Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine
DHA licenses traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM, also called TCAM or T&CM) title by title. The PQR sets the degree and two years of practice for most titles; DHA's September 2026 guideline has a CBT for five of them, and the rest go to an oral assessment.
From training to an intended role
A qualification certificate, an assessment result and permission to provide a service answer different questions. Keep the evidence for each decision identifiable.
This is an application-planning guide, not a determination of eligibility or permitted practice. The dated title, CBT and historical scope references appear separately below.
The PQR lists fourteen TCIM titles (DHA's August 2026 exam lookup listed fifteen). A licensed physician holds a TCIM title as an extended scope on the physician licence, not as a separate licence (PQR 19.1.2).
| Title | Qualification | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture Practitioner | BSc of Acupuncture Medicine, five years including internship — or an accredited two-year programme with 2,500 teaching hours or NCCAOM certification | 2 years; 3 years on the shorter programme route |
| Ayurveda Practitioner | BAMS or equivalent, five years full-time including internship, with 4,500 hours of theory and practice plus 1,000 hours of internship | 2 years; 4 years on the three-to-four-year programme route |
| Ayurveda Massage Therapist | Minimum 500 hours of classes, or a one-year course in Ayurveda Massage | 2 years — practises only under supervision of an Ayurveda Practitioner |
| Chiropractor Practitioner | BSc or Doctor of Chiropractic, minimum four years full-time with 4,200 student/teacher contact hours | 2 years |
| Herbal / Oriental Medicine Practitioner | Professional bachelor's degree in Herbal or Oriental Medicine, minimum four years including internship | 2 years |
| Homeopathy Practitioner | BHMS or licentiate from an accredited programme, minimum five years including internship | 2 years; 4 years on the three-year certification route |
| Naturopathy Practitioner | BSc of Naturopathy, ND or BNYS, minimum four years including supervised clinical training | 2 years |
| Osteopathy Practitioner | Degree of Osteopathy, minimum four years with 1,000 hours of supervised clinical training | 2 years |
| Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner | B.TCIM from a recognised university, five years full-time including a one-year internship | 2 years; 4 years on the 2,400-hour programme route |
| Chinese Massage Therapist | Three years of college or secondary vocational education in TCM plus one year supervised internship, or a 500-hour course plus one year internship | 2 years — practises only under supervision of a TCM Practitioner |
| Unani Practitioner | BUMS or BEMS, or a four-year equivalent including supervised clinical practicum | 2 years |
| Hijama Therapist | High school plus a two-year accredited Hijama certificate covering infection control, biology and haematological diseases with 20 documented treatment cases — or a healthcare bachelor's plus a one-year course, or, for a professional with at least a BSc and a valid MOHAP, DHA, DOH or SHA licence, an authority-approved Hijama programme of at least 25 CME hours and 20 cases | 2 years; UAE nationals must pass the MOHAP examination |
| Traditional Japanese Medicine Practitioner | A physician permitted to practise it, with a certificate from an accredited fellowship programme after passing the national exam | 2 years |
| Traditional Korean Medicine Practitioner | A four-year accredited programme — one year general practice, three years specialisation — after passing the national exam | 2 years |
Sources: UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025
Checked 30 August 2026. Issued jointly by MOHAP, DOH Abu Dhabi, DHA and SHA. Each authority may add its own requirements on top.
Physicians applying for TCIM titles must hold a valid Authority licence to practise as a physician, and the TCIM title is then treated as an extended scope — a privilege on the existing licence rather than a separate one.
A Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner may practise dry-cupping within their scope, and a Unani Practitioner may practise Hijama within theirs — without a separate Hijama licence.
Hijama clinical practice is required to be conducted in a health facility, and the title is added to an existing Authority licence except for UAE nationals and Children of Emirati Women.
TCIM practitioners must hold a valid BLS certificate, and must submit complete transcripts showing theoretical and clinical hours.
Graduates of UAE universities and programmes are exempt from the post-graduation experience requirement, provided the gap since graduation does not exceed three years.
Sources: UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025
Checked 30 August 2026.
Why the search results disagree
TCAM, TCIM and T&CM appear in different DHA materials. Use the exact professional title and relevant service rather than treating the label alone as a change to eligibility.
TCIM is used in the CBT guideline and captured exam lookup. Other licensing materials use TCAM or T&CM. Include these terms when locating guidance, then verify that the document addresses your exact title.
The August lookup snapshot includes TCAM-Trainee. A label difference alone does not establish a formal renaming date or a change in requirements.
Sources: DHA Sheryan — Mode of Exam per Specialty
Checked 29 August 2026.
All fifteen titles
The mode column preserves the 29 August 2026 lookup result. CBT specification columns use the September 2026 guideline, checked on 20 September. A specification beside an older oral result is a reason to confirm the current route, not permission to choose either format.
| Title in captured lookup | Mode captured August 2026 | CBT code | CBT duration | CBT questions | Fee | Pass score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture Practitioner | Computer Based Testing (CBT) | PAC6092 | 2 hours | 100 | USD 180 | 60% |
| Ayurveda Massage Therapist | Oral Assessment | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ayurveda Practitioner | Oral Assessment | PAY5852 | 2 hours | 100 | USD 180 | 60% |
| Chinese Massage Therapist | No Exam is Required | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chiropractor Practitioner | Oral Assessment | — | — | — | — | — |
| Herbal/Oriental Medicine Practitioner | Oral Assessment | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hijama Therapist | Oral Assessment | HIJ5862 | 2 hours | 100 | USD 180 | 60% |
| Homeopathy Practitioner | Computer Based Testing (CBT) | PHO5832 | 2 hours | 100 | USD 180 | 60% |
| Naturopathy Practitioner | Oral Assessment | — | — | — | — | — |
| Osteopathy Practitioner | Oral Assessment | — | — | — | — | — |
| TCAM-Trainee | No Exam is Required | — | — | — | — | — |
| Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner | Oral Assessment | — | — | — | — | — |
| Traditional Japanese Medicine Practitioner | Oral Assessment | — | — | — | — | — |
| Traditional Korean Medicine Practitioner | Oral Assessment | — | — | — | — | — |
| Unani Practitioner | Computer Based Testing (CBT) | PUN6062 | 2 hours | 100 | USD 180 | 60% |
CBT columns: September 2026 guideline, checked 20 September 2026. Mode column: archived August 2026 lookup.
Sources: DHA Sheryan — Mode of Exam per Specialty · DHA — Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment Guideline (CBT), updated September 2026
Checked between 29 August and 20 September 2026. DHA is renaming this category and may activate or de-activate an assessment without updating its own guideline. Check your own title in the live lookup before booking.
What you are licensed to do
The linked TCAM scope document is dated August 2011. It is a historical reference with a limited set of disciplines, not a complete statement of current permission for every TCIM title or procedure.
The 2011 document discusses eight disciplines. It should not be extended to every title shown in the later licensing lookup. Confirm current title-specific scope, facility requirements and any procedure permissions separately.
Practitioners may not treat acute or critical conditions needing emergency care, may not treat communicable diseases, and may not perform surgery, inoculations, injections or blood withdrawal — cupping and ozone therapies excepted under special permission. They may prescribe only within their own specialty, may not dispense from their own clinic without DHA permission, and may not sign documents that statutorily require a registered medical doctor.
The document states a practitioner may make a diagnosis according to the science and philosophy of their own field of training, and obliges them to refer to a physician whenever there is doubt about the diagnosis or the response to therapy. Scope may not be expanded into approaches the practitioner has no training or experience in.
Chiropractic, Osteopathic and Naturopathic practitioners are additionally barred from treating infectious diseases. Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Osteopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine are stated not to include the use of prescription medications.
The document requires practitioners to meet the Continuous Professional Development requirements for licensure and the standards of professional practice and behaviour expected of all licensees.
Sources: DHA — Scope of Practice for Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practitioners (August 2011)
Checked 29 August 2026.
What it costs
Identify the service and assessment route before estimating costs. Keep professional registration, verification, assessment and facility activation as separate items.
Acupuncture, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani and Hijama each have a CBT specification: two hours, 100 questions, USD 180 and a 60% pass score. This reference does not resolve a conflicting current mode-of-exam result.
Use the applicable Sheryan category and current assessment booking instructions. Do not infer every TCIM service charge from the price of a CBT or from another profession’s fee.
Sources: DHA — Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment Guideline (CBT), updated September 2026
Checked between 29 August and 20 September 2026.
Recorded, not resolved
Confirm these points before paying for a route or assuming permission to provide a service.
The August lookup snapshot returned Oral Assessment for both titles. The September guideline contains CBT specifications for both. No fresh lookup has been performed here; ask DHA for the applicable current route if the sources still conflict.
Use the TCIM chapter and exact title row, including associated notes. The older scope document serves a different purpose and cannot establish the required qualification or experience.
Confirm the intended facility, professional scope and any required procedure privilege with DHA. An examination row is not a list of procedures you are authorised to perform.
Sources: DHA Sheryan — Mode of Exam per Specialty · UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025 · DHA — Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals v1.3, effective 18/07/2025
Checked between 29 August and 13 October 2026.
TCAM / TCIM FAQs
Yes, the same category under two names. TCIM is used in DHA's CBT guideline and exam lookup; older DHA material says TCAM or T&CM. What matters is the exact title, such as Acupuncture Practitioner.
Yes, as a privilege. The PQR treats a TCIM title held by a licensed physician as an extended scope on the existing physician licence, not a separate licence.
Not if you are a Unani Practitioner, whose scope includes Hijama. Otherwise Hijama is added to an existing authority licence (UAE nationals excepted) and must be done in a health facility; DHA's September 2026 guideline also has a Hijama Therapist CBT.
The PQR's exam equivalency chapter has no TCIM table. Ask DHA whether any other exemption provision applies to your title before you assume one.
TCIM sits in DHA's allied health and TCAM CPD band: 10 points for a one-year licence, 20 for two and 30 for three. A shortfall blocks renewal.
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