DHA License for Nurses 2026: Requirements, Documents, Fees and Timeline Step by Step
How a registered nurse gets a Dubai Health Authority licence in 2026: eligibility by qualification and experience, the Sheryan file, Dataflow verification, the DHA Prometric nursing exam, fees in USD and AED, and the realistic 8 to 16 week timeline.
Dubai is the single most popular destination for internationally trained nurses in the Gulf, and the Dubai Health Authority licence is the document that opens it. This guide takes a registered nurse from checking eligibility to holding an active DHA practice permit, with the fees, documents and timing as they stand in September 2026. It is written for nurses trained in India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere; the process is the same regardless of nationality, only the attestation route differs.
If you are still deciding between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates, read DHA vs MOHAP vs DOH first. The licence is emirate-specific and does not transfer automatically.
Who is eligible for a DHA nursing licence
DHA licenses nurses under two main titles, and the requirements differ:
| Title | Qualification | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse | BSc Nursing (4 years) or a 3-year diploma such as GNM from a recognised institution | 2 years post-registration clinical experience within the last 5 years for BSc; diploma holders are generally asked for more |
| Assistant Nurse / Nursing Technician | 2-year diploma in nursing or equivalent | 2 years of experience in a hospital setting |
In addition, every applicant needs a current registration with the home-country nursing council, a Good Standing Certificate issued within the last 6 months, and a valid BLS certificate. DHA also requires the experience to be continuous and recent: a gap of more than 2 years usually triggers a request for re-training evidence. The career gap rules guide covers the exceptions.
Not sure which title you fall under? The free eligibility check maps your qualification and experience to the DHA title in about two minutes.
Step 1: Create your Sheryan account
Sheryan is DHA's licensing portal. You create an account with your passport details, choose the profession (Nursing) and title, and upload your documents. This part is free and takes an hour if your documents are ready. Our Sheryan registration guide has screenshots for each screen.
Documents to have scanned as clear colour PDFs before you start:
- Passport bio page (and UAE visa page if you are already resident)
- Passport-size photograph with white background
- Nursing degree or diploma certificate and full transcripts
- Nursing council registration certificate
- Experience certificates on hospital letterhead with exact dates, job title and HR contact details (see the experience certificate format guide, because this is where most files get stuck)
- Good Standing Certificate, dated within 6 months
- BLS certificate
- Updated CV
Step 2: Dataflow primary source verification
DHA does not accept your documents at face value. Dataflow contacts your university, nursing council and previous employers directly to confirm every document is genuine. You pay Dataflow, upload the same documents, and wait. In 2026 the DHA Dataflow package costs about USD 220 to 320 depending on how many documents and countries are involved, and takes 4 to 8 weeks when nothing goes wrong.
What goes wrong: universities that do not reply, employers who have closed, and experience letters whose dates do not match the CV. Read the Dataflow report status guide before you submit, because a "negative" or "insufficient" result costs weeks.
Step 3: DHA assessment and exam eligibility
Once Dataflow clears, DHA reviews your Sheryan file against the title requirements. If it passes, you receive an eligibility letter for the DHA Prometric nursing exam. If DHA decides you qualify for a different title than the one you applied for, you can accept the reclassification or appeal with more evidence.
Step 4: The DHA Prometric exam for nurses
The Registered Nurse paper is 150 single-best-answer MCQs in 3 hours, delivered at any Prometric centre worldwide. You do not need to travel to Dubai; most nurses sit it at home. The pass mark is around 60%. The exam fee is USD 240 to 280 and you book through the Prometric website with your DHA eligibility number.
The syllabus is general adult medical-surgical nursing, fundamentals and patient safety, pharmacology and drug calculation, paediatrics, obstetrics, community health and professional ethics. The DHA exam for nurses guide covers the blueprint in detail, and the practice questions for nurses show the question style. Timed mocks built to the DHA nursing blueprint are on the practice exams page.
Results appear on screen at the end of the exam and are transmitted to DHA within a few days.
Step 5: Licence issuance and activation
With a pass recorded, DHA issues your eligibility to practise. The licence itself is activated when a DHA-registered facility links you as an employee, so at this stage you need a job offer. The facility pays the practice-permit fee and handles the visa. The eligibility remains valid for a period during which you must be linked; check the current validity on Sheryan, because it has changed before.
This is where the GCC medical talent pool is useful: hospitals in Dubai search it for nurses who already hold DHA eligibility, because such candidates can start within weeks instead of months.
DHA nursing licence fees in 2026
| Item | Indicative cost (USD) | Approx. AED |
|---|---|---|
| Sheryan account | Free | Free |
| Dataflow PSV report | 220 to 320 | 810 to 1,175 |
| DHA Prometric nursing exam | 240 to 280 | 880 to 1,030 |
| DHA eligibility and licence issuance | 270 to 410 | 990 to 1,505 |
| Facility linking / practice permit | Employer-paid | Employer-paid |
| Total out of pocket | 730 to 1,010 | 2,680 to 3,710 |
Add attestation, translation and courier costs in your home country, which vary widely. The licence fee calculator gives a personalised total in your own currency.
Realistic timeline
- Sheryan file and uploads: 1 to 3 days
- Dataflow verification: 4 to 8 weeks (the longest step)
- DHA assessment and eligibility letter: 1 to 2 weeks
- Booking and sitting the Prometric exam: 2 to 4 weeks
- Licence issuance after a pass: 1 to 2 weeks
Total: 8 to 16 weeks from a complete file to an active licence, assuming a job offer is in hand for the final step. Nurses who start Dataflow before they have an offer, and who prepare for the exam while it runs, consistently finish fastest.
Common reasons DHA nursing files are delayed
- Experience letters without exact dates or HR contact details. Dataflow cannot verify them and marks the document insufficient.
- Good Standing Certificate older than 6 months by the time DHA reviews the file. Request it after Dataflow is well under way, not at the start.
- Applying under Registered Nurse with a diploma and under 2 years of experience. DHA reclassifies to Assistant Nurse; check the tier first.
- Booking the exam before eligibility is issued. Prometric will not accept the booking without a DHA eligibility ID.
- Career gaps over 2 years without a re-training certificate.
The rejection reasons guide goes deeper on each of these.
Looking for a hospital job in the Gulf? Register once in the GCC medical talent pool and our placement team matches your profile against live vacancies at partner hospitals in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait. Profiles are reviewed within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a DHA nursing licence without experience?
Not as a Registered Nurse. DHA requires two years of post-registration experience for the RN title. Fresh graduates should read the no-experience routes guide, which covers the options that do exist.
Is IELTS required for a DHA nursing licence?
DHA does not require IELTS or OET for nurses whose education was in English, but many employers do. The English requirements guide lists what each authority and typical employer asks for.
Can I sit the DHA nursing exam in India, Pakistan or the Philippines?
Yes. Once DHA issues your eligibility you can book any Prometric centre worldwide. See the test centres guide for locations.
How long is the DHA eligibility letter valid?
The eligibility to sit the exam and the eligibility to practise each have a validity window set by DHA. Check the current period on Sheryan when your letter is issued, and read what to do if eligibility expires if you are close to the limit.
Does a DHA licence let me work in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah?
No. Abu Dhabi requires a DOH licence and Sharjah facilities fall under SHA or MOHAP. Verified Dataflow data can be transferred between authorities, which shortens the second application. See licence transfer between UAE authorities.
What salary can a DHA-licensed nurse expect?
In 2026, a registered nurse with 3 to 5 years of experience in a private Dubai hospital typically earns AED 5,000 to 10,000 per month tax free, often with housing, flights and medical insurance on top. The salary calculator adjusts for experience and sector.
Practice banks for this exam
Chapter-wise MCQs with written reasoning on every question, and timed mocks at the real pass mark.