Dubai Health Authority

The mobile registered on Sheryan must be a working UAE number receiving SMS internationally if you are abroad during the application. Causes: the SIM is registered to a previous employer (common for applicants who left a previous facility), the number was changed in real life but never updated in Sheryan, or the OTP routing throttles during high-traffic windows. Fix: update mobile inside Sheryan profile, ensure the SIM is in your name at the operator, and retry. Email OTP is an available fallback for most actions.

Sheryan is primarily web-based; mobile browsers can hang on document uploads larger than 5MB. Compress PDFs before upload (degree certificates are often 10MB+ scans). Use Chrome or Safari rather than in-app browsers. Clear cookies if the dashboard loads stale data. The Sheryan backend has scheduled maintenance windows usually overnight UAE time; checks can fail with cryptic errors during these. Retry after 2-4 hours if a failure recurs.

Use Sheryan > Forgot Password with the registered email. Reset link arrives within minutes; check spam if not. If the email is no longer accessible, contact DHA support (sheryan.dha.gov.ae > Contact Us) with your applicant number, passport copy, and Emirates ID; they reset and route a new link to a current email after identity verification. Allow 2-3 working days for support-mediated resets.

4-12 weeks is the standard range. Major Indian, Egyptian, and Filipino medical schools clear in 4-6 weeks with partially automated verification. Less-known institutions, war-affected countries (Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan), and any case requiring institutional response by paper mail run longer - 12 weeks or beyond. Status updates inside Sheryan show each credential's progress. There is no expedited paid option; DataFlow runs every case in queue order. Apply early relative to your job start date.

Pass marks vary by specialty (typically 60-70%) and the syllabus updates periodically. The authoritative source is dha.gov.ae > Sheryan > Examination Information for the current syllabus per specialty. Study from recent updates only - older Prometric prep packs frequently miss new topics. The exam runs at Prometric centres in Dubai and across the UAE; book inside Sheryan once PSV completes. Three retake attempts; after the third failure a 12-month cooling-off period applies before reapplication.

This is the normal post-exam state. The licence activates only when an employing facility (with its own active DHA facility licence) pulls it through their Sheryan facility account. Provide your DHA licence number and Sheryan applicant ID to the facility's licensing or HR department; they file the activation. The activation typically processes within 1-3 working days. The MOHRE work permit must be valid for the same employer at the same time - the two run in parallel.

Doctors: 40 CME hours per year, of which at least 20 must be Category 1 (live courses, DHA-accredited conferences, structured learning) and the rest can be Category 2 (e-learning, journal reading). Nurses and allied health: 20-30 hours by sub-category. The hours must be from DHA-accredited providers - confirm the provider's DHA accreditation before paying for courses. Track in real time on the DHA CME portal; renewal blocks if hours are short.

No. The DHA licence is valid only in Dubai. Practising in Abu Dhabi requires a separate licence from the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH) with its own PSV and exam (DataFlow data shares partially but not the exam result). The northern emirates require a MOHAP licence. Mutual recognition discussions between DHA, DoH, and MOHAP have advanced but full reciprocity is not yet in force; plan parallel applications if you intend to practise across emirates.

Sheryan > Services > Request Good Standing Certificate. Pay AED 500. Issued in 5-10 working days with a QR-code verification accepted by most GCC regulators, the NHS UK, Australian boards, and others. Requires no open disciplinary matters and a current active licence. If a complaint is open against you the certificate is held until the complaint resolves; expect 30-60 days for routine complaint resolution. The certificate is valid for 6 months from issue.

Within 30 days of expiry: late renewal with a small penalty fee (typically AED 100-300 on top of the regular renewal fee), normal flow otherwise. Beyond 30 days: licence is treated as lapsed and a fresh application is required, including a refresher exam in some specialties and updated DataFlow if more than 5 years has passed since the original. Practising on an expired licence is a disciplinary offence regardless of intent. Set a 90-day calendar reminder ahead of expiry.

Yes, modest fee increases publish in January each year and reset the cost stack. Confirm the current fee schedule on sheryan.dha.gov.ae > Services > Fee Schedule before initiating any application. DataFlow charges are separate from DHA fees and adjust on a different cadence. Budget roughly AED 3,000-8,000 end-to-end for a new doctor licence (eligibility + PSV + exam + activation), more for sub-specialty credentialing.

The employing facility's licensing officer must initiate activation from their Sheryan facility account. Common causes for delay: the facility's own DHA licence is in renewal limbo (their inactive state blocks every individual activation); the licensing officer is not familiar with Sheryan and routes through a typing centre; HR has not communicated to the licensing officer that you have passed. Escalate inside the facility first; if unresolved after 2 weeks, contact DHA support with the facility name and your applicant number.

Open dha.gov.ae > Insurance > File a Complaint. Provide the policy number, claim reference, denial letter, and medical records. DHA's Insurance Regulation team contacts the insurer; insurers must respond within 30 days. Outcome ranges: claim reversed, partial coverage agreed, dispute escalated to a hearing. Systemic patterns (one insurer with multiple complaints) trigger enforcement against the insurer's network licence. Keep all correspondence; emotional language reduces case credibility.