How to Open a Clinic in Dubai: DHA Facility Licence Steps

Three decisions to make before you apply

Settle these before you sign a lease or pay a consultant.

1. Facility category. DHA licenses a general clinic, specialty clinic, polyclinic, dental clinic, day surgery centre and dozens of other types. Each has its own minimum staff, room schedule and fee. See DHA health facility licence types.
2. Mainland or free zone. A mainland clinic gets its trade licence from Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET). A clinic in Dubai Healthcare City gets its commercial licence from DHCA. Both now need DHA for the health activity. See DHCC or mainland.
3. Owner and medical director. The owner and the medical director do not have to be the same person, but you cannot activate the facility without a licensed medical director. If you are an investor without a medical licence, read can a non-doctor own a clinic in the UAE.

How to open a clinic in Dubai: the 9 steps

This follows DHA's Manual for Licensing Health Facility (version 1.2, issued 30 September 2026) and the Sheryan service pages. Every DHA application goes through Sheryan. DHA does not accept paper or email applications.

1. Reserve a trade name and get initial approval

On the mainland, you apply through the Invest in Dubai platform or a DET service centre. Khaleej Times reported an initial approval fee of AED 120 and a trade name fee of AED 620. A clinic needs a "normal" licence with a lease and external approvals. The DHA facility name must match the trade name in Arabic and English, and DHA can reject misleading names.

DHA's New Facility License page says the trade licence is optional at this stage. You can apply with the expected trade name and ownership details, then upload the licence before activation.

2. Secure premises and get a compliant layout

DHA asks for the Ejari, the Makani number and the Dubai Municipality plot number certificate. The floor plan must be drawn by a DHA-prequalified health facility design consultant, with room counts that follow the DHA Health Facility Guidelines and the Dubai Universal Design Code.

There is no single minimum floor area for a clinic. The area follows from your room schedule. The Outpatients Unit guideline uses 13 m² for a combined consult and examination room. For a three-consult-room unit, it also lists a 10 m² reception, a 10 m² waiting area and a 6 m² accessible toilet, plus utility and storage rooms. Have the designer check the unit before you sign a long lease.

3. Apply for the New Facility License (initial approval)

Create a Sheryan account, then submit the New Facility License application. You will need:

• Owner or partner passport copies, and Emirates ID if available
• Trade licence, or the expected trade name and ownership details
• A facility proposal: services, specialties, staffing and clinical programme
• Location details: Ejari, Makani number, DM plot certificate
• The engineering layout from the prequalified designer

The initial approval fee is AED 1,000 for clinics and polyclinics and AED 2,000 for day surgery centres and hospitals. Knowledge and Innovation fees are added at checkout. DHA lists a processing time of 5 working days.

If approved, you get an inactive facility licence, valid for one year. During this period you may not see patients, treat anyone, or advertise health services. If you do not finish the remaining steps within the year, the process is cancelled and you reapply. Renewing an inactive clinic licence for one more year costs AED 1,000, subject to DHA approval.

4. Fit out and get the other approvals

Build to the approved layout. Before inspection, the manual expects:

• A Civil Defence certificate
• FANR registration if you install X-ray or other radiology equipment, plus DHA's radiation safety inspection
• An electronic medical record system that meets the NABIDH minimum data set, with the approval email for tested NABIDH connectivity (see NABIDH, Malaffi and Riayati)
• A medical waste management contract and a third-party insurance contract
• Approved policies and procedures, and a list of medical equipment

DHA's Standards for Outpatient Facilities also list minimum emergency equipment: an AED (defibrillator), oral airways, oxygen, a nebuliser and suction, with a crash cart recommended for polyclinics and specialty clinics.

5. Hire and license your clinicians

Each doctor, dentist and nurse needs DHA registration first, through DataFlow verification and the DHA exam where required. See the DHA licence guide. Your facility then applies for Activate Professional License for each person:

• Physician or dentist: AED 3,000 for one year (AED 5,000 for two, AED 7,500 for three)
• Nurse, midwife, allied health or TCM: AED 1,000 for one year

Each person needs medical malpractice insurance and, for non-UAE nationals, a valid labour card. You can do this while your facility licence is still inactive. The professional licences stay inactive and switch on automatically when the facility is activated.

Minimum staffing, from the outpatient standard:

Category	Minimum clinical staff
General clinic	Full-time GP, full-time registered nurse and assistant nurse
Specialty clinic	Full-time specialist or consultant, full-time registered nurse and assistant nurse
Polyclinic	Full-time licensed doctors for each specialty, full-time registered nurse and assistant nurse, full-time general dentist if dental is offered
General dental clinic	Full-time general dentist, full-time registered nurse

6. Finalise the trade licence and appoint a medical director

Activation needs a valid trade licence and a medical director chosen from your licensed staff. The medical director cannot direct another facility outside your group. DHA expects a stand-in if the director is away for more than two weeks.

7. Apply to activate and pass the DHA inspection

Submit Activate Facility License when the site is ready. For a general clinic you pay a AED 5,000 one-year licence fee and a AED 2,000 inspection fee. DHA processes the application in about 1 working day, then the inspection team contacts you to book a date.

The inspector checks that the build matches the approved layout and that you have enough licensed staff, a medical director, your equipment list, Civil Defence certificate, policies, insurance and waste contracts, trade licence and NABIDH approval. If you fail, you apply for an amendment and pay for a re-inspection (AED 1,000 for a clinic). Once you pass, the licence becomes active. You can take it for one, two or three years.

8. Register on eClaimLink and join insurance networks

Register on eClaimLink with your DHA licence ID (see eClaimLink and Shafafiya). Then apply to each insurer or TPA you want. They decide which network tier you join. No insurer publishes an empanelment timeline. Start the conversations while you fit out: insurers generally need an active facility licence before they sign a contract.

Since 16 November 2025, a DHA claims directive requires electronic claims through eClaimLink and payment within 45 days for initial claims, according to Al Tamimi & Co. It also bars insurers from charging providers registration or platform fees. See Daman and the insurance network guide.

9. Open, then keep the licence clean

Renewal opens three months before expiry. For a general clinic, late renewal costs AED 1,000 per month. After six months unrenewed, the licence is treated as cancelled. Pay all fines first, because DHA blocks renewals and amendments while fines are outstanding.

How long it takes

DHA publishes processing times for its own steps, not an end-to-end timeline.

Stage	Official time or limit
New Facility License review	5 working days
Inactive licence validity	1 year
Activate Facility License processing	About 1 working day, then the inspection is booked
Activate Professional License	Instant, or 1 working day if records change
Fit-out, hiring, NABIDH, insurance contracts	Not published. These usually set the real timeline

Where applications get stuck

• Layout mismatch. The built site differs from the approved plan. Fix with an amendment and a paid re-inspection.
• Staff not ready. A doctor is still waiting on DataFlow or the exam. Start licensing in parallel with the fit-out.
• No NABIDH approval. Choose a NABIDH-ready EMR early.
• Wrong category. Adding a second specialty can turn a specialty clinic into a polyclinic, with a higher fee and more staff.

Marketing before you open

Create your Google Business Profile with a future opening date: Google shows it 90 days before you open. Build the landing page and a pre-opening Google Ads campaign now, but switch ads on only once the licence is active. DHA bars advertising health services while the licence is inactive, and ads need DHA-compliant content and approval (see how to advertise a clinic in Dubai). Get a free launch plan, or read how to start Google Ads for a clinic.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to open a clinic in Dubai?

DHA reviews the initial application in about 5 working days and activation in about 1 working day, plus inspection booking. The real timeline depends on fit-out, staff licensing and NABIDH set-up. You have one year from initial approval to finish.

Do I need a trade licence before applying to DHA?

No. DHA's New Facility License service lists the trade licence as optional at application. You must have a valid trade licence before you activate the facility.

Can I open a clinic in Dubai if I am not a doctor?

The facility must have a DHA-licensed medical director and licensed staff, but DHA's rules focus on the director, not the owner's profession. Check ownership rules for your activity with DET or your free zone. See our guide on non-doctor ownership.

Can I advertise my clinic before it opens?

Not health services while the licence is inactive: DHA's manual prohibits it. You can prepare your Google Business Profile, website and campaigns, and launch them once the licence is active and your ads meet DHA rules.

How much does it cost to open a clinic in Dubai?

DHA fees to activation are AED 8,000 for a general clinic, AED 9,000 for a specialty clinic and AED 18,000 for a polyclinic, plus professional licences. Rent, fit-out, equipment and salaries are the big costs and vary widely.

For budgets, see cost to open a clinic in Dubai. For other facility types, see dental clinic, aesthetic clinic, home healthcare company and pharmacy. Outside Dubai: Abu Dhabi and Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.

Opening soon? Access One sets up Google Ads for new Dubai clinics, from the first 90 days onward.

Sources

• DHA: Manual for Licensing Health Facility, version 1.2 (30 September 2026)
• DHA Sheryan: New Facility License
• DHA Sheryan: Activate Facility License
• DHA Sheryan: Renew Facility License
• DHA Sheryan: Activate Professional License
• DHA: Standards for Outpatient Facilities (effective 19 January 2025)
• DHA Health Facility Guidelines: Part B, Outpatients Unit
• Khaleej Times: Dubai trade licence types and process (March 2025)
• Al Tamimi & Co: Dubai health insurance claims management framework (October 2025)
• Google Business Profile Help: add an opening date

Published 18 Oct 2026 · Access One