DHA License Dubai
Relevant for healthcare professionals planning to practise in Dubai.
UAE healthcare license for dentists
Dentist License in Dubai and the UAE
Applying as a general dentist, specialist or consultant in the UAE starts with matching your dental qualification and practice history to the requested title. Use this guide to organise internship and specialty evidence, clarify implantology privileges and prepare for the relevant authority application.
- Authority Pathway Guidance
- PQR-Based Profile Review
- DataFlow / PSV Support
- Application Assistance
What PQR actually publishes
PQR Qualification and Experience Requirements for Dentist Titles
Dental titles follow the same structure as physicians: BDS/DMD/DDS plus internship for General Dentist, then a recognized specialty certificate and post-qualification experience for Specialist and Consultant titles.
| Title | Qualification | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Intern | Five (5)-year dental program (BDS/DMD/DDS) or an MOE/NQC-recognized equivalent | No experience required* |
| Resident | BDS/DMD/DDS or equivalent | Completed internship, plus the relevant Authority residency standards |
| General Dentist | BDS, DMD, DDS or equivalent | Completed internship + two (2) years of clinical experience |
| Specialist — Tier 1 or 2 | BDS/DMD/DDS + a recognized dental specialty certificate | No experience required* |
| Specialist — Tier 3 | BDS/DMD/DDS + a recognized dental specialty certificate | UAE nationals: one (1) year. Non-UAE nationals: three (3) years post-qualification. Graduates of UAE dental universities are exempt |
| Consultant — Tier 1 | BDS/DMD/DDS + a recognized dental specialty certificate | Two (2) years post-qualification |
| Consultant — Tier 2 | BDS/DMD/DDS + a recognized dental specialty certificate | Five (5) years post-qualification |
| Consultant — Tier 3 | BDS/DMD/DDS + a recognized dental specialty certificate | Cannot attain the title, except for a limited transitional route for dentists enrolled in a Tier 3 program before June 2017 |
Note: marked with * where PQR applies its standard Discontinuity of Practice (Gap of Practice) rule — professionals with more than three (3) years out of clinical practice may need extra CME/CPD hours and supervised retraining before the "no experience required" route applies.
Sources: DOH Abu Dhabi — Professional Qualification Requirements
Checked 22 August 2026. Authorities can change fees and requirements without notice — confirm current figures before you pay.
Plan the application around your dental work
Your qualification, licensing title and procedures are three separate checks
Start with the title you want the authority to assess. Then identify whether the work offered by the clinic needs any additional privilege. A course certificate, an overseas job title and a UAE licence answer different questions.
| Your situation | Organise this evidence | Resolve before applying |
|---|---|---|
| First application as a general dentist | Dental degree, internship dates, registration history and each period of clinical employment. | Which experience requirement or exemption applies to your profile? Keep internship and later employment separate. |
| Postgraduate or specialty qualification | Exact award, awarding body, specialty, training dates and practice after qualification. | Does the award match a recognised specialty entry and the requested licensing level? A course title alone does not establish the answer. |
| A clinic expects you to place implants | Existing dental title, implant training details and the clinic’s proposed duties. | What implantology privilege and facility approval are needed for the intended procedures? |
The PQR treats implantology as a privilege rather than a recognised dental specialty. DHA also publishes scope and privileging requirements. See the official PQR resource and DHA dental scope of practice. The table above is a preparation worksheet, not an eligibility decision.
Before accepting a clinical start date
Questions to Ask the Dental Clinic Before You Apply
Ask the clinic to confirm the facility regulator, intended professional title and proposed procedures. Record who will handle licence activation and any additional privilege application. If your postgraduate award is still being assessed, keep the proposed specialist title conditional on the authority’s decision.
Illustrative situation: a general dentist has completed implant training and receives an offer mentioning implant procedures. The useful next step is to check the privilege requirements and training evidence with the clinic. Assuming that the course itself authorises practice could leave the proposed duties ahead of the approvals.
Where you intend to practise
Which Authority Licenses Dentists?
Dentists may need DHA Dubai, MOHAP/MOH, DOH Abu Dhabi or SHA Sharjah guidance depending on where they intend to practise. Confirm the proposed professional title and facility regulator before starting an application.
MOHAP / MOH License UAE
Relevant for applicable MOHAP-regulated healthcare pathways.
Abu Dhabi Medical License (DOH)
Relevant for healthcare professionals planning to practise in Abu Dhabi.
SHA License Sharjah
Relevant for professionals joining SHA-licensed facilities in Sharjah.
DHCC Guidance
Useful for clarifying the current route for roles in Dubai Healthcare City.
Primary-source verification
DataFlow / PSV Verification for Dentists
DataFlow or PSV may be relevant to a dentist licensing pathway. UAEHealthPro can help you check document readiness and authority context before you begin verification.
Verification is independent.
UAEHealthPro can guide document readiness and route context, but does not control a verification outcome.
Explore DataFlow / PSV assistanceYour exam, specifically
DHA Exam Duration, Pass Mark and Fee for Dentist Titles
The pass mark moves with the title here — General Dentist clears at 60%, Consultant Orthodontics at 70%. The fee is USD 280, charged in US dollars with no dirham equivalent published.
| Title | CBT code | CBT duration | Questions | Fee | Pass score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Dentist | GEN5301 | 3 hours | 150 | USD 280 | 60% |
| Implantology | IMP4411 | 3 hours | 150 | USD 280 | 65% |
| Specialist Orthodontics | ORD5211 | 3 hours | 150 | USD 280 | 60% |
| Specialist Periodontics | PER5131 | 3 hours | 150 | USD 280 | 60% |
| Consultant Orthodontics | COD6072 | 3 hours | 100 | USD 280 | 70% |
Sources: DHA — Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment Guideline (CBT), updated September 2026
Checked 20 September 2026. DHA states it may activate or de-activate a specialty assessment and change its content, format or pass score without updating this guideline. Confirm the specification for your own specialty before you book.
Prepare carefully
Common Dentist Licensing Mistakes
General vs specialist confusion
Applying as a general dentist when a specialty such as orthodontics or oral surgery changes the applicable category.
Residency history overlooked
Starting an application before confirming how residency or specialty-training history fits the intended authority route.
Wrong authority for the emirate
Assuming DHA, MOHAP and DOH dental categories are interchangeable without checking the target facility and emirate.
Incomplete clinical history
Providing unclear or incomplete recent-practice information for the intended dental specialty.
Verification assumptions
Starting DataFlow or PSV for a dental degree without checking current primary-source verification requirements.
Automatic-outcome assumptions
Assuming exam exemption, licence approval or a fixed timeline before the relevant authority reviews the case.
What it actually costs
MOHAP Fees for Dentists: Physicians and Dentists Band
MOHAP charges by professional band, and this profession falls under Physicians and dentists. The costs that do not change with your profession — DHA registration, the MOHAP application fee and DataFlow verification — are listed together on the fees and timeline page.
Physicians and dentists: MOHAP evaluation AED 500, licence fee AED 3,000 at a private facility.
MOHAP's licensing service lists licence fees for two groups only, doctors and nurses & technicians. The licence fee above is the group this profession falls closest to; confirm the amount for your title with the facility before paying.
Sources: MOHAP — Healthcare Professional Evaluation service · MOHAP — Licensing and Re-licensing of a Health Professional
Checked 22 August 2026. Authorities can change fees and requirements without notice — confirm current figures before you pay.
Continue your preparation
Related Licensing Services
Dentist FAQs
Questions About Dentist Licensing
How do I start a dentist licence application in Dubai?
Confirm the intended facility regulator and dental title first. For a DHA route, review eligibility, prepare the qualification and practice evidence, and follow the verification and assessment instructions in Sheryan. Registration and facility licence activation are separate stages.
Does an MDS or other postgraduate dental degree automatically qualify me as a specialist?
The full award, awarding body, specialty and applicable experience need review against the recognised qualification route. Keep training completion, award dates and subsequent practice separate; the abbreviation alone does not establish the UAE licensing title.
How should I show internship and work experience?
Record internship start and end dates separately from later clinical employment. Identify the employer, role, registration status and dates for each period, explaining any overlap or break rather than combining everything into one experience total.
Can I practise implantology after completing an implant course?
A course certificate alone is not permission to practise implantology. The PQR treats implantology as a privilege on a dental licence, subject to the relevant authority requirements. Confirm the privilege and facility arrangements for the proposed procedures.
Do all dentists take the same DHA exam?
No single assessment route should be assumed for every dental title. Check the category, specialty, assessment mode and any exemption decision attached to your application before booking or selecting study material.
What should I check before starting dental DataFlow verification?
Compare the requested documents with your degree, internship, specialty, registration and employment records. Resolve name or date differences through the original issuer and keep existing report references available for review.
Can I prepare my dentist application while outside the UAE?
You can organise your qualification and practice records and review the intended route from overseas. Check the authority instructions for the stage you are applying for and agree with the employer who will complete facility-linked steps.
Is DHA registration enough to start treating patients?
DHA registration is a step towards licensing. A healthcare facility must activate it into a licence before practice. Ask the clinic to confirm the active title and any additional privileges needed for your duties.
What should a dental licensing quote include?
Ask for separate items for consultancy support, authority applications, verification, assessment and any privilege-related work. Confirm who pays each provider, what is excluded and how additional document requests or repeat applications are handled.
Can UAEHealthPro guarantee a dentist licence or specialist classification?
No. UAEHealthPro can help organise the evidence and application, but the relevant authority decides eligibility, classification, assessment and licensing outcomes.
Start with your profile
Need Help With Dentist Licensing?
Start with a PQR-based eligibility review before you spend money on the wrong application. Share your profile and UAEHealthPro will guide you with the suitable authority pathway and next steps.
Disclaimer: UAEHealthPro is an independent consultancy. We are not a government authority and we do not guarantee approval, exam results or processing timelines. Final decisions are subject to the relevant authority rules, professional eligibility criteria, document verification and authority review.
Review current UAE healthcare PQR information