Last updated on 26-Oct-2026, by Dr. Muhammad

DHA Dubai License Renewal Procedure 2026: Documents, Fees, CPD and Timeline

A DHA (Dubai Health Authority) licence is what allows you to practise in the Emirate of Dubai, and keeping it current is mostly about planning your CPD early. One point surprises many people: the renewal request is submitted by your health facility, not by you. Your part is to have your CPD, insurance and personal details ready in Sheryan before the window opens.

What are Eligibility Requirement & Timeline for DHA license Renewal?

The facility you work for applies for renewal through the Sheryan system within the 3 months before your licence expiry date. The new validity starts from the old expiry date, for the period the facility chooses.

How to renew your DHA licence step by step

What are Required documents for DHA license renewal?

For a routine renewal DHA asks for very little paperwork, because your verified records are already in Sheryan. Depending on your situation you may need:

• CPD certificates covering the full licence period (always needed).
• A valid passport, and Emirates ID details, if not updated previously.
• Valid medical malpractice insurance covering the renewal period.
• A medical fitness report from a medical fitness centre, issued within the last 3 months, if you are 65 or older.
• A surgical logbook (facility logo, procedures, dates, medical director stamp or electronic verification) if you are a surgeon, every 2 years.
• New education, experience or CME can be added to your profile at any time.

If you are returning to Dubai after time away, DHA may ask for updated DataFlow PSV of your recent experience, licence and a new good standing certificate. This applies when your verified experience is more than 2 years old or your DHA licence was cancelled more than a year ago.

What is DHA license Renewal fees?

Fees as listed on DHA's "Request to Renew Healthcare Professional License" service page. Pharmacists are not listed separately there, so confirm the fee shown in Sheryan. In practice many employers pay the renewal fee; check your contract.

What happens if your DHA licence expires?

The applicant's failure to renew the licence on time results in a late renewal penalty. An expired licence can still be renewed within 6 months of the expiry date, through an online application, once all requirements are met and the penalty is paid. DHA does not publish the penalty amount in its licensing manual; Sheryan shows it when the renewal is submitted. The older figures of AED 600 or AED 200 per month that circulate online are not on DHA's current service page, so do not rely on them.

Two rules matter more than the money:

• You cannot practise at all while your licence is expired.
• A licence is cancelled if you do not practise for 6 consecutive months during its validity without an excuse DHA accepts. After that a new licence is needed.

What are CME/CPD requirements for DHA license renewal?

Healthcare professionals must complete a set number of CPD (Continuing Professional Development, often called CME) points for each year of licence validity before renewal. Without the required points, Sheryan will not let the renewal go ahead.

The rules on what counts are just as important as the totals:

• At least 70% of your points must relate to your specialty; up to 30% can be general professional development.
• Online accredited programmes are accepted, up to 100% of the target, as long as they relate to your specialty.
• Surplus points cannot be carried forward to the next licence period.
• If you hold licences in two categories, the higher requirement applies.
• Routine ward rounds, morning meetings, internal departmental meetings, induction, software training and basic product training do not count.
• Serving on a DHA assessment panel counts towards your annual CPD.

A practical tip: upload certificates to Sheryan as you earn them rather than in the last month. Because the facility cannot submit the renewal until your points are in, a shortfall found late can push you past the expiry date.

Leaving your job or Dubai: how to keep your DHA registration alive

When you resign, your facility cancels your licence. Your DHA registration then stays active for 1 year after cancellation. During that year it can be renewed, or activated into a new licence by another facility. Registration renewal can be requested within 90 days before it expires, which keeps your approval in place without reassessment as long as you have no practice gap.

If you let things lapse, these rules decide what you need to do:

• Coming back within 5 years of cancellation, for the same position and with no practice gap, you do not need to retake the DHA assessment.
• If you passed the DHA assessment more than 2 years ago and your registration is no longer active, a new assessment is required.
• A practice gap means more than 2 years without clinical practice. It brings extra CPD and supervised training, and non-UAE nationals cannot apply after a gap of more than 5 years.

Licences from DOH Abu Dhabi and MOHAP are handled separately; see how to transfer a DHA or MOHAP licence to DOH. Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) licences are issued by the Dubai Healthcare City Authority, not DHA, so their renewal follows DHCC's own process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Comments

Readers have asked us these questions over time. Tap any question to open it and read our reply.