Qatar Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP): Guide 2026

Every doctor who wants to work in Qatar, in either the government or the private sector, must be registered and licensed by the Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP) at the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). Recruiters and older documents often still say "QCHP licence"; the DHP even files its circulars under that label. Either way, the body that registers and licenses you today is the DHP.

For the job market, visas and daily life, see working as a doctor in Qatar.

Key facts

What the DHP does

The Registration and Licensing Section regulates healthcare practitioners who wish to work in Qatar. Its stated aim is to maintain the quality of care for residents by applying unified policies, regardless of where a certificate was issued. Its responsibilities include:

• Issuing, renewing and withdrawing licences for practitioners who meet the required conditions and competencies.
• Verifying academic certificates, practical experience and other licensing documents.
• Evaluating academic certificates against international standards.
• Issuing certificates of good standing.
• Approving surgical privileges for physicians and dentists.
• Maintaining the register of licensed practitioners.

The DHP regulates practitioners across professions: physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and allied health practitioners.

Registration and licensing

In practice, the DHP route has three parts: an evaluation of your qualifications and experience against the DHP's published policies, primary source verification of your documents, and, unless you are exempt, the qualifying exam. The physician guidelines set out which titles you can apply for, how specialty qualifications are categorised, and which documents are required.

Key points from the physician guidelines:

• Primary source verification. You provide a PSV report with the licensing application. The report covers your qualifications, experience and licences.
• Specialty categories. Specialty qualifications are grouped into categories. Holders of Category 3 specialty degrees must pass the DHP licensing exam; fellowship holders whose main specialty is Category 3 also need the exam, while those with Category 1 or 2 qualifications do not.
• Nationals. Qatari nationals and children of Qatari women are exempt from the qualifying exam.

Because the DHP updates its rules through numbered circulars, always read the latest circular for your profession on the DHP website before you apply.

The DHP qualifying exam

The DHP states that the electronic qualifying exam is a registration and licensing requirement for healthcare practitioners in Qatar.

• Provider. The exam is computer-based and delivered by Prometric. You book through Prometric's website, and the DHP lists a Prometric test centre in Doha.
• GP format. The General Practitioner exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours.
• Cut score. 60% for General Practitioners, with no rounding of scores.
• Exemptions. The DHP publishes the certificates that exempt holders from the qualifying exam in a circular linked from its exam page.
• Scopes without an exam. Where no qualifying exam exists for a scope, the DHP reviews applications case by case through its approved qualifications or a panel assessment.

Our Qatar DHP exam page covers preparation, and you can practise with exam-style questions in the MediFlow app.

Route for international doctors, step by step

1. Read the DHP guidelines for physicians and the latest circular for your title.
2. Check whether your specialty qualification is Category 1, 2 or 3, as this decides whether you need the exam.
3. Start primary source verification of your degree, internship, experience and licences.
4. Book and pass the Prometric qualifying exam, unless the DHP's exemption list applies to you.
5. Submit the licensing application with the PSV report, usually through your prospective employer.
6. Receive your licence and keep it renewed according to DHP requirements.

Licensing questions for Qatar are a common reason doctors contact MediFlow's GCC licensing service at /get-licensed/.

Document checklist

The DHP physician guidelines list the documents for each title. In general, prepare:

• Passport copy and a recent photo.
• Medical degree certificate and internship completion certificate.
• Specialty and fellowship certificates, if you apply for a specialist title, so the DHP can place them in Category 1, 2 or 3.
• Experience certificates from each employer, with dates.
• Current licences or registrations from every country where you practised.
• The primary source verification report.
• Exam result or exemption evidence, if applicable.

Keep names and dates identical across all documents. Verification goes back to the issuing institutions, and discrepancies lead to queries that slow the application.

Planning your timeline

Work backwards from your intended start date. PSV and the qualifying exam can be prepared in parallel, but the licence cannot be issued until both are complete. If your specialty is Category 3, build in time for exam preparation. If you are applying as a general practitioner, use the published format (150 questions in three hours, 60% cut score) to set your pacing: about 72 seconds per question. Leave a buffer for document queries and, if needed, a resit.

Fees (as of October 2026)

The DHP pages we reviewed do not list fee amounts for evaluation, licensing or the exam, so we do not quote any figures here. Prometric exam fees are shown during booking, and PSV fees are charged by the verification company. Check current amounts on the DHP website and in the booking system.

Typical mistakes

• Relying on old QCHP circulars. Requirements change through new circulars; read the current one.
• Assuming a specialist title avoids the exam. Category 3 qualifications require it.
• Booking the exam before checking exemptions. You may not need it.
• Starting PSV late. The licensing application needs the report.

Next steps

• See our Qatar DHP exam page and start practising in the MediFlow app.
• Check your title in the DHP physician guidelines.
• Read working as a doctor in Qatar for the wider picture.

Contact and official links

• Website: dhp.moph.gov.qa
• Registration and licensing: DHP Registration and Licensing
• Qualifying exam: DHP Qualifying Examination
• Physician guidelines: DHP Guidelines for Physicians

We do not list phone numbers; use the contact page on the DHP website.

Summary

The DHP at Qatar's Ministry of Public Health registers and licenses all healthcare practitioners in the country. For doctors, the key elements are a primary source verification report, the Prometric qualifying exam (150 questions in three hours for GPs, 60% cut score) unless you are exempt, and the category of your specialty qualification. Read the current circular for your title before you start.