DOH License Abu Dhabi: Requirements, HAAD, TAMM & Fees (2026)

New for 2026: see our step-by-step DOH licensing guides by profession — physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and lab technicians.

What is a DOH License?

A DOH license is the professional license issued by the Department of Health (DOH), the regulatory authority for all healthcare in the emirate of Abu Dhabi — including the city of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and the Western Region (Al Dhafra). If you want to practice medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, or any allied health discipline in Abu Dhabi, you need a DOH professional license.

If you have seen references to "HAAD licensing" or searched "health authority Abu Dhabi HAAD" online, that is the same authority under its old name. The Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) was restructured and renamed to the Department of Health in 2018. All existing HAAD licenses were automatically converted to DOH licenses. The process, the portal, and the requirements are continuous — only the name changed.

Health Bridge operates from Al Khazna Tower in Abu Dhabi. The DOH license is our home-turf authority, and the majority of our 300+ placements have been through DOH. We know this process better than any other because we live inside it every day.

DOH License Requirements

The DOH license requirements are similar to DHA but with some Abu Dhabi-specific nuances:

• A medical degree or professional qualification from a DOH-recognized institution
• Minimum two years of post-qualification clinical experience — three or more for specialist and consultant roles
• Active professional registration or license from your home country
• Certificate of Good Standing less than six months old
• Clean disciplinary record

One important distinction: DOH maintains its own approved institution list that does not perfectly match DHA's list. A university recognized by DHA may not be recognized by DOH, and vice versa. We have seen candidates assume they can apply to DOH because they qualify for DHA — always verify separately.

Not sure if DOH recognizes your qualifications? We check within 24 hours. Send us your CV and we will give you a direct answer.

How to Get a DOH License: Step by Step

Here is how to get a DOH license in Abu Dhabi, start to finish:

1. Prepare and attest documents — degree, transcripts, home-country license, Good Standing certificate, experience letters
2. Complete DataFlow PSV — mandatory verification of every credential (transferable if you already hold a DHA or MOHAP license)
3. Pass the DOH Pearson VUE exam — plus an oral assessment if you are a specialist or consultant
4. Submit to DOH — application reviewed by the Department of Health Abu Dhabi; some admin steps run through the TAMM portal, where you can also check and download your DOH license
5. Receive your DOH license

How DOH Differs from DHA

If you are choosing between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, or if you have been through the DHA license process and are wondering how DOH compares, here are the key differences that actually matter:

• DOH uses the TAMM portal for some administrative functions (the "TAMM DOH license" services), while DHA uses the Sheryan portal exclusively. The DOH licensing portal itself is separate from both
• DOH may require oral assessments for specialists and consultants, in addition to or instead of a computer-based exam. DHA relies primarily on Prometric exams
• DOH exams are administered through Pearson VUE, not Prometric. The exam format and content differ
• DOH licensing fees are generally 10 to 15 percent lower than DHA for the same profession
• Abu Dhabi salaries are comparable to Dubai for most specialties, but the cost of living is lower, meaning your take-home purchasing power is often better
• DOH covers Al Ain and the Western Region in addition to Abu Dhabi city — giving you more placement options within a single license

For a detailed side-by-side fee comparison across all three authorities, see our complete cost breakdown.

Eligibility Notes

Beyond the core DOH license requirements above, two Abu Dhabi-specific points matter. First, DOH's approved-institution list is its own — verify your university against DOH separately even if DHA recognizes it. Second, newly qualified nurses should check the 2026 experience-waiver rules in our fresh-graduate nursing guide, which apply to DOH as well as DHA.

DataFlow PSV for DOH

Like DHA, DOH requires DataFlow Primary Source Verification before considering any application. The process is identical — DataFlow contacts your universities, licensing bodies, and employers to verify every credential. Standard processing takes 20 to 30 business days. See our full DataFlow guide for documents and how to check your DataFlow status.

The good news for candidates who already hold a DHA or MOHAP license: your existing DataFlow PSV results are usually transferable to DOH. This saves you the largest single fee (AED 935 to AED 1,235+) and several weeks of processing time. See our license transfers guide for how this works.

DataFlow Fees

• Nurses and allied health: approximately AED 935
• Physicians and specialists: approximately AED 1,235 or more, depending on document complexity

DOH Licensing Exam

This is where DOH diverges most from DHA. The exam system has two components, and which ones you face depends on your professional category:

Computer-Based Exam (Pearson VUE)

Most healthcare professionals sit a computer-based exam administered by Pearson VUE — not Prometric, which is what DHA uses. The format is similar: multiple-choice questions covering clinical knowledge relevant to your specialty. The content, however, is DOH-specific and may emphasize different clinical protocols.

Pearson VUE test centres are available in the UAE and internationally, including locations in India, the Philippines, Pakistan, the UK, and other countries. You can schedule and sit the exam from overseas without a UAE visa.

Oral Assessment (Specialists and Consultants)

This is the big difference. DOH may require an in-person oral assessment for specialist and consultant applicants. A panel of senior specialists from your field evaluates your clinical reasoning through case discussions and scenario-based questions.

The oral assessment is conducted in Abu Dhabi and cannot be done remotely. If you are applying from overseas, you will need to plan a trip to Abu Dhabi for this step. Some candidates combine the oral assessment visit with job interviews at Abu Dhabi hospitals.

Our candidates who prepare specifically for the oral format pass at a 90% rate. The key differences from a written exam: you need to demonstrate clinical reasoning out loud, show decision-making under uncertainty, and handle follow-up questions from the panel. We provide structured preparation guidance for this.

DHA to DOH License Transfer

A common move is a DHA to DOH license transfer — switching your practice from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. The big advantage is that your DataFlow PSV results carry over, so you skip the largest single fee and several weeks of verification. You submit a fresh application to DOH, may need to sit the DOH Pearson VUE exam or oral assessment, and pay a report transfer fee. A complete transfer typically finishes in four to eight weeks rather than the full two-to-four months. The same applies in reverse (DOH to DHA) and from MOHAP. Our license transfers service handles the whole move.

How Long Does It Take?

Total: two to four months for standard processing. If you are transferring from DHA or MOHAP with existing DataFlow results, the timeline compresses to four to eight weeks.

DOH License Fees: What Does It Cost?

Total authority fees: AED 2,300 to AED 3,100 for nurses, AED 3,300 to AED 4,500 for physicians. These are approximately 10 to 15 percent lower than equivalent DHA fees. For a complete comparison across all three authorities, see our fee breakdown guide.

Why Abu Dhabi?

Abu Dhabi is often overlooked in favour of Dubai, but for healthcare professionals, the capital has several distinct advantages:

• SEHA (Abu Dhabi Health Services Company) operates the largest healthcare network in the UAE — 14 hospitals and numerous clinics, all government-funded with excellent infrastructure
• Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, one of the top-ranked hospitals in the Middle East, recruits internationally and offers premium compensation packages
• Housing costs are 20 to 30 percent lower than Dubai for comparable accommodation
• A single DOH license covers Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain, and the Western Region — more geographic coverage than a DHA license, which only covers Dubai
• Abu Dhabi's healthcare sector is expanding rapidly, with new facilities opening across Al Ain and the Western Region, creating more positions than Dubai's relatively saturated market

Common DOH Licensing Mistakes

• Assuming DOH uses Prometric — it does not. Study materials for the DHA Prometric exam will not fully prepare you for the DOH Pearson VUE exam
• Not preparing for the oral assessment — if you are a specialist, this may be required and it is fundamentally different from a written exam
• Applying to DOH with a DHA-approved institution assuming it is automatically recognized — DOH has its own approved list
• Not planning travel to Abu Dhabi for the oral assessment — this cannot be done remotely and needs to be scheduled in advance
• Overlooking Abu Dhabi opportunities because Dubai gets more media attention — the salary and lifestyle difference often favours Abu Dhabi

Ready to start your DOH license application? Reach out to our team for a free eligibility assessment. As an Abu Dhabi-based consultancy, the DOH license is our specialty.