How to verify a doctor's or clinic's licence in Dubai and the UAE

Which regulator licenses your doctor?

The UAE has several health regulators. A licence from one does not let someone practise in another. Check the register that matches where the clinic is.

The Sharjah change came from a Sharjah Executive Council decision of 15 July 2025. It puts licensing of private facilities and professionals in Sharjah under SHA. Federal government facilities in Sharjah are excluded.

Dubai: check a doctor on Sheryan (step by step)

Option 1: search by name in the Dubai Medical Registry

1. Open the Dubai Medical Registry. Use a computer if the page warns about an unsupported browser.
2. Choose professionals.
3. Type the doctor's name. Spell it as it appears on their passport. Try the surname only if you get no match.
4. Open the result. You see the professional title (for example, Specialist Internal Medicine), licence category and the facility where they work.

Option 2: verify by licence number or DHA unique ID

1. Ask the doctor or clinic for the DHA licence number. Licensed staff carry a DHA licence card.
2. Open Verify Professional License/Registration Status.
3. Fill in either the licence number or the DHA unique ID, not both.
4. Press search.

The result shows:

• Name and nationality.
• Registered positions: category, specialty, status.
• Active licences: facility, specialty, licence type, issue and expiry dates.
• Cancelled licences, with cancellation dates.

DHA asks people who need licence history before 2019, or a formal verification, to email gsc@dha.gov.ae.

How to read the result

• Active licence at the clinic you are visiting: good. Check the expiry date has not passed.
• Registered only, no active licence: the person passed DHA's assessment but is not licensed to practise at any facility. They should not be treating patients.
• Active licence at a different facility: they may hold a part-time licence elsewhere. Ask. A doctor can only work at facilities named on an active licence.
• Specialty mismatch: a GP licence does not cover performing procedures reserved for specialists, such as many surgical or aesthetic procedures.
• No result: try alternative spellings. If still nothing, ask for the licence number. If they cannot give one, do not book.

Dubai: check a clinic or hospital

• A DHA-licensed facility displays its licence at reception.
• Search the facility name in the same Dubai Medical Registry. It shows the licensed specialties.
• Check that the service you want (for example, dental implants or laser) matches a licensed specialty.

Home healthcare companies, IV drip services and aesthetic practitioners who come to your home also need DHA licences. Check both the company and the individual nurse or doctor.

Abu Dhabi: check a DoH licence

The Department of Health lists its public tools on its Lists and Tools page. They run on TAMM:

• Find a Medical Professional: search doctors licensed in Abu Dhabi.
• Find a Healthcare Facility: search licensed facilities.
• Search with Facility Licence Number: check a facility's licence directly.
• Find a Pharmacy: by name or location.

If a doctor or clinic does not appear, ask for the DoH licence number and call DoH. For how DoH licensing works, see DoH licence Abu Dhabi.

Northern Emirates: MOHAP and Sharjah

We could not find a public name search for MOHAP or SHA licences. What you can do:

1. Ask the professional to show their licence card. Note the licence number, name and facility.
2. Call MOHAP on 80011111 to confirm a MOHAP licence (Ajman, UAQ, RAK, Fujairah).
3. For Sharjah private facilities, contact SHA through its services portal.

Employers have a stronger tool. MOHAP issues a Good Standing Certificate (AED 500 for doctors and nurses, AED 300 for pharmacists) valid for six months. The professional applies, so ask them to share it. Licensing steps are in our MOHAP licence guide.

Red flags

• The person cannot or will not give a licence number.
• Treatment happens in a salon, hotel room or private flat that is not a licensed facility.
• Prescription injectables (botulinum toxin, fillers, IV drips) offered by someone who is not a licensed doctor or nurse.
• Social media ads with "before and after" promises and no facility name.
• Prices far below the market with payment demanded upfront in cash.

How to report an unlicensed doctor or clinic

• Dubai: DHA's free Submit Medical Complaint service, or call 800 342 (24/7). From abroad: +971 4 599 1200.
• Abu Dhabi: DoH's investigation request service, or TAMM.
• Northern Emirates: MOHAP's complaints about private health facilities service. Sharjah: SHA's medical complaint service.

Keep screenshots of ads, receipts, chats and the address. Full steps and timelines are in our complaints guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is the DHA doctor search free?

Yes. Both the Dubai Medical Registry and the Verify Professional License tool are free and need no login.

Can a doctor licensed in Abu Dhabi work in Dubai?

Not on that licence alone. Each emirate's regulator issues its own licence. The doctor must hold a DHA licence to practise in Dubai.

What does "registered" without a licence mean on Sheryan?

The professional passed DHA's eligibility assessment but is not activated at a facility. They are not licensed to treat patients until a facility activates the licence.

How do I check a nurse or physiotherapist?

The same way as a doctor. The DHA registry and licence verification cover all licensed categories, including nurses, dentists, pharmacists and allied health.

How do I check a clinic in Dubai Healthcare City?

DHCC has its own regulator. Contact Dubai Healthcare City Authority. The DHA register may not list free zone staff.

Can I check a doctor's complaints history?

No public complaints history is published. The verification tools show licence status, not disciplinary details.

Clinic owner? Patients do check. Put your DHA licence number on your website and ads. Access One builds compliant clinic campaigns.

Sources

• DHA: Verify Professional License/Registration Status
• DHA: Dubai Medical Registry
• DHA: Submit Medical Complaint
• DoH Abu Dhabi: Lists and Tools
• DoH: Investigation Request for Medical Error
• MOHAP: Good Standing Certificate
• MOHAP: Complaints about private facilities
• Sharjah Executive Council: health regulation decision (July 2025)
• Sharjah Health Authority services
• Gulf News: 3 ways to check a doctor or clinic in Dubai

Published 18 Oct 2026 · Access One