DHA License Dubai
Relevant for healthcare professionals planning to practise in Dubai.
UAE healthcare license for physiotherapists
Physiotherapist License in Dubai and the UAE
Planning to work as a physiotherapist in the UAE? UAEHealthPro helps physiotherapists understand the right DHA, MOHAP, DOH, SHA or relevant pathway with eligibility review, document guidance, DataFlow/PSV support and application assistance.
- Authority Pathway Guidance
- PQR-Based Profile Review
- DataFlow / PSV Support
- Application Assistance
What PQR actually publishes
PQR Qualification and Experience Requirements for Physiotherapist Titles
Physiotherapy licensing runs from technician-level diplomas up to direct-entry Master's-qualified physiotherapists, with separate tracks for sport/exercise therapy and massage therapy.
| Title | Qualification | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Physiotherapist | BSc in Physiotherapy/Physical Therapy, or direct entry to a recognized program with an MSc in Physiotherapy | Two (2) years of experience post-qualification |
| Physiotherapy Technician | Diploma or Associate degree in Physiotherapy/Physical Therapy, minimum two (2) years | Two (2) years of experience post-qualification |
| Sport / Exercise Therapist | Bachelor's degree in Exercise/Sport Therapy or equivalent qualification | Two (2) years of experience post-qualification |
| Massage Therapist | Minimum five hundred (500) hours of massage therapy training, including supervised clinical instruction, plus valid BLS certification | Two (2) years of experience post-qualification. Licensed only by DHA |
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.
Step by step
How Physiotherapists Get a DHA License: The Three Sheryan Stages
The figures below come from DHA's published services and guidelines, for this profession's own titles. The stage order is the same for every profession; the exam rows and the activation band are what differ.
Stage 1: Self Assessment Tool
- Check the exact title in Sheryan first: free, with an instant result.
Stage 2: Get Registered
- Registration fee AED 200; DHA decides a complete application in 5 working days.
- Primary source verification (DataFlow): a new report takes about 15 working days, and it can run alongside the exam.
- Good Standing Certificate: DHA requires the certificate to be valid and not older than six months at the time of application. Requesting it too early is a common and avoidable delay.
- The exam, a Prometric CBT taken at a test centre in or outside the UAE: Physiotherapist (PHY5121): 150 questions, 3 hours, pass mark 50%, USD 240; Physiotherapy Technician (PHY4011): 150 questions, 3 hours, pass mark 50%, USD 240. The result reaches Sheryan as Pass or Fail within 2 working days.
- Attempts: three in total, counted across the UAE authorities, and DHA can allow fewer. A third failure bars a new DHA application for two years; any further attempt is conditional. The full attempt rules.
- The registration you receive is valid for 1 year. It is not yet a licence to practise.
Stage 3: Activate
- An employing DHA-licensed facility activates the registration. Full-time activation for nurses, allied health and T&CM: AED 1,000 for 1 year, AED 1,500 for 2 years, AED 2,500 for 3 years. Paid by the facility, not the professional.
Possible exam exemption, Physiotherapist title. PQR April 2025, section 21.20 exempts applicants who have either:
- A valid licence and Good Standing Certificate from one of the listed countries or licensing authorities — Austria, Australia (Australian Physiotherapy Board), Belgium, Canada (a board member of the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland (Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists), Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand (Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand), Norway, Singapore, South Africa (HPCSA), Sweden, Switzerland, the UK (HCPC) or the USA — provided the qualification was obtained within the last three years or there is no gap in practice since the last day of employment.
- A valid pass record in the USA's National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE).
If the university studies were not in English, or the licence is from a non-English-speaking country on the list, one of: TOEFL 500 or equivalent, IELTS 5.0, OET grade C or Cambridge Assessment English 169.
The Physiotherapist title only. The Physiotherapy Technician title is not in this table. An exemption covers the exam only; verification, experience and every other requirement still apply. How DHA exam exemption works.
Sources: DHA Sheryan — Get Registered service description · DHA Sheryan — Primary Source Verification FAQs · DHA — Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment Guideline (CBT), updated September 2026 · DHA — Manual for Professional Assessment (Oral/CBT) · DHA Sheryan — Activate Professional License service · UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025
Checked between 22 August and 20 September 2026. Authorities can change fees and requirements without notice — confirm current figures before you pay.
Before choosing an application
Physiotherapist, Technician or Sport Therapist: Which PQR Title Fits
The 2025 UAE PQR, section 18.29 lists Physiotherapist, Physiotherapy Technician and Sport / Exercise Therapist as distinct titles with different qualification routes. A job advert mentioning sports or rehabilitation does not establish which title applies. Compare the academic award and intended duties before paying for title-specific verification or assessment.
My qualification is called BPT, DPT or MSc. Which route should I select?
Use the complete qualification, not its abbreviation. Prepare the awarding institution, programme title, entry requirements, duration, transcript and clinical training record. Compare that evidence with the intended professional title. An award containing “Doctor” should not be used by itself to select a physician category, and a postgraduate course name does not explain the underlying qualification pathway.
My experience combines hospital, home-care and sports work. How should I present it?
List each employer and period separately. Describe the setting, your actual physiotherapy duties, employment status and any supervision. Distinguish employed clinical practice from student placements, observation and non-clinical fitness work. Let the authority determine which experience is acceptable rather than combining every activity into one total.
I have been away from clinical practice. Should I book an exam first?
Start by identifying your last date of clinical practice and what you have done since then. Keep continuing education separate from employed practice. Request a review of any gap-related requirements before committing to an exam or training package; passing an assessment does not by itself answer whether your practice history meets the applicable route.
Use the official PQR resource and the relevant authority’s application instructions. These questions organise a review; they are not an automatic eligibility test.
Make the next enquiry useful
Confirm the Licensed Title Before Buying Exam Preparation
Illustrative situation: a clinic offers you a rehabilitation role, but the job advert uses “sports therapist” and your qualification is in physiotherapy. Ask the employer to identify the intended licensed title and duties. Resolve that mismatch before choosing an assessment title or assuming a different professional category is interchangeable.
Keep the facility regulator, proposed title, work setting and any application reference together. The authority comparison helps orient your next step; the DHA assessment guide is relevant only once the DHA title and instructions are clear.
Where you intend to practise
Which Authority Licenses Physiotherapists?
Physiotherapists may need DHA, MOHAP/MOH, DOH/HAAD, SHA or another applicable pathway depending on the intended work setting. 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 Physiotherapists
DataFlow or PSV may be relevant to a physiotherapist licensing pathway. UAEHealthPro can help you check document readiness and authority context before you proceed.
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 Physiotherapist Titles
Both titles clear at 50%. The fee is USD 240, charged in US dollars with no dirham equivalent published.
| Title | CBT code | CBT duration | Questions | Fee | Pass score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physiotherapist | PHY5121 | 3 hours | 150 | USD 240 | 50% |
| Physiotherapy Technician | PHY4011 | 3 hours | 150 | USD 240 | 50% |
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 Physiotherapist Licensing Mistakes
Physiotherapy vs sport-therapy title
Treating a sports-rehabilitation job label as a separate specialist physiotherapy licence. Check the proposed duties and qualification against the PQR titles Physiotherapist and Sport / Exercise Therapist.
Facility-type mismatch
Assuming an outpatient-clinic and hospital-based physiotherapy pathway are the same without checking the target facility.
Allied-health category confusion
Assuming "Allied Health Professional" is itself a licence category rather than confirming the specific physiotherapy title required.
Incomplete clinical history
Providing unclear or incomplete recent-practice information for the intended physiotherapy setting.
Verification assumptions
Starting DataFlow or PSV for a physiotherapy qualification 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 Physiotherapists: Allied Health Band
MOHAP charges by professional band, and this profession falls under Allied health. 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.
Allied health: MOHAP evaluation AED 300, licence fee AED 1,000 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
Physiotherapist FAQs
Questions About Physiotherapist Licensing
What qualification and experience does the UAE PQR require for physiotherapists?
Physiotherapist: BSc in Physiotherapy/Physical Therapy, or direct entry to a recognized program with an MSc in Physiotherapy. Experience: Two (2) years of experience post-qualification. Physiotherapy Technician: Diploma or Associate degree in Physiotherapy/Physical Therapy, minimum two (2) years. Experience: Two (2) years of experience post-qualification. The PQR is shared by DHA, DOH, MOHAP and SHA, and the full title ladder is in the table on this page.
What is the DHA exam pass mark and fee for physiotherapists?
DHA's published CBT specification gives: Physiotherapist and Physiotherapy Technician: pass mark 50%, fee USD 240. The fee is charged in US dollars. Titles not listed here may take a different CBT or an oral assessment instead, so confirm the exam mode for your exact title before booking.
Can UAEHealthPro guarantee approval?
No. UAEHealthPro is an independent consultancy and final decisions remain with the relevant authority.
Start with your profile
Need Help With Physiotherapist 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