MOHAP license: how to get licensed in the Northern Emirates

What MOHAP regulates

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP, وزارة الصحة ووقاية المجتمع, often searched as "وزارة الصحة الامارات") is the federal health regulator. It licenses health professionals and private facilities in the emirates that do not run their own health authority. In practice that means the Northern Emirates: Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and much of Sharjah. The Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) also regulates some facilities in Sharjah, so confirm with your employer which body holds its facility licence.

Abu Dhabi is regulated by DoH (see our DoH license guide). Dubai is regulated by DHA (see our DHA license guide), except for Dubai Healthcare City, which has its own regulator (see DHCC guide).

MOHAP is the regulator. The federal government hospitals and clinics in the Northern Emirates are run by a separate body, Emirates Health Services (EHS).

MOHAP vs DHA vs DoH at a glance

The biggest practical difference: with MOHAP, your evaluation certificate is personal, but the licence itself is a facility transaction. You cannot get an active MOHAP licence without an employer.

Part 1: the MOHAP evaluation (eligibility and exam)

MOHAP calls this service Healthcare Professional Evaluation. It is open to physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals.

1. Check the Unified PQR. Read the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements for your title. MOHAP, DoH, DHA and SHA all use it.
2. Log in with UAE PASS on the MOHAP website or MOHAP smart app.
3. Fill in the form and upload documents, including copies of any previous DataFlow reports.
4. Attach exam exemption documents if you qualify, pay the fee and submit.
5. MOHAP review: the ministry says it reviews requests within 5 working days. You then get a link to pay DataFlow for certificate verification.
6. Exam or exemption: after DataFlow, the file goes either to a scheduled exam or to exemption.
7. Evaluation certificate issued. MOHAP's nursing and allied licence page states the assessment certificate is valid for five years.

Documents MOHAP asks for: academic certificates, proof of experience in your specialty, the professional licence covering that experience, a good standing certificate from the authority where you work, a valid passport, and copies of earlier DataFlow reports. Certificates not in Arabic or English need a certified legal translation.

Key conditions:

• No break in practice longer than two years for this service, unless you show training that meets the PQR.
• DataFlow must return a positive result on all documents.
• Maximum three exam attempts per category.

The MOHAP exam

MOHAP's service pages say an exam is required where the PQR requires it, but they do not publish question counts, timing or pass marks. Most candidates sit a computer-based test, commonly delivered by Prometric. Some titles get a written or oral exam. Your application shows which one you have been assigned.

Under the Unified PQR, you get three attempts across all UAE authorities combined. After three failures, one final attempt may be allowed with a different authority. Exams are held in English. Coaching sites quote pass marks between 60% and 70%. Treat those as unofficial.

Part 2: the MOHAP licence (applied for by the facility)

Once you hold a valid evaluation and a job offer, the private facility applies through its MOHAP account. The official service cards are Licensing or re-licensing of health professionals (doctors and dentists) and License for nursing and medical professionals.

1. The facility logs in with UAE PASS and selects the licence type.
2. It enters your details and uploads documents.
3. A MOHAP employee checks the request and sends it back for online payment.
4. The facility pays, and a MOHAP officer does the final review.
5. The licence is issued. MOHAP lists 1 to 2 working days for the doctor licensing service.

Documents usually required at this stage: valid assessment certificate, recent experience certificates, certificate of good conduct, the facility's authorisation request, job offer and employment contract, passport, photo, residence visa and Emirates ID, and malpractice (medical error) insurance. Doctors aged 60 or over need a physical and mental fitness report from EHS. The introductory form also needs security approval through the MOHAP office for the facility's emirate.

Facility rules that can block your licence: MOHAP requires one registered nurse for every two doctors, or two dental assistants for every two dentists, in non-hospital facilities. If the clinic is short of nurses, your licence can be held up even if your file is perfect.

MOHAP license fees (official)

Fees above come from MOHAP's own service cards. Government facilities do not pay the licence fee, and their licences renew automatically on expiry.

Renewal

Renewal is done by the facility through the Renewal of health professional license service. The facility selects you from its staff list, uploads your CME certificates and malpractice insurance, pays and downloads the renewed licence. MOHAP lists 1 working day. CME must be in your own specialty, so keep certificates organised during the year.

Transferring between MOHAP, DHA and DoH

A licence never moves between authorities by itself. You open a new file with the new regulator. What does carry over:

• Your DataFlow report. Upload copies of earlier reports, so only new documents are verified.
• Your exam result, in many cases. MOHAP's evaluation rules say applicants moving from DoH or DHA need a valid licence, or one expired for no more than six months. Otherwise you must clear the MOHAP exam.
• Your experience. MOHAP counts experience from the date your licence was issued and you passed the required exams.

Going the other way, from MOHAP to Dubai, follow our DHA exam guide and DataFlow for DHA guide.

Contacts

• MOHAP call centre: 80011111
• Apply online: MOHAP website or MOHAP smart app, login with UAE PASS
• Security approval emails by emirate (from MOHAP's service card): Sharjah SH.SA@mohap.gov.ae, Ajman aj.customerservice@mohap.gov.ae, Fujairah pml.fuj@mohap.gov.ae, Ras Al Khaimah rk.pml@mohap.gov.ae, Umm Al Quwain uaq@mohap.gov.ae

Frequently asked questions

Is a MOH license the same as a MOHAP license?

Yes. The Ministry of Health was renamed the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP). People still say "MOH license", but it is the same licence.

Can I work in Dubai with a MOHAP license?

No. Dubai needs a DHA licence. Your MOHAP licence and DataFlow report make the DHA application easier, but you still apply through Sheryan.

Can I apply for a MOHAP license without a job offer?

You can complete the evaluation (eligibility, DataFlow and exam) on your own. The licence itself is applied for by the employing facility, so you need a job offer to get it issued.

How long is the MOHAP evaluation certificate valid?

MOHAP states the assessment certificate is valid for five years. The practising licence itself is renewed by your facility.

How many attempts do I get at the MOHAP exam?

Three per category, and the Unified PQR counts attempts across all UAE authorities. One final attempt may be granted with a different authority after three failures.

Who pays the MOHAP license fee?

The licence fee is charged to the private facility that applies for you: AED 3,000 for doctors and AED 1,000 for nurses and technicians, plus AED 100 application. Whether it is passed on to you depends on your contract.

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Sources

• MOHAP: Healthcare Professional Evaluation
• MOHAP: Licensing or re-licensing of health professionals
• MOHAP: License for nursing and medical professionals
• MOHAP: Renewal of health professional license
• Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR)

Published 18 Oct 2026 · Access One