The exemption is only ever from the exam
“The scope of the exemption is limited to Licensure examination and does not apply to any other requirements.” Credentialing, experience, primary source verification and good standing all still apply in full.
Exam equivalency criteria
DHA Exam Exemption and Equivalency
DHA does accept some international examinations in place of its own. It accepts them far more narrowly than most sites suggest: PLAB I and II, USMLE Part III, each against one specific title, with four conditions attached. Here is the published table, unedited.
- Verbatim From the PQR
- Every Condition Listed
- What Is Not Named
- Checked 30 August 2026
VerbatimDHA's own wording
17 sectionsAll of Chapter Six
4 conditionsOn every exemption
Gaps namedIncluding MRCP
Read this before the tables
Why This Page Did Not Exist Until Now
DHA links its exam equivalency policy from the Mode of Exam page. That link points at a staging server, loginstg.dha.gov.ae:8090, which does not resolve for the public, and the production copy timed out on every earlier attempt to open it. With no reachable DHA source, this site published nothing on exemptions — while other sites filled the gap with “pass USMLE and you are exempt”.
That was worth being careful about. Someone who believes they are exempt stops preparing for an examination they may still have to sit. The document has now been read from its working production address, and what follows is what it says.
The single most repeated error. DHA names USMLE Part III, not USMLE. It names PLAB I and II, not PLAB. And it names both only against the General Practitioner title.
The conditions on every exemption
Five Rules That Apply Whatever Your Exam
Five rules govern every exemption below. They are the reason a bare “I passed USMLE” is not an exemption.
Your title has to match the table
“The professional title mentioned in the equivalent examinations, licenses or certificates listed in the tables below must match the requested title.” An exemption listed under General Practitioner does not carry to a specialist application.
A gap of practice cancels it
“Examination exemptions criteria does not apply to healthcare professionals exceeding three (3) years of gap of practice” — excluding UAE nationals and Children of Emirati Women who have completed the Discontinuity of Practice requirements.
There is a five-year clock where none is printed
“The equivalency examinations listed in the tables below must be valid upon licensure application (If the document does not state a validity, it shall be accepted within five (5) years from the date of issuance).”
Each authority can still ask for more
“Additional equivalency requirements may be applied at the discretion of each Authority.” The PQR is the shared floor, not the final word for DHA, MOHAP, DOH or SHA.
Sources: UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025
Checked 30 August 2026. DHA states each authority may apply additional equivalency requirements at its own discretion.
General Practitioner
What DHA Accepts in Place of Its Exam
This is the table behind almost every claim you will read about PLAB and USMLE. Note what it actually says: PLAB I and II, not PLAB; USMLE Part III, not USMLE.
| Country | What DHA accepts | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Both parts of the Australian Medical Council Examination (MCQ and Clinical examination), or graduation from an AMC-accredited medical course in Australia | AMC |
| Canada | Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada | LMCC |
| Ireland | Pre-Registration Examination System, both parts (MCQ and OSCE); or graduation from an Irish Medical Council accredited course; or both parts of PRES with a valid General registration | PRES / GMCIe |
| New Zealand | New Zealand Registration Examination, or graduation from a New Zealand Medical Council accredited course | NZREX |
| UAE | Proof of passing the Emirates Medical Residency Entrance Examination | EMREE |
| UK | Valid PLAB I and II; or graduation from a GMC-accredited UK course (UK graduates only); or valid GMC registration where the PLAB passes are older than five years | PLAB I and II |
| USA | Proof of passing United States Medical Licensing Examination Part III | USMLE Part III |
Sources: UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025
Checked 30 August 2026. An exemption covers the licensure examination only. Every other requirement still applies.
Nurses and Midwives
The NCLEX Route, and the Licence Route
NCLEX is named, and it is the only examination named for this category. There is also a licence-based route from twenty countries, and an English requirement attached to both.
| Country | What DHA accepts | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| USA, Canada or Australia | Proof of successfully completed National Council Licensure Examination | NCLEX |
A second route exempts holders of a valid licence and good standing certificate from twenty listed countries — Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA — provided the qualification is within three years or there is no gap of practice since the last day of employment. Where studies were not in English, DHA requires TOEFL 500, IELTS 5.0, OET grade C or Cambridge 169.
Sources: UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025
Checked 30 August 2026. An exemption covers the licensure examination only. Every other requirement still applies.
Consultants and specialists
Two Routes, Neither of Them an Exam
These two categories exempt on certificates and career history rather than on any examination. Both sections are worded identically.
Route one: a Tier 1 certificate from a listed country
Twenty-two are listed: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Emirati Board, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, South Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA.
Route two: all six conditions, together
A recognised Tier 2 certificate; sub-specialty training in a recognised specialty; more than ten years in the specialty including two years in teaching hospitals in a senior position; work with a team responsible for academic training programmes; a valid licence in good conduct standing; and clinical publications, clinical research programmes or international conferences in the specialty.
Sources: UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025
Checked 30 August 2026. DHA states each authority may apply additional equivalency requirements at its own discretion.
The rest of Chapter Six
Fourteen More Titles Have Their Own Tables
Chapter Six runs to seventeen sections. Beyond the four above, each of these has its own country list, its own named examinations, or both.
General Dentist names the UK Overseas Registration Exam, which DHA states must not be older than five years, alongside the Canadian and New Zealand dental board examinations. Pharmacists have a UAE route through the Emirates Pharmacy Residency Entry Examination. Physiotherapists have a USA route through the National Physical Therapy Examination.
What DHA does not say
Named Nowhere in the Document
What the document does not say matters as much as what it does.
MRCP is not named anywhere
The Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians does not appear once in the 151-page document. Sites listing it as an exemption are not quoting DHA.
USMLE Steps 1 and 2 are not an exemption
The table names Part III specifically. Passing earlier steps alone is not what DHA has published.
There is no TCIM equivalency section
None of the seventeen sections covers Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, so no exemption route is published for those titles.
DHA's own link to this document is broken
The Mode of Exam page links the PQR at a staging host, loginstg.dha.gov.ae:8090, which does not resolve for the public. The production copy works and is what is transcribed here.
Sources: UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025
Checked 30 August 2026. DHA states each authority may apply additional equivalency requirements at its own discretion.
Prepare carefully
Common Mistakes About Exemptions
Reading “USMLE” as any step
DHA names Part III. Steps 1 and 2 on their own are not the published exemption.
Assuming it carries across titles
The exemption sits against one title. DHA requires the title on your certificate to match the title you apply for.
Thinking it covers the whole application
It covers the examination only. Verification, experience and good standing are unaffected.
Ignoring the practice gap
More than three years out of practice and the exemption criteria stop applying to you at all.
Letting the certificate age out
Where no validity is printed on it, DHA accepts it for five years from issuance and no longer.
Treating it as automatic
Each authority may add its own requirements at its discretion. Meeting the table is not the same as being granted the exemption.
Continue your preparation
Related Guidance
Exemption FAQs
Questions About DHA Exam Exemptions
Does passing USMLE exempt me from the DHA exam?
Only USMLE Part III, and only for the General Practitioner title. DHA's table names "United States Medical Licensing Examination Part III" specifically. Passing Steps 1 and 2 alone is not what DHA has published as an exemption, and an exemption granted for General Practitioner does not carry across to a specialist application.
Does PLAB exempt me from the DHA exam?
Valid PLAB I and II do, for the General Practitioner title. DHA also accepts graduation from a GMC-accredited UK course for UK graduates only, and valid GMC registration where the PLAB passes are more than five years old.
Is NCLEX accepted by DHA?
Yes, for Nurses and Midwives. DHA names the National Council Licensure Examination taken in the USA, Canada or Australia. It is the only examination named for this category.
Does MRCP exempt me from the DHA exam?
DHA does not name it. The Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians does not appear anywhere in the 151-page PQR document, including in the Consultant and Specialist Physician sections. We will not tell you it exempts you when DHA has not said so.
What does an exemption actually exempt me from?
The licensure examination, and nothing else. DHA states the scope "does not apply to any other requirements" — credentialing, the experience requirement, primary source verification and good standing all still apply in full.
Can a gap in practice cancel my exemption?
Yes. DHA states the exemption criteria do not apply to professionals exceeding three years of gap of practice, excluding UAE nationals and Children of Emirati Women who have completed the Discontinuity of Practice requirements.
How long is my exam result valid for an exemption?
It must be valid when you apply. Where the document itself states no validity period, DHA accepts it within five years from the date of issuance.
Do consultants and specialists sit the exam?
They can be exempted, but not through an examination. Both categories exempt on a Tier 1 specialty certificate from one of twenty-two listed countries, or on meeting all six of a second set of conditions covering Tier 2 certification, sub-specialty training, ten years of practice, academic training work, good standing and published research.
Is there an exemption route for TCAM or TCIM titles?
No. Chapter Six has seventeen equivalency sections and none of them covers Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine. There is no published exemption route for those titles.
Is the exemption automatic if I meet the criteria?
Not necessarily. DHA states that "additional equivalency requirements may be applied at the discretion of each Authority". The PQR is a shared floor across DHA, MOHAP, DOH and SHA, not the final word for any one of them.
Why is this so hard to find on DHA's own site?
Because the link DHA publishes for it points at a staging server that does not resolve for the public. The document is reachable at its production address, which is what this page is transcribed from and links to.
Can UAEHealthPro tell me whether I qualify?
We can show you what DHA published against your title and tell you which conditions your profile clearly meets or clearly fails. Whether an exemption is granted is DHA's decision, made under its own discretion.
Before you stop preparing
Not Sure Whether Your Exam Counts?
Send us the title you are applying for and the examination you hold. We will show you what DHA published against that title and which of the four conditions your profile meets. If the honest answer is that you still have an exam to sit, that is the answer you will get.
Disclaimer: UAEHealthPro is an independent consultancy. We are not a government authority and we do not grant, assess or influence exemptions. Everything on this page is transcribed from the UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements dated April 2025 and read on 30 August 2026. DHA states each authority may apply additional requirements at its own discretion — confirm your own position with DHA before you change how you are preparing.
Read the PQR equivalency criteria