Allied Health Licensing in the UAE
Everything a pharmacist, physiotherapist, radiographer, or other allied health professional needs to know about getting licensed to practice in the UAE — across DHA, DOH, and MOHAP — in one place.
Allied Health Eligibility Requirements in the UAE
Pharmacists, physiotherapists, radiographers, and other allied health professionals need a relevant accredited diploma or bachelor's degree specific to their field (e.g. Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Medical Laboratory Technology), from an institution recognized on the authority's approved list.
Post-graduation clinical experience: generally 2 years of clinical experience post-graduation is required.
Pharmacist Licensing in Detail
Each allied health field has its own title structure similar to physicians and nurses. Pharmacy is the largest allied health category, so we've broken it out in full as a worked example of how these title categories are structured:
- Pharmacy Technician — Diploma in Pharmacy (minimum 2 years) plus 2 years of experience.
- Pharmacist — BSc in Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy, plus 2 years of experience.
- Clinical Pharmacist — BSc in Pharmacy plus a Clinical Pharmacy Residency (minimum 2 years, no additional experience required), OR a PharmD/Doctor of Pharmacy (minimum 6-year program), OR a BSc plus a 2-year postgraduate qualification plus 2 years of experience (at least 6 months of it in a hospital setting).
- Specialized Pharmacist — BSc/PharmD plus a 1-year postgraduate qualification in one of 16 recognized specialties (e.g. Oncology, Cardiology, Critical Care, Pediatric, Clinical Toxicology) plus 2 years of experience, OR American Board certification in one of these specialties with no additional experience required.
UK Pathway to Clinical Pharmacist
A UK-specific route to Clinical Pharmacist is explicitly recognized: a Bachelor's or 4-year Master's degree in pharmacy plus a Postgraduate Diploma from the UK in Clinical Pharmacy (minimum 1 year duration).
Important Caveat
Experience with pharmaceutical companies or as a sales representative is not accepted toward the pharmacist experience requirement.
Source: Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements, jointly issued by MOHAP, DOH, DHA, and Sharjah Health Authority, April 2025 (PQR §18.26, pp.104–105).
Allied Health Licensing by Authority
DHA — Dubai
The DHA exam is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) administered by Prometric — 100–150 questions over 120–180 minutes depending on exam type, with fees ranging AED 500–900 depending on profession. You may sit for the exam concurrently with PSV.
DOH — Abu Dhabi
The DOH exam is administered by Pearson VUE — 100–150 questions over 150–180 minutes, with fees ranging AED 400–1,000 depending on profession.
MOHAP — Northern Emirates
The MOHAP exam is a Computer-Based Test administered by Prometric — 100–150 questions over 120–180 minutes, with fees ranging AED 350–800 depending on profession.
How Healthcare Licensing Help Supports Allied Health Professionals
We manage the technical, administrative, and regulatory heavy lifting for pharmacists, physiotherapists, radiographers, and other allied health professionals applying to DHA, DOH, or MOHAP — from eligibility review through license activation:
- Eligibility Review — pre-evaluating your accredited degree or diploma against the specific title requirements for your role — Pharmacist, Radiographer, Physiotherapist, or other allied health category — before submitting official files.
- Document Preparation — collecting all necessary documents including transcripts, experience certificates, Good Standing, and licenses in preparation for DataFlow verification.
- DataFlow Coordination — managing your PSV account and tracking verification of your role-specific diploma, degree, or professional registration (e.g. HCPC for MRI Technologists) across issuing institutions.
- Exam Guidance — Booking and scheduling support for your Prometric (DHA, MOHAP) or Pearson VUE (DOH) licensing exam, tailored to your specific allied health role.
- Application Handling — managing your Sheryan, TAMM, or MOHAP portal profile and regulatory communications.
Explore profession-agnostic details on our DHA, DOH, and MOHAP licensing services pages.
Frequently Asked Questions: Allied Health Licensing
Allied health covers accredited roles such as pharmacy, physiotherapy, medical imaging (including radiography), and medical laboratory technology, among other accredited diploma or bachelor's degree fields specific to each role.
A relevant accredited diploma or bachelor's degree specific to your field — for example a Pharmacy degree for pharmacists, a Physiotherapy degree for physiotherapists, or a Radiography qualification for radiographers.
No. Experience with pharmaceutical companies or as a sales representative is not accepted toward the pharmacist experience requirement.
Ready to Start Your Allied Health Licensing Journey?
Book a free consultation. We'll assess your degree and clinical background to map your fastest route to a DHA, DOH, or MOHAP license.