from the licensing authority and a letter explaining the request. The professional must not be blacklisted.
Renewing Your SHA License
- The facility renews on your behalf. SHA lists 8 working days.
- Full-time and part-time licenses can be renewed up to three months before expiry.
- You need the minimum annual CME or CPD points required by the PQR, with a recent certificate of the hours completed.
- Documents: valid Emirates ID, BLS or ACLS certificate, medical malpractice insurance, surgical logbook (surgical specialties) and a health report for professionals over 60.
- Outstanding fines must be paid. Penalties apply per month of delay, and SHA does not state the amount on the service page.
- Renewal fees match the license fees in the table above.
Transferring Between Sharjah Facilities
You can move your license between SHA licensed facilities, and the transfer does not affect your license validity. SHA lists a fee in the AED 500 range and 8 working days. The destination facility must hold an active license, you must hold an active full-time or part-time license (temporary and visiting licenses cannot transfer), and the sending facility must keep its minimum required staffing. You need an offer letter, malpractice insurance, a BLS or other life support certificate, a no objection letter from your full-time facility and a valid Emirates ID.
If you transfer a full-time license, your part-time license is cancelled after 30 days unless the part-time facility provides an updated no objection letter from the new full-time facility. SHA’s service index lists transfer as being implemented with email applications, so confirm the current channel with SHA.
Good Standing Certificate
If you are moving to another country or authority, you can request a Good Standing Certificate from SHA. It costs roughly AED 400 to 750 depending on whether you choose normal processing (8 working days) or urgent processing (2 working days), and is valid for 6 months. You need an experience letter from an SHA licensed facility, signed by the medical director and stamped, stating that no disciplinary action was taken and no offence was committed. You must have held a full-time license. Interns and trainees are not eligible.
Where Clinics and Clinicians Get Stuck
- Applying before the facility license is active, which blocks the professional license.
- Practice gaps over three years that were not declared early.
- Documents in a language that needs legal translation, or primary source verification reports that are out of date.
- Malpractice insurance not arranged within the 14 day window, so the license cannot be activated.
- Late renewals because the CME hours certificate or BLS card has expired.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Can I work in Sharjah with a DHA or DOH license?
Not directly. SHA issues its own professional license under the hiring facility’s name. If you hold a license elsewhere, SHA asks for it, your Certificate of Good Standing and your verification reports as part of the assessment, and an exam may or may not be required depending on your case. Confirm your route with SHA.
Who applies for the license, me or the clinic?
The clinic. The facility’s representative officer submits the license application and pays the fee through the SHA portal, using your documents.
How long does the SHA professional license take?
SHA lists 8 working days for the assessment and 8 working days for the license, plus time for any exam and for document verification.
How long is the license valid?
Full-time and part-time licenses are valid for one year. Visiting licenses are valid for two months and temporary licenses for three months.
Does the assessment certificate let me practice?
No. SHA states the assessment certificate is only an initial verification step. You may practice only after receiving the official SHA professional license.
Do I need malpractice insurance?
Yes. It is mandatory to activate the license and for every renewal.
Where This Comes From.
How OzaniX Partners Can Help.
For clinic owners hiring in Sharjah, we manage the facility side: licensing the clinic, preparing each clinician’s file, tracking license and CME renewals so nothing lapses, and setting up payroll and insurance budgets. See licensing and regulatory advisory, healthcare HR services or book a discovery call.
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