Dentist Jobs in Dubai: DHA Licence, Salary and Where to Apply

Dental titles under DHA

DHA licenses dentists under the UAE's unified Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR). Your title decides what you may do, which jobs you can apply for and how you are paid.

Points that trip people up:

• A dentist without proof of internship needs two extra years of experience.
• Graduates of UAE dental schools are exempt from the experience requirement for General Dentist within three years of finishing internship.
• If you hold a specialty degree but lack the experience for Specialist, you can usually be licensed as a General Dentist (not for dental radiology, forensic dentistry, dental pathology or maxillofacial surgery).
• A gap of practice over three years means extra CPD and supervised training. For dentists, a three to four year gap needs 80 CPD credits and six months of training. Non-UAE nationals generally cannot apply with a gap over five years.

The DHA dentist exam

From DHA's CBT exam guideline (updated September 2026), taken at Prometric centres:

The General Dentist paper covers anaesthesia and pain, oral medicine and surgery, periodontics, TMJ, endodontics, implants, restorative, orthodontics and paediatric dentistry, cosmetic work, patient education and ethics. You get three attempts across all UAE authorities. Booking and retake rules are in our DHA exam guide.

Who skips the General Dentist exam

The PQR exempts applicants with a valid pass in one of these:

• UK: the Overseas Registration Exam (not older than five years), or GDC registration for UK graduates
• USA: National Board Dental Examination Parts I and II
• Australia: all parts of the Australian Dental Council exam, or registration for Australian graduates
• Canada: all parts of the NDEB examination
• Ireland and New Zealand: their national dental registration exams, or registration for local graduates
• UAE: the Emirates Dentistry Residency Entry Examination (EDEE)

An exemption covers the exam only. You still need DataFlow verification and the required experience. See DataFlow for DHA.

Implant and laser privileges

Many Dubai clinics hire general dentists to place implants. DHA treats implantology as a privilege added to your licence, not a specialty. According to the DHA licensing manual and the PQR:

• You must already hold a valid DHA licence.
• General Dentists need at least three years of experience after internship.
• You need a structured postgraduate implant programme of at least 12 months, covering at least 30 implants on multiple patients in a signed logbook, verified through DataFlow.
• You must pass the DHA implantology CBT.
• Laser dentistry needs a programme of at least 125 CPD hours and a DHA oral or written assessment.

If your implant course is more than two years old, DHA asks for two years of recent implant experience and logbook. Put your privilege status on your CV. It changes which jobs you can take.

The licensing path, step by step

1. Run the free self-assessment in Sheryan. See our Sheryan login guide.
2. Start DataFlow verification of your degree, internship, licence and experience letters.
3. Book and pass the DHA exam, unless exempt.
4. Get your DHA registration (eligibility). It is valid for one year from issue.
5. Accept a job. The clinic activates your licence through its Sheryan account, and you must have malpractice insurance in place. See our malpractice insurance guide.
6. Complete the work permit and visa medical.

Fees and timelines for each step are in our DHA licence guide. Once licensed, physicians and dentists need 40 CPD points a year to renew. See DHA licence renewal.

Where dentist jobs in Dubai are posted

• DHA Sheryan Opportunities: vacancies from licensed facilities, with a dentist category.
• Dubai Health careers: government hospital dental departments and health centres, via Dubai Careers. See our DHA careers guide.
• Hospital groups with dental departments, such as Mediclinic, Aster and Medcare. Our hospital jobs guide lists the main portals.
• Dental clinic groups and polyclinics: use the careers link on the clinic's own website rather than a reposted advert.

What Dubai dental employers ask

• Licence status. "DHA licensed" or "DHA eligible" with your registration number. Many clinics will not interview without it.
• Privileges. Implant and laser privileges are often listed as requirements or strong advantages.
• Case portfolio. Photos and case logs for cosmetic, implant and endodontic work.
• Insurance experience. Most patients use insurance, so documentation and pre-approvals matter.
• Patient-facing skills. Treatment planning and case acceptance, because many contracts link pay to billing.
• Part-time licences. A General Dentist can hold one part-time licence on top of the full-time one, with the full-time employer's approval. Specialists in surgical fields can hold up to four.

Dentist salary in Dubai

There is no public pay scale for private dentists. One survey gives a rough guide:

This is self-reported survey data, not offers. Pay varies a lot by title, privileges and clinic. Common contract types in private dentistry are a fixed salary, a fixed salary plus a percentage of collections, or a percentage only. Before signing, ask:

• Is the percentage on gross billing, or after lab fees, materials and insurance rejections?
• Is there a guaranteed minimum, and for how many months?
• Who pays for licence activation, renewal and malpractice cover?
• How many new patients does the clinic bring in each month, and who is responsible for marketing?

For wider pay data, see our doctor salary guide.

Outside Dubai

Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates need a different licence: DoH in Abu Dhabi and MOHAP elsewhere. All use the same PQR, and exam attempts at any UAE authority count towards your three.

Frequently asked questions

How can a foreign dentist work in Dubai?

Get a DHA licence: confirm your title in Sheryan, pass DataFlow verification and the DHA exam unless exempt, then receive your registration. A Dubai clinic then hires you and activates the licence.

How much experience do I need for a General Dentist licence in Dubai?

Two years of clinical experience after a one-year internship, under the PQR. UAE graduates are exempt within three years of finishing internship.

What is the DHA dentist exam pass mark?

60% for General Dentist (code GEN5301) and most specialist papers, 65% for Implantology and 70% for consultant papers. The General Dentist exam has 150 questions and costs USD 280.

Can a UK dentist work in Dubai without the exam?

Yes, if you are a UK graduate registered with the GDC or passed the ORE within the last five years. You still need DataFlow verification and two years of experience.

How much does a dentist earn in Dubai?

Paylab's UAE survey shows most dentists earning about AED 12,700 to 30,700 a month gross. Specialists and dentists with implant privileges often earn more, and many contracts add a percentage of billing.

Can a general dentist place implants in Dubai?

Only with the DHA implantology privilege. That needs three years of post-internship experience, a 12-month structured programme with at least 30 implants, and a pass in the DHA implantology exam.

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Sources

• Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR): Dentists and exam equivalency (PDF)
• DHA Healthcare Professional Licensing Assessment Guideline (CBT), September 2026 (PDF)
• DHA Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals, July 2025 (PDF)
• DHA Sheryan: Opportunities
• Dubai Health: Careers
• Mediclinic Middle East: Careers
• Aster DM Healthcare: Careers
• Medcare: Careers
• Paylab: Dentist salary, United Arab Emirates

Published 26 Oct 2026 · Access One