Medical professionals
Doctors moving to Dubai
For GMC-registered doctors and specialists. The DHA route, exam exemptions, the documents to attest, where hospitals and polyclinics hire, and the visa routes. Last reviewed 22 October 2026.
A GMC-registered doctor can typically obtain a DHA licence in 8 to 16 weeks: documents attested in the UK, DataFlow verification, an assessment unless exempt, an eligibility letter, then activation by the hospital or clinic that hires you. Specialists are often exempt from the exam. The DHA is the authority; last reviewed 22 October 2026.
How does a UK doctor get a DHA licence?
Attest documents in the UK
MBBS or MBChB, specialist certificates (CCT, MRCP, FRCS and so on), GMC certificate of good standing under six months old, and family certificates: FCDO, UAE Embassy, then Arabic translation and notarisation in the UAE.
Register on Sheryan
Choose the title that matches your GMC registration (general practitioner, specialist or consultant) on the DHA Sheryan portal, upload documents, pay the application fee.
DataFlow verification
DataFlow verifies degree, postgraduate qualifications and GMC registration. Two to four weeks is typical.
Assessment, if required
Specialists on the GMC specialist register are often exempt; others sit the Prometric exam or an oral assessment under the DHA's current criteria.
Eligibility letter
Valid for a year; take it to interviews.
Facility activation
The hospital or clinic uploads your contract and malpractice cover and the DHA activates your licence under its name.
Visa and Emirates ID
Medical fitness test, biometrics, visa stamp, Emirates ID.
Sources: DHA Sheryan professional licensing guidance, DataFlow, Prometric. Reviewed 22 October 2026. Timelines are typical, not promised; the regulator decides.
What documents will I need?
- Passport with at least six months' validity
- Primary medical degree and transcript, attested
- Postgraduate and specialist certificates, attested
- GMC certificate of good standing, issued within the last six months
- Experience letters covering the post-internship years required for your title
- Basic or advanced life support certificate
- CV with photo
- DataFlow report and assessment result, once obtained
- Attested marriage and birth certificates if family are coming
Where do doctors work in Dubai?
Hospital groups cluster in Dubai Healthcare City and Oud Metha, Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim, Al Barsha and Al Garhoud, and Dubai Hills; polyclinics and day-surgery centres are spread across Business Bay, Jumeirah, JLT and Dubai Marina, and the newer suburbs. The DHA regulates mainland Dubai; the Dubai Healthcare City free zone has its own authority. Groups with international accreditation tend to run in-house licensing teams, which shortens the process.
What should I ask before I sign?
- Basic salary, any productivity element and how it is calculated.
- Who pays licensing, DataFlow, assessment and visa costs, and any clawback.
- Malpractice cover named in the contract.
- On-call expectations and the working week.
- Health insurance level for you and your family; school fee support if offered.
- Probation and notice periods in both directions.
- Whether your licence sits with one branch or the group.
Where would I live?
Rent first, buy later is the usual order. The area guides describe twelve communities for medical professionals with commute notes; for current rent and price figures I pull DLD and DXB Interact data on the call and date it in your written summary. If you are considering buying at AED 2 million or more, read the Golden Visa page first.
What is the next step?
Book a 30-minute call. We go through your licence position, your timeline and your housing budget, and you get a written summary within 48 hours. The doctor relocation pack is free with your email in the free packs section.
Questions people ask
Do GMC-registered doctors need the Prometric exam?
Often not. Doctors on the GMC specialist register with a current licence to practise are frequently exempt from the DHA assessment under the DHA's exemption criteria; some general practitioners and those without specialist registration do sit it. The current criteria on Sheryan decide, and they change.
How long does DHA licensing take for a doctor?
Typically 8 to 16 weeks from Sheryan registration to an activated licence, with DataFlow verification the slowest step. Hospital groups with in-house licensing teams tend to move faster. Reviewed 22 October 2026.
Can I work in Abu Dhabi on a DHA licence?
No. Abu Dhabi is the Department of Health (DoH) and the northern emirates are MOHAP; each has its own process. Choose the emirate before you choose the regulator.
Is there a Golden Visa route for doctors other than property?
Yes. The ICP's specialised-talent category includes doctors and specialists, subject to criteria that involve your licence and an accreditation from the health authority. Eligibility is set by the ICP and confirmed at application; the property route at AED 2 million is the one I broker. See the Golden Visa page.
Can my spouse work in Dubai?
Yes, but on their own work permit; a dependant visa gives residence, not employment. A spouse who is also a clinician starts their own licensing in parallel.
What is a typical doctor's contract like?
A fixed basic with or without a productivity element, health insurance for you and usually family, an annual flight allowance, 30 days' leave, and end-of-service gratuity under UAE labour law. Housing allowances are rarer than they were; ask. I do not publish salary figures because none I have seen carries a reliable source.
Figures are indicative, dated and sourced where shown; they are not advice and not a guarantee. Dubaiesque is a broker, not a tax, legal, immigration or financial adviser. Take independent advice before you commit.
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A 30-minute call, a written summary within 48 hours, no obligation.