Open a Clinic in Sharjah or the Northern Emirates: SHA and MOHAP Licensing
Open a clinic in Sharjah with the Sharjah Health Authority, or in Ajman, UAQ, RAK or Fujairah with MOHAP: steps, documents, timelines and official fees.
To open a private clinic in Sharjah, including Sharjah Healthcare City and Sharjah's other free zones, you now license it with the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA), under a Sharjah Executive Council decision of July 2025. You apply on the SHA portal for initial approval (8 working days, valid one year), fit out, then pass inspection for the final licence (8 working days). In Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, the federal Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) licenses private clinics; its final licence fee for a general clinic is AED 5,000.
Last checked: 26 October 2026
Which authority licenses your clinic
| Location | Facility licence from | Where you apply |
|---|---|---|
| Sharjah: private clinics, including Sharjah Healthcare City and other free zones | Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) | SHA portal (portal-sha.shj.ae) |
| Sharjah: federal government facilities (Emirates Health Services) | Federal system | Not open to private investors |
| Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah | MOHAP | MOHAP website or app with UAE PASS |
The Sharjah change came from an Executive Council decision of 15 July 2025 regulating health activities and professions (Sharjah Executive Council). It covers Sharjah government facilities, private facilities in the emirate and its free zones, and the professionals working in them. Federal facilities are excluded. For the background on SHA, MOHAP and EHS, see our Sharjah Ministry of Health guide.
Opening a clinic in Sharjah: the SHA route
Step 1: Initial approval
The investor or a legal representative applies through SHA's Initial Approval Service. It applies inside and outside Sharjah Healthcare City.
- Documents: owner's Emirates ID and passport, layout plan, proposal letter, power of attorney (if a representative files), trade name reservation and an affection plan from Town Planning.
- Conditions: the facility type must exist in SHA's classification, and the plans must meet SHA standards.
- Time: 8 working days.
- Output: an initial approval letter and an approved, stamped layout.
- Validity: one year. The initial approval is not a licence to operate.
- Fee: SHA says it depends on the facility type.
Step 2: Extend if fit-out runs late
SHA's extension service adds up to one year and can be used more than once. File before expiry or within one month after it, with a letter explaining the delay. The fee is AED 1,000 for a clinic and AED 2,000 for a hospital, long-term home care, fertility, one day surgery or dialysis centre. Miss that window and you start again with a new initial approval.
Step 3: Final (permanent) licence
- Documents: stamped layout, waste management registration (WEQAYA), trade licence, medical director registration form, building completion certificate, Emergency Operation Plan approval from the Emergency and Disaster Management Division, FANR licence if you have radiation equipment, and an equipment list.
- Conditions: a valid initial approval, fit-out matching the approved layout, and a licensed medical director and technical supervisor appointed as your facility type requires.
- Inspection: booked through the portal. If you fail, SHA issues a report and you can correct and rebook.
- Time: 8 working days. Validity: one year, renewable.
- Fee: depends on the facility type.
Other SHA fees worth knowing
| Service | SHA fee |
|---|---|
| Initial approval extension (clinic) | AED 1,000 |
| Initial approval extension (hospital, one day surgery, fertility, dialysis, long-term home care) | AED 2,000 |
| Change of medical director or responsible pharmacist | AED 1,000 |
| Modify facility owners | AED 3,000 |
| Transfer of ownership | Operating permit fee applies |
Your doctors and nurses need SHA professional licences too. SHA lists full-time licences at AED 3,000 for physicians and dentists and AED 1,000 for nurses and allied health, as covered in our Sharjah guide.
Sharjah Healthcare City
Sharjah Healthcare City (SHCC) is a healthcare free zone that offers 100% ownership, tax-free benefits and single-window setup. It is regulated by SHA, so a clinic there follows the same SHA initial approval and final licence steps. It suits investors who want full ownership and a medical cluster address.
Opening a clinic in Ajman, UAQ, RAK or Fujairah: the MOHAP route
MOHAP's Health Facility License service covers clinics, medical and diagnostic centres, home health, one day surgery and hospitals.
- Apply on the MOHAP website or app with UAE PASS (approval: 1 working day).
- Initial inspection of the site (2 working days).
- Site plan verification by MOHAP engineers (5 to 7 working days).
- Initial approval, valid six months. It lets you complete the technical requirements but not operate.
- Collect other approvals: Civil Defence, medical waste agreement, FANR (if needed), trade licence from the emirate's economic department, and owner security clearance.
- License your staff with MOHAP (see our MOHAP licence guide).
- Final inspection (7 to 10 working days).
- Pay the final licence fee and receive the licence by email (2 working days).
You must also register in Tatmeen and Riayati, and for the final licence MOHAP asks for an external billboard photo, service price list, equipment list, partners' names and internal rules.
MOHAP fees
| Item | Clinic, specialist, medical centre, diagnostic, rehabilitation | Hospital and larger facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Application | AED 100 | AED 100 |
| Initial inspection | AED 1,000 | AED 2,000 |
| Site plan verification | AED 1,000 | AED 2,000 |
| Re-verification of site plan | AED 500 | AED 1,000 |
| Facility type | MOHAP final licence fee |
|---|---|
| General medicine or general dental clinic, home health care centre | AED 5,000 |
| Specialised clinic or specialised dental clinic | AED 6,000 |
| Medical centre (two or three specialties) | AED 12,000 to 18,000 |
| Imaging centre or laboratory | AED 6,000 to 18,000 (one to three specialties) |
| One day surgery or assisted reproduction centre | AED 20,000 |
| Hospital | AED 20,000 (1 to 50 beds) to AED 40,000 (over 100 beds) |
Source: MOHAP's final approval for licensing page. Rent, fit-out, trade licence, Civil Defence and staff licences are extra.
SHA and MOHAP side by side
| SHA (Sharjah) | MOHAP (Ajman, UAQ, RAK, Fujairah) | |
|---|---|---|
| First approval | Initial approval, 8 working days | Application, inspection and plan check, about 8 to 10 working days |
| First approval validity | 1 year, extendable by 1 year more than once | 6 months |
| Final licence | 8 working days after inspection | Final inspection 7 to 10 working days, licence 2 working days |
| Licence fee | Varies by facility type (not published on the service card) | Published: from AED 5,000 for a general clinic |
| Foreign owners | SHCC offers 100% ownership | Local authority must issue a letter setting the permitted foreign ownership percentage |
Ownership and the medical director
You do not have to be a doctor to own a clinic in these emirates. Federal rules require a licensed technical (medical) director: for a clinic, a licensed physician in a relevant specialty or a specialist professional with an accredited qualification in the facility's field (MOHAP). MOHAP says non-nationals may own a facility once the local authority issues an approval letter setting the permitted foreign ownership percentage. Its initial licence stage also asks for proof of the owner's qualifications, so ask MOHAP what that means for your case. More detail is in Can a non-doctor own a clinic in the UAE?
Advertising licences
In Sharjah, SHA issues a medical advertisement licence, but you must first get MOHAP approval for the ad, then submit the materials to SHA (8 working days). Any change to the ad needs a new application. In the other Northern Emirates, MOHAP licenses healthcare advertising; its social media licence costs AED 100 to apply plus AED 1,000 a month or AED 3,000 a year (MOHAP).
Marketing before you open
Ad licences take days, and your Google Business Profile, landing pages and tracking take weeks, so start them while fit-out is under way. Have compliant ad copy approved in time to go live the day the final licence is issued. Our free launch plan lays out the order for your emirate, and marketing a new clinic: the first 90 days gives the full schedule. For local tactics see Google Ads for clinics in Sharjah and Ajman.
Frequently asked questions
Does MOHAP still license private clinics in Sharjah?
No, not for new private clinics. Since the July 2025 Executive Council decision, SHA licenses private and Sharjah government facilities, including in free zones. Federal facilities stay under the federal system.
How much does a clinic licence cost in Ajman or Ras Al Khaimah?
MOHAP charges AED 100 to apply, AED 1,000 each for initial inspection and site plan verification, and a final licence fee of AED 5,000 for a general clinic or AED 6,000 for a specialised clinic.
How long is SHA initial approval valid?
One year. You can extend it by up to one year, more than once, for AED 1,000 for a clinic, as long as you apply before expiry or within one month after.
Can a foreigner own a clinic in the Northern Emirates?
Yes, if the local authority issues an approval letter setting the permitted foreign ownership percentage, according to MOHAP. In Sharjah, Sharjah Healthcare City offers 100% ownership.
Do I need a separate licence to advertise my Sharjah clinic?
Yes. SHA issues a medical advertisement licence after you obtain MOHAP approval for the ad. It takes up to 8 working days.
Sources
- Sharjah Executive Council: Decision to regulate health activities and professions (July 2025)
- Sharjah Health Authority: Services, including Initial Approval, Initial Approval Extension, Permanent Licence, owner change, medical director change and medical advertisement licence
- Sharjah Healthcare City: About
- MOHAP: Issue a Health Facility License
- MOHAP: Final approval for licensing a health facility (fees)
- MOHAP: Changing the technical director of a private medical facility
- MOHAP: License for healthcare advertisement on social media
Published 26 Oct 2026 · Access One
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