To get a DHA license as a foreign-trained GP, you complete five steps. First, create a Sheryan account and run the free Self-Assessment Tool. After that, check your paperwork in DataFlow. Then pass the DHA General Practice exam at Prometric, unless you qualify for an exemption. After that, apply to Get Registered. Last, a Dubai employer activates your registration into a license.
You need a 5-year medical degree, a 1-year internship and 2 years of clinical experience. Passing the exam gives you a registration. It does not let you practice. You can treat patients only when your license shows as Active.
DHA license process for GPs at a glance
The path has five steps, and two of them overlap. You can run DataFlow and the exam at the same time. Get Registered needs your DataFlow result first.
| Step |
Where |
Official Time |
Approximate Cost |
| 1. Self-Assessment |
Sheryan |
Instant |
Free |
| 2. DataFlow Verification |
DataFlow Portal |
15 working days |
AED 1,000 to 1,250 |
| 3. GP Exam |
Prometric |
Result shown instantly |
USD 280 |
| 4. Get Registered |
Sheryan |
About 5 working days |
About AED 200 |
| 5. License Activation |
Your employer, through Sheryan |
Instant to 1 working day |
AED 3,000 per year |
Fees and times come from DHA's own pages. Confirm every amount on Sheryan before you pay.
Do I qualify for the DHA GP title?
Yes, if you finished a medical degree of at least 5 years, completed a 1-year internship, and worked 2 years as a clinician after that. All these will be verified against the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR). Your medical school has to be accredited in the country where it is located.
Degree
at least 5 years of study, not counting the internship.
Internship
12 months after graduation. No proof of internship means 2 extra years of experience.
Experience
2 years of paid, hands-on clinical work after the internship.
Experience in these areas counts toward the GP title:
Accepted area
- Cardiology
- Critical care
- Emergency medicine
- Family medicine
- Internal medicine
- Obstetrics and gynecology
- Pediatrics
- General surgery
Problems to check before you apply
Under 2 years of experience
DHA may add a trainee restriction to your registration.
A break in practice
With a gap of 3 years or more means extra CME credits and training. Non-UAE nationals generally are not allowed to apply after a gap above 5 years.
Old paperwork
Your Good Standing Certificate must be no older than 6 months on the day you apply.
Exam exemption
A valid license from another UAE health authority for the same title can exempt you. Certain international licensing exams and registrations can too, and PQR chapter six lists them. An exemption never skips DataFlow or the experience rule.
Step 1: Create your Sheryan account and run the self-assessment
Sheryan is DHA's online licensing system. Every application starts there. Register with a DHA username or UAE PASS, then open the free Self-Assessment Tool.
The tool gives an instant result. It names your title and tells you whether you need a computer-based test or an oral assessment.
- Use a laptop with Chrome or Firefox. Dropdown menus can fail on other setups.
- Type your name exactly as it appears on your passport.
- Disagree with an “ineligible” result? Apply for Review Registration Eligibility. DHA's credentialing team checks your documents by hand, and the service has a fee.
- Reply to DHA messages fast. After 3 months of silence, DHA can reject your application and keep your fee.
- Upload a legal translation for any document not in Arabic or English. Add the original too.
Step 2: Get your documents verified through DataFlow
Primary source verification (PSV) means DataFlow Group contacts your university, past employers, and medical council to confirm your papers are real. DHA says a new report requires 15 working days from the payment date. A DataFlow report never expires.
| What DataFlow checks |
What slows it down |
| Degree and transcripts |
The university answers slowly |
| Internship certificate |
Missing or unsigned |
| Experience letters |
Dates differ from your CV |
| Home country license or registration |
Validity does not cover your full experience |
| Good Standing Certificate |
Older than 6 months |
How the process works
1
Register on the DataFlow DHA portal with the same name, email, and DHA ID you used on Sheryan.
2
Give consent in the Letter of Authorization section, then create a new case.
3
Choose the package for your profession, upload clear scans and pay.
4
Track your case number on DataFlow's status page.
Already hold a report from another UAE authority? Transfer it for AED 300. The transfer takes about 5 working days. If DHA asks for a new document later, open a new case for it.
The 15 working days is the standard. Slow universities and hospitals stretch it. Ask for your letters and certificates early, because chasing them eats more time than any form.
DHA does not list the DataFlow fee in its FAQ. Expect roughly AED 1,000 to 1,250 for doctors. The exact amount shows when you pay.
Step 3: Pass the DHA General Practice exam
The DHA GP exam is a computer-based test with 150 multiple-choice questions. You need 60% to pass. It lasts about 3 hours, and you can sit it at any Prometric center in the world.
DHA GP exam facts
| Detail |
GP exam |
| Questions |
150 multiple-choice |
| Time |
About 3 hours |
| Pass score |
60% |
| Fee |
USD 280 (about AED 1,030) |
| Language |
English only |
| Result |
Pass or Fail, shown instantly. DHA does not share your score |
| ID on exam day |
Original passport or national ID |
How to book
Sheryan gives you a DHA Unique ID. Use it to produce an Eligibility ID. Then book your slot on Prometric's DHA page. You can book while DataFlow is still running.
Attempts and retakes
- You get 3 attempts across all UAE health authorities. A fail in Abu Dhabi counts here too.
- Many websites claim a 30 to 90 day wait between attempts. DHA's own FAQ lists none.
- Each attempt costs the full USD 280.
- After 3 fails, the PQR allows limited extras. You may get one final attempt with another authority. You may also earn 3 new attempts after a new qualification or 2 more years of clinical work. Ask DHA before you plan around either.
- You can appeal a result by letter to DHA within 1 month.
How to prepare
The exam is the one step where you can fail. A fail costs USD 280 and burns one of your three tries. Start studying while DataFlow runs, because waiting for your report wastes weeks you could spend on questions.
Cover the core GP areas: internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and ethics. Practice timed MCQs. At 150 questions in about 3 hours, you get roughly 70 seconds for each one.
Some doctors study alone, and that works for many. Others want a plan and someone to spot weak areas. DHA exam coaching fills that gap. The MOKSH Academy DHA GP coaching program runs 5 months. It includes live classes, weekly tests, one-to-one mentoring, and help with Sheryan and DataFlow. No coach can guarantee a pass. Your result depends on your own work and on DHA's current rules.
Step 4: Apply to Get Registered
Get Registered is the Sheryan application that turns your DataFlow result and exam pass into a DHA registration. Submit it after both are done.
- Link your self-assessment result, upload your documents, and pay about AED 200 plus small system fees.
- Processing averages about 5 working days.
- DHA may ask for an oral assessment. A panel interviews you for 30 to 45 minutes, in Dubai or online.
- Approval lists you in the Dubai Medical Registry. Your registration remains valid for 1 year.
Registration is proof of eligibility. It is not a license. Some people call it the DHA eligibility letter, and it lets employers hire you.
Step 5: Get a job offer and activate your license
Only a DHA-licensed facility can turn your registration into a license. The facility applies through its Sheryan account. You agree the request in your account. DHA then issues your eLicense, either immediately or within 1 working day.
Before it can apply, the facility wants:
- an active facility license that covers your specialty,
- valid medical malpractice insurance that covers you.
A one-year physician license costs about AED 3,000. Check your offer letter to see who pays.
Your registration lasts 1 year. No job by then? Renew it in the last 3 months before it expires. An expired registration sends you back to the Self-Assessment Tool.
Do not treat patients until your license shows Active.
How much does a DHA license cost and how long does it take?
A GP pays roughly AED 2,300 to 2,600 before activation, assuming one exam attempt. DHA and DataFlow need about 5 to 8 weeks to process a clean file. That time estimate is approximate.
| Item |
Approximate cost |
| Self-Assessment Tool |
Free |
| DataFlow verification |
AED 1,000 to 1,250 |
| Exam, one attempt |
USD 280 (about AED 1,030) |
| Get Registered |
About AED 200 |
| Total before activation |
About AED 2,300 to 2,600 |
| License activation, 1 year |
AED 3,000, usually through the employer |
| Each retake |
USD 280 |
The published times stack up like this:
- DataFlow: 15 working days, about 3 weeks.
- Exam: runs at the same time, with an instant result.
- Get Registered: about 5 working days.
- Optional eligibility review: about 10 working days.
- Activation: instant to 1 working day after your employer applies.
Exam preparation and your job search add time that DHA does not control.
Mistakes that delay or sink a DHA application
- An old Good Standing Certificate. DHA wants it under 6 months old.
- Name mismatches across your passport, Sheryan, DataFlow, and Prometric.
- Experience letters with dates that clash with your CV.
- A late DataFlow start. Slow institutions hold up every step after it.
- Booking the exam before you prepare. One fail uses one of three attempts.
- Believing a pass lets you work. Only an Active license does.
- Ignoring DHA messages. Three silent months can end your application.
- Skipping translations for papers not in Arabic or English.
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