Getting Licensed to Practise — The Four Health Authorities
The Four Authorities
| MOHAP | DHA | DOH Abu Dhabi | Sharjah Health Authority | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covers | Northern emirates | Dubai | Abu Dhabi | Sharjah |
| Vendor | Prometric | Prometric | Pearson VUE | Not published |
| Questions | Not published | 150 (100 for Consultant) | Not published | Not published |
| Duration | Not published | 3 hours | Not published | Not published |
| GP pass mark | Not published | 60% | Not published | Not published |
| Specialist pass mark | Not published | IM 60% · General Surgery 65% · Pediatrics 70% · O&G 60% · Family Medicine 60% · Gastroenterology 65% · Pediatric Surgery 65% | Not published | Not published |
| Consultant pass mark | Not published | 70% | Not published | Not published |
| Exam fee | Not published | USD 280 | Not published | AED 500 assessment |
| Licence fee | Not published | Not published | Not published | 3,000 / 4,000 / 2,000 AED |
| Assessment turnaround | Not published | Not published | Not published | 8 working days |
The specialist pass mark in the UAE varies by specialty. Pediatrics at DHA is 70% — the highest specialist requirement anywhere in the Gulf.
Attempts, Validity & Renewal
| Rule | DHA |
|---|---|
| Attempts | 3, with a possible 4th on declaration of no failure at another UAE regulator — not available for Tier 3 consultant upgrades |
| After final failure | Two-year block. Reapplying requires a new qualification meeting PQR criteria for a higher title — not CME or clinical practice |
| MOHAP, DOH, SHA | Not published. SHA requires applicants to declare prior attempts elsewhere |
Credential Verification
Verification runs through DataFlow. Your medical school, postgraduate training body and current licensing authority are contacted directly to confirm your documents.
Begin it early. It runs in parallel with nothing else and depends on institutions outside your control responding.
No fee is published. Any figure quoted elsewhere, including on agency websites, is an estimate.
Content Blueprint
No UAE authority — MOHAP, DHA, DOH or SHA — publishes a licensing exam blueprint. Any subject weighting shown on this site is MCI Academy's own coverage guide, not a regulator weighting.
English Language Requirements
No UAE authority publishes a general English proficiency requirement for medical licensing. The requirement sits on training entry: the Department of Health Abu Dhabi requires an English test from international graduates entering its Medical Residency and Internship programmes — IELTS ≥ 6, TOEFL ≥ 79 or OET ≥ C. The Unified PQR carries an English clause for nurses and midwives only, not for physicians. PTE is not accepted.