Ministry of Health and Prevention UAE (MOHAP): Licensing 2026

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) is the federal health ministry of the United Arab Emirates. For doctors, it is the licensing authority for the emirates that do not run their own health regulator: Dubai has the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Abu Dhabi has the Department of Health (DOH), and Sharjah has the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA). MOHAP issues the evaluation certificate and the licence to practise for its jurisdiction and takes part in writing the unified UAE qualification rules.

Fee amounts are shown inside the MOHAP application. For the bigger picture, see working as a doctor in the UAE.

Key facts

What MOHAP does for doctors

MOHAP's licensing process has two stages:

• Evaluation. The Healthcare Professional Evaluation service lets professionals obtain an evaluation certificate, which is needed before the licences to practise can be issued.
• Licensing. Once you hold the evaluation certificate and a job offer, the employer applies for your licence through the Licensing and Re-licensing of a Health Professional service.

The qualification standards come from the unified Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), issued jointly by MOHAP, DOH, DHA and SHA, which set out educational standards, experience and licensure requirements for each title. If you know the PQR for your title, you already know most of what MOHAP will check.

The evaluation route, step by step

In practice:

1. Confirm eligibility against the PQR for your profession and title.
2. Apply online through the Evaluation System under the Healthcare Professionals category, attaching all required documents.
3. Pay the applicable fees before submission.
4. Complete primary source verification. MOHAP's FAQ refers to settling the DataFlow verification fees as part of the process.
5. Sit the exam if the evaluation officer requires it.
6. Receive the evaluation certificate, then let your employer apply for the licence.

Technical problems with the online system can be raised with MOHAP's smart services support, as listed in its evaluation FAQ.

The MOHAP exam

MOHAP does not make the exam automatic for everyone. Its FAQ states that the requirement for an exam is determined by the evaluation officer after reviewing the application, that the exam is used to assess competency in the relevant specialty, and that applicants should check the PQR for exemption criteria and attach exemption documents when applying.

Attempts. MOHAP allows three attempts at the prescribed tests. A fourth attempt is not allowed with MOHAP, although the ministry notes that applicants may choose to apply through another health authority such as the DHA or DOH. Be aware that other UAE authorities also count attempts made elsewhere, so a history of failed attempts follows you across the country.

Using an existing evaluation. Where a DHA evaluation already exists, MOHAP's FAQ says the evaluation certificate can be issued without another examination once the DataFlow verification fees are settled.

No hardship exemptions. MOHAP states that it cannot grant exemptions from any essential requirement of the evaluation, for example because of political problems in the applicant's home country.

See our MOHAP exam page for format and preparation, and practise with exam-style questions in the MediFlow app.

Validity of the evaluation

MOHAP states that the evaluation certificate is valid for five years, provided there is no interruption in experience of more than two years. If you take a long break, plan for a new evaluation.

Transferring from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

If you hold a valid DHA or DOH licence, you do not need a new evaluation. You enter your licence number on the MOHAP portal to create a record in the ministry's system, and your employer then submits the licensing request.

If your licence has lapsed, timing matters. MOHAP states that a licence that has not been renewed or has been cancelled must not be expired for more than six months; beyond that, the applicant must clear the MOHAP exam.

Choosing between MOHAP, DHA and DOH depends on where your employer is. MediFlow's GCC licensing service can help you plan the route at /get-licensed/.

Document checklist

MOHAP asks you to attach all required documents when you submit in the Evaluation System. Check the exact list against the PQR for your title, and typically prepare:

• Passport copy and a recent photo.
• Medical degree certificate and internship completion certificate.
• Postgraduate qualifications for specialist or consultant titles.
• Experience letters from each employer, with dates.
• Current licence or registration and a certificate of good standing from your country of practice.
• Exam exemption evidence, if you believe the PQR exempts you.
• Any existing DHA evaluation or DHA/DOH licence number, which can shorten the process.

Scan everything clearly, keep names identical across documents, and make sure translations are complete. Verification is carried out at source, so dates on your experience letters must match what the issuing institution will confirm.

How MOHAP fits with DHA and DOH

The unified PQR means that MOHAP, DHA, DOH and SHA assess qualifications against the same framework. The practical differences are jurisdiction and process. If your job is in Dubai, you apply to the DHA; in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, to the DOH; elsewhere in MOHAP's jurisdiction, to MOHAP. Because exam attempts are tracked across authorities, a sensible strategy is to prepare thoroughly once and sit the exam for the authority where you will actually work, rather than testing at several authorities in quick succession.

Fees (as of October 2026)

MOHAP requires fees to be paid in the Evaluation System before submission, with separate verification fees for DataFlow. The service pages we reviewed do not publish the amounts, so we do not quote figures. Check the fee screen in the Evaluation System before paying.

Typical mistakes

• Assuming you are exempt from the exam. The evaluation officer decides, based on the PQR.
• Letting a DHA or DOH licence lapse for more than six months before transferring.
• Using up attempts quickly. Three is the maximum with MOHAP.
• Taking a career break of more than two years while relying on an old evaluation.

Next steps

• Read the MOHAP exam guide and practise in the MediFlow app.
• Check the PQR for your title before you apply.
• Compare authorities in working as a doctor in the UAE.

Contact and official links

• Website: mohap.gov.ae
• Evaluation service: MOHAP Healthcare Professional Evaluation
• Evaluation FAQ: MOHAP Evaluation of Health Professional
• Licensing: MOHAP Licensing and Re-licensing

We do not list phone numbers; use the contact channels on the MOHAP website.