DHA vs DOH vs MOHAP: Which UAE License Do You Actually Need?
The UAE doesn't have one healthcare license — it has three, each tied to a specific set of emirates, with different exam bodies and passing thresholds. Picking the wrong one wastes months. Here's how to know which one matches the job you want.
The three licenses, side by side
DHA — Dubai Health Authority
Dubai only.
150 MCQs, 165 minutes, via Prometric. Passing score around 50%.
Best for: Private sector hospitals, aesthetic medicine, and most internationally-branded facilities (American Hospital Dubai, Mediclinic, NMC Royal).
DOH (formerly HAAD) — Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
100 MCQs, 150 minutes, via Pearson VUE. Passing score around 60%, generally considered the strictest of the three.
Best for: Public-sector facilities (SEHA network) and international reference hospitals like Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
MOHAP — Ministry of Health and Prevention
The five Northern Emirates: Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain.
Via Prometric, similar format to DHA.
Best for: Lower cost of living than Dubai/Abu Dhabi, growing hospital networks, often an easier entry point.
How to actually decide
The license follows the job, not the other way around: apply to hospitals in the emirate where you actually want to live and work, then sit the corresponding exam. A DHA license doesn't let you work in Abu Dhabi, and a DOH license doesn't let you work in Dubai — they're genuinely separate systems, not tiers of the same one.
Not sure which one fits your target hospital?
Apply through the app and we match you with hospitals in the emirate you want, then guide you to the right license for that specific job.
Apply nowCommon questions
Can I hold more than one license at the same time?+
Yes — many professionals eventually hold both a DHA and a DOH license if they work across Dubai and Abu Dhabi at different points in their career, but each requires its own separate exam and process.
Is one exam easier to pass than the others?+
DOH's 60% passing threshold is generally considered the toughest of the three, while DHA and MOHAP sit closer to 50-55%. None of them are easy — all test real clinical knowledge.
Does DataFlow verification differ between the three?+
No — DataFlow PSV is the same underlying credential check regardless of which UAE license you're pursuing. You don't need to repeat it if you later switch which authority you're licensed under.
Which one should nurses from the Philippines or India target first?+
Whichever emirate has the hospital actually hiring you — Dubai (DHA) and Abu Dhabi (DOH) have historically hired the largest numbers of Filipino and Indian nurses, but Northern Emirates (MOHAP) hospitals are expanding too.