The UAE is close to home, pays tax-free salaries and has a large Indian nursing community, which makes it one of the most popular first moves for nurses from India. The main thing to understand first is that the UAE has three health regulators, and the one you need depends on where your employer is:
- DHA (Dubai Health Authority) for Dubai
- DOH (Department of Health) for Abu Dhabi
- MOHAP (Ministry of Health and Prevention) for the northern emirates and federal facilities. Sharjah also has its own health authority.
All three follow shared national qualification rules, the Unified Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR). This guide uses Dubai (DHA) as the worked example and notes where the others differ. Every fee was checked on 31 Oct 2026.
Quick summary
| Stage | Who runs it | Official fee (checked 31 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility self-assessment | DHA (Sheryan portal) | Free |
| Primary Source Verification (PSV) | DataFlow Group | Check the official site; DataFlow's own DHA guide quoted AED 935 for nurses in 2023 |
| Licensing exam (CBT) | Prometric, where required | Check the official site |
| DHA registration ("Get Registered") | DHA | AED 200 credentialing fee, plus knowledge and innovation fees at checkout (DHA) |
| MOHAP licence (if working in a MOHAP area) | MOHAP | AED 100 application + AED 1,000 licence (MOHAP) |
| Work permit and residence visa | Employer, via MOHRE and ICP | Paid by employer; the UAE says recruitment costs belong to the employer |
Step 1: Check if you are eligible
Start with the free Self-Assessment Tool on DHA's Sheryan portal. It checks your qualification and experience against the PQR for your job title (DHA Get Registered).
Experience. In 2022 the UAE health regulators jointly removed the two-year post-qualification experience requirement for registered nurses holding a bachelor's degree in nursing (reported by Khaleej Times, 18 July 2022). Diploma (GNM) holders and assistant nurse roles have different rules. The DOH PQR page blocked our check, and the PQR is updated from time to time, so confirm your own category in the Self-Assessment Tool before relying on this.
Good standing. DHA requires a good standing certificate from your nursing council that is not older than 6 months at the time you apply (DHA licensing manual). Request it from your State Nursing Council at the right time, not too early.
Step 2: Primary Source Verification with DataFlow
The UAE regulators do not take your certificates at face value. DataFlow Group contacts your college, your nursing council and your past employers directly to confirm everything. DHA states that a registration application cannot be processed until the PSV report is complete, and that PSV can run in parallel with your exam (DHA).
- Fee: check the official site. DataFlow's own DHA page (dated May 2023) quoted a fixed package of AED 935 for nurses and allied health, with extra certificates possibly costing more (DataFlow).
- Time: the same DataFlow page says reports take 15 to 24 working days. Delays usually come from colleges or past employers slow to reply, so warn them in advance.
- If a result comes back "unable to verify", DHA allows re-verification twice; a "discrepancy" can be re-verified once (DHA manual).
Step 3: Pass the licensing exam if required
DHA says a computer-based test (CBT) delivered by Prometric is required for some professionals, depending on the position, and that you must pass within three attempts across the UAE authorities (DHA). MOHAP says its Prometric results are pass or fail with a minimum passing score of 60%, and that after three failures you may apply through another authority (MOHAP evaluation).
Exam fee and question count: check the official site. DHA's CBT guideline was unavailable when we checked. DataFlow's guide describes an exam of roughly two hours and 100 to 150 questions, in English only.
Step 4: Get Registered, then get your licence activated
In Dubai you apply through Sheryan for Get Registered. DHA lists:
- Fee: AED 200 credentialing fee, plus knowledge and innovation fees added at checkout
- Processing time: 5 working days
- Validity: the registration lasts one year. You are not licensed to practise until a DHA-licensed facility hires you and activates your licence
So you can get registered before you have a job, then use it to apply to Dubai employers within the year.
Abu Dhabi (DOH) uses the TAMM portal for new healthcare professional licences (TAMM). MOHAP lists an AED 100 application fee and an AED 1,000 licence fee (MOHAP).
Step 5: Job, eMigrate and visa
eMigrate (India). The UAE is one of India's Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries. India's Ministry of External Affairs says Indian nurses going to ECR countries for work need emigration clearance, and that nurse recruitment for these countries was initially limited to state-run agencies: NORKA Roots, ODEPC and Overseas Manpower Corporation (Tamil Nadu) (MEA FAQ). Check the current rules with the Protector of Emigrants or on eMigrate before you sign.
UAE side. Your employer applies to MOHRE for your work permit. MOHRE lists a 2 working day processing time and requires a professional licence from the relevant health authority for nurses (MOHRE). After arrival you complete a medical fitness test, Emirates ID and residence visa through your employer.
Who pays? The UAE government states that charging recruitment fees to prospective employees is illegal, and that recruitment, travel and residence permit costs are borne by the employer (u.ae workers' rights).
Typical timeline
| Stage | Official guide | Planning range |
|---|---|---|
| Self-assessment | Instant | 1 day |
| DataFlow PSV | DataFlow quoted 15 to 24 working days | 3 to 8 weeks |
| Prometric exam | Book while PSV runs | 2 to 6 weeks |
| DHA Get Registered | 5 working days | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Job, eMigrate and visa | MOHRE permit 2 working days | 1 to 3 months |
Scam warning
- You should not pay for a UAE job. The UAE says charging recruitment fees to workers is illegal. Indian rules also cap what a registered agent may charge; check the current cap with the Protector of Emigrants.
- Use state agencies or registered agents. NORKA Roots and ODEPC are government-run. Any private agent must show a valid registration from the Protector General of Emigrants. MEA advises never dealing with sub-agents.
- Visit visa job hunting carries risk. Arriving on a visit visa does not give you the right to work. Your employer must arrange your work permit.
- Never fake experience letters. DataFlow contacts every employer you list. A discrepancy can block your licence.
- Check the DHA or DOH licence of the facility hiring you.
Check any agent with our free fake-agent checker.
Practise free
Our UAE licence question banks for DHA, DOH and MOHAP-style exams are free, always. Take a timed set and download your free PDF report card.
FAQ
Which licence should I get first, DHA, DOH or MOHAP? Get the one for the emirate where you most want to work. A DHA registration lets Dubai employers activate your licence. Moving between authorities later needs a transfer or new application.
Can I get a DHA licence without a job? You can get DHA registration, valid for one year. A licensed facility must then activate it before you can practise.
Do GNM nurses need experience for the UAE? The rules differ by qualification and job title. Use the free DHA Self-Assessment Tool to see the requirement for your exact case.
Sources (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- DHA: Get Registered service, Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals
- MOHAP: Licence for nursing professionals, Evaluation of health professional
- DOH Abu Dhabi: TAMM licence journey, PQR
- UAE Government: MOHRE overseas work permit, Workers' rights
- India: MEA recruitment FAQ, MEA emigration guidance, eMigrate
- DataFlow DHA guide (company page, dated 2023); Khaleej Times, 18 July 2022