DHA Sheryan Self-Assessment Tool: How to Use It, What the Result Means, Why It Says Not Eligible and What to Do Next Before You Pay for DataFlow (2026)
The Sheryan self-assessment is the free first step of a DHA licence: you enter your profession, qualification and experience and it tells you which title you appear to qualify for. This guide explains how to fill it in, how to read the result, the five reasons it returns 'not eligible', and what to do before paying for DataFlow.
Short answer: Sheryan is the Dubai Health Authority's online licensing system. Its self-assessment tool asks a few questions about your training and experience and returns the professional title you appear to meet the requirements for. It is free, it takes about ten minutes, and it should be done before you pay for anything.
What you need before you start
- The exact name of your qualification as printed on the certificate, the awarding institution and country, and the length of the programme in years
- Dates of your internship, where your profession requires one
- Your registration or licence number with your home council
- Employment dates for the last few years, with the type of facility and your job title
How to use the tool
- Create a Sheryan account with your passport details (Sheryan registration guide).
- Open the self-assessment from the professional licensing services.
- Choose your category — physician, dentist, nurse or midwife, allied health, or traditional and complementary medicine — and then the title you are applying for.
- Enter your qualification, the country of training and its duration.
- Enter your experience after qualification and the date you last practised.
- Submit. The result appears on screen.
Reading the result
- Eligible for the title you chose — proceed to primary source verification through DataFlow, then the exam.
- Eligible for a different title — usually a lower one, for example Assistant Nurse rather than Registered Nurse, or General Practitioner rather than Specialist. This tells you how DHA is likely to classify the qualification.
- Not eligible — one of the requirements is not met on the information entered.
The result is indicative. It is generated from what you typed, not from your documents. The binding decision comes after DataFlow verifies the documents and a DHA assessor reviews the file. A favourable self-assessment followed by a rejection is nearly always a mismatch between what was entered and what the certificates say.
Five reasons it says "not eligible"
- Too little experience. Most titles require two years of recent experience after qualification; internship does not count towards it.
- A gap in practice. If you have not practised for more than about two years, additional requirements apply (gap rules).
- Qualification length. A programme shorter than the minimum for the title — a two-year diploma entered against a title that needs a degree (GNM and diploma nurses).
- Wrong title selected. Choosing Specialist with a qualification that DHA places at a lower tier (recognition guide).
- No home registration. A valid licence or registration in the country where you practise is required, with a good standing certificate later in the process (guide).
What to do with each outcome
- Eligible: start DataFlow. Upload documents that match what you entered, word for word (DataFlow guide, experience certificate format).
- Lower title: decide whether to accept it. A licence at the lower title gets you into Dubai and earning, and you can apply to upgrade when you meet the requirement.
- Not eligible through experience: wait and keep working, or look at routes open to new graduates (fresh graduate routes).
- Not eligible for DHA at all: requirements differ between authorities. Our eligibility check compares every Gulf authority at once.
What comes after
DataFlow takes four to eight weeks. When the report is positive you apply for the assessment, book the Prometric exam and receive the eligibility letter after a pass. Costs at each step are in the DHA fee guide; the whole route is on the DHA page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sheryan self-assessment free?
Yes. Creating the account and running the self-assessment cost nothing. Fees start at primary source verification.
Is the self-assessment result final?
No. It is an indication based on the information you enter. The decision is made after your documents are verified and reviewed by DHA.
Why does Sheryan say I am not eligible?
The common reasons are less than two years of experience, a gap in practice, a qualification shorter than the title requires, selecting the wrong title, or no valid home registration.
Can I repeat the self-assessment?
Yes. You can run it again with a different title or corrected information.
Do I need the self-assessment before DataFlow?
It is the sensible order. Running it first avoids paying for verification towards a title you will not be given.
Practice banks for this exam
Chapter-wise MCQs with written reasoning on every question, and timed mocks at the real pass mark.