Ask five agencies what a DHA licence costs and you’ll get five different answers — usually because they mix their own fees with government fees, or leave stages out. Here is the complete, itemised picture for doctors applying to the Dubai Health Authority in 2026.
A doctor’s DHA journey has four paid stages. All are paid to the official portals (DHA Sheryan, DataFlow Group, Prometric) — never to an intermediary.
| Stage | Paid to | Typical 2026 fee (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Self-assessment / application | DHA (Sheryan portal) | 200–250 |
| DataFlow Primary Source Verification | DataFlow Group | ~1,235 for doctors (more with extra documents) |
| Prometric exam + scheduling | Prometric | ~500–600 |
| Registration & licence activation | DHA | 1,020–3,020 (activation ~3,000 for private-facility doctors) |
Realistic total: AED 5,000–7,000 for a general practitioner and AED 6,000–10,000 for specialists and consultants, depending on documents, exam category and how smoothly verification goes.
| Stage | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Application & self-assessment | Week 1 |
| DataFlow PSV | Weeks 2–6 (most variable step) |
| Prometric exam | 1–2 weeks to schedule after eligibility |
| Eligibility letter → activation | 1–2 weeks once employer confirmed |
Nearly every avoidable dirham lost in this process comes from one source: a file that wasn’t right the first time. Before paying anything, have your qualifications formally assessed against DHA criteria, your document set checked page by page, and your DataFlow file prepared by someone who knows exactly what verifiers reject. That is precisely what our fixed-fee packages cover — and if our review finds you ineligible before anything is filed, you get a refund (less a US$150 assessment fee).
Government and third-party fees typically total AED 5,000–7,000 for general practitioners and AED 6,000–10,000 for specialists and consultants in 2026, spread across the application, DataFlow PSV, Prometric exam and licence activation stages.
If you already have a Dubai employer, many hospitals and clinics reimburse or directly pay activation fees. Independent applicants pay the earlier stages (application, DataFlow, exam) themselves, which is the majority of the cost.
Yes — most fees are non-refundable, which is why document rejections are expensive. A rejected DataFlow report or failed self-assessment means paying again. Getting the file right the first time is the single biggest cost saver.
Fixed-fee packages from US$499 — eligibility, DataFlow, exam and licence handled end to end, with government fees at cost.
See packages & pricing