Quick answer
Renew within 3 months before expiry (or 3 months after cancellation). You need PSV results, a valid passport copy, and good standing. Average processing is 5 working days. Renewal is blocked if expired, revoked/blacklisted, or unpaid fines remain. Renewing the license itself costs AED 1,000–7,500 depending on category and validity, and late renewal is penalised at AED 200–600 per month.
This page is focused only on DHA license renewal and renew professional registration workflow. It avoids overlap with broader DHA licensing and exam pages by covering only renewal timing, prerequisites, documents, and service-level restrictions.
Renewal window
Within 3 months before expiry
Post-cancellation window
Within 3 months after cancellation
Average DHA processing
5 working days
Registration renewal fee
AED 200 (plus checkout fees)
Planning ahead of your first license? See the full DHA exam fees breakdown.
DHA runs two separate renewals. The professional registration renewal (above) is applied for by you and carries a DHA fee of AED 200. Renewing the professional license extends the validity of your license and is applied for by your healthcare facility on your behalf in Sheryan. Both services add a Knowledge and Innovation fee at checkout; DHA does not publish that amount.
| Category (AED) | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years | Part-time | Trainee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physician / Dentist | 3,000 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Nurse / Midwife / Allied Health / T&CM | 1,000 | 1,500 | 2,500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
Late renewal penalty: DHA lists AED 600 per month for physicians and dentists and AED 200 per month for nurses, allied health and T&CM professionals for late full-time license renewal.
Timing limits: the license can be renewed from 90 days before its expiry date, and a full-time license cannot be renewed once it has been expired for more than 6 months.
Prerequisites: valid medical malpractice insurance covering the professional, the minimum annual CME/CPD requirements listed in the PQR, and payment of any outstanding fines. A valid passport copy and Emirates ID are needed if they were not previously updated.
Processing: DHA lists the service as instant, or 1 working day if there are changes to the professional's personal records.
Source: DHA Sheryan — Renew Professional License (facility catalogue). Because the facility applies, confirm with your employer who pays the fee. Fees and penalties can change — check the live service page before payment.
Valid passport copy (if it was not previously updated on the system).
PSV result for required renewal documents (experience, valid license, and good standing).
Surgical logbook for surgical specialties when there is a clinical gap exceeding 2 years.
Open Sheryan
Log in to DHA Sheryan and open the Request for Renew Professional Registration service.
Confirm your renewal window
Renew within 3 months before expiry, or within 3 months after professional license cancellation. Do not wait until the window closes.
Upload PSV and required documents
Submit PSV results for experience, valid license, and good standing, plus a valid passport copy if it is not already updated. Surgical specialties with a clinical gap over 2 years also need a surgical logbook.
Pay outstanding fines and renewal fees
Clear any unpaid fines, then pay the renewal fee (AED 200 plus checkout fees) and keep your application reference number.
Wait about 5 working days
DHA lists an average processing time of 5 working days. Track the outcome in Sheryan; renewal can be blocked if registration is expired, revoked/blacklisted, or fines remain unpaid.
The official DHA Renew Professional Registration service states renewal can be done within 3 months before expiry, or within 3 months after professional license cancellation.
DHA lists PSV submission for required documents (experience, valid license, and good standing) and payment of any outstanding fines as prerequisites.
Official service requirements include valid passport copy (if not already updated), PSV result for required documents, and surgical logbook where there is a clinical gap exceeding 2 years for surgical specialties.
The Renew Professional Registration service page lists an average processing time of 5 working days.
DHA service limitations state renewal can be blocked if registration is expired, if the professional is revoked/blacklisted, or if outstanding fines are unpaid.
On DHA's Renew Professional License service, the fee for a full-time license is AED 3,000 (1 year), AED 5,000 (2 years) or AED 7,500 (3 years) for physicians and dentists, and AED 1,000, AED 1,500 or AED 2,500 for nurses, midwives, allied health and T&CM. Part-time and trainee licenses are AED 3,000 for physicians and dentists and AED 1,000 for the other categories. A Knowledge and Innovation fee is added at checkout. The separate professional registration renewal service is AED 200.
DHA lists a penalty for late full-time license renewal of AED 600 per month for physicians and dentists and AED 200 per month for nurses, allied health and T&CM professionals. DHA also states that a full-time license cannot be renewed once it has been expired for more than 6 months, so start early.
The Renew Professional License service is applied for by the healthcare facility: delegated facility representatives apply in Sheryan on behalf of the professional. DHA lists valid medical malpractice insurance covering the professional, the minimum annual CME/CPD requirements in the PQR, and payment of any outstanding fines as prerequisites, with a valid passport copy and Emirates ID if not already updated. The license can be renewed from 90 days before its expiry date.
If you have not yet passed and licensed, review score targets and retake policy before you plan your renewal timeline.
Worried about retaking? See our DHA pass rate guide for score targets and retake policy.
Renewal rules can be updated by DHA. Always confirm your live account requirements in Sheryan before payment.
Starting within the official renewal window helps prevent delays, service blocks, and avoidable fee waste.
View DHA License IssuancePassing the exam does not alone allow independent practice. Your Dubai facility must activate your license, malpractice coverage must be in force, and medical fitness must be current.
Renewal cycles require CME credits documented in Sheryan before expiry — late renewal can pause privileges even when your employment contract continues.
Malpractice policies often start on activation date — coordinate with HR so gaps do not occur between Pass and first clinical shift. Fitness tests at approved centres may need repeat if delayed more than a few months after initial screening.
Renewal windows open before expiry; late renewal can suspend privileges even if you remain employed. Log CME activities in Sheryan as you complete them rather than batch-uploading at deadline.
Employers sometimes reimburse CME — retain invoices tagged to your DHA registration number for HR audit.
The Dubai Health Authority regulates independent healthcare practice within the Emirate of Dubai. It is separate from the Department of Health (DOH) in Abu Dhabi and from MOHAP licensing for Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain. Your offer letter emirate determines which regulator you pursue first — switching later requires a new application even when exams look similar.
Sheryan (often called DHA Connect) hosts eligibility questionnaires, primary-source verification status, exam authorizations, and license lifecycle events. Keep the email tied to your profile active; password resets during verification windows delay query responses.
Dubai facilities activate licenses after you pass assessment, complete medical fitness at approved centres, and satisfy malpractice insurance rules tied to your employer. Locum contracts and visit arrangements do not replace full DHA licensure for unsupervised clinical duties.
GP physician categories sit for 150 single-best-answer MCQs in a 3-hour computer-based session, with an officially published pass score of 60%, per the DHA CBT guideline (updated Sep 2026). Individual candidates are not shown their own numeric score — only Pass/Fail in Sheryan. There is no penalty for wrong answers — unanswered items at timeout count as incorrect.
Prometric centres enforce biometric check-in and provide a whiteboard or note sheet depending on location. Flag-and-review lets you revisit marked questions within the same session if time remains; practice this workflow in timed mocks so it feels automatic on exam day.
Candidates who pass on the first or second attempt commonly report 3,000–6,000 MCQs completed with explanation review, not merely answered. Volume without review plateaus around 55–60% mock accuracy; logging why distractors fooled you adds the last 10–15 points needed for comfortable Pass margins.
Working doctors often schedule 40–60 MCQs on weekdays and one 100–150 question mock on weekends for 10–12 weeks. Full-time study can double weekday volume — adjust using mock trends, not guilt.
In the final week, reduce new topic introduction. Sleep regularisation matters: Prometric sessions start at fixed appointment times regardless of your night-shift recovery from hospital duties.
Figures and policies change. Confirm your profession category, fee schedule, and document list in Sheryan (DHA Connect) before paying verification or exam fees.
This guide is written for doctors preparing for DHA licensing in Dubai, UAE. Requirements change — always confirm fees, deadlines, and eligibility on official authority portals before booking your exam slot.
This page supports one part of your Dubai, UAE licensing journey. Combine it with official Dubai Health Authority communication, your employer HR checklist, and consistent MCQ practice before the Prometric sitting.
Before acting on any third-party guide (including this one), confirm your profession category, document list, and fee schedule directly with Dubai Health Authority. Policies in Dubai, UAE are updated without always being reflected in older blog posts.
If your profile involves gaps in practice, multiple registrations, or credentials from several countries, expect additional review steps — generic checklists may not cover your case.
Next step — exam practice
Reading guides alone rarely converts to exam performance. After you confirm Dubai Health Authority requirements, use GulfMedExams to drill exam-style MCQs with explanations, track weak systems, and revisit high-yield topics before booking your slot.
Requirements, fees, and timelines change. This page is educational — always confirm your category-specific rules on official authority portals before paying verification or exam fees.