For clinicians moving into premium private care in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh or Doha, Primary Source Verification (PSV/DataFlow) is the step that most often dictates your start date. This guide gives you a clean, reusable checklist so your verification runs once—correctly—with no avoidable clarifications.
Who this is for: Western-trained Nurses, Physiotherapists, and Doctors heading to DHA/DOH (UAE), SCFHS (Saudi Arabia) or QCHP (Qatar).
1) What PSV verifies (know the scope before you start)
Education: degree/diploma title, dates, awarding body, transcripts.
Professional licence & Good Standing: your current/most recent regulator.
Employment history: roles, dates, FTE/part-time, responsibilities.
Identity checks: name consistency across all files.
2) Build the document pack (clean scans, consistent names)
Passport (≥6 months) + passport photo (plain background).
Degree/diploma + full transcripts (programme name, dates, hours/credits).
Current/most recent licence + Good Standing Certificate (recently issued).
Employment reference letters (on letterhead, signed/stamped; roles, dates, duties, FTE).
CV (chronological; month/year; no gaps).
Police clearance (often required for immigration/employer).
Name-change evidence (if applicable).
Sworn translations/apostille/notarisation where required by the issuing country.
File hygiene: colour PDF scans, clear edges, legible stamps, English or certified translation; use consistent filenames (e.g., Surname_Name_Degree_2019.pdf).
3) Sequence with licensing & visas (avoid critical-path delays)
Start PSV/DataFlowbefore or in parallel with regulator applications:
DHA (Dubai) / DOH (Abu Dhabi) in the UAE
SCFHS (Saudi Arabia) via Mumaris+
QCHP (Qatar) via MoPH portal
Run immigration with your employer: Entry/Work Visa → Residency (Emirates ID / Iqama / QID).
You may not practise until licence + residency + privileging are all active.
4) Contact your issuers early (this saves weeks)
Send a short, professional note to universities, regulators and former employers:
Confirm who will answer DataFlow requests and which email is monitored.
Share your maiden/married names and student/employee numbers.
Ask for service-level expectations (target response within 5–10 working days).
5) Special cases (prepare evidence upfront)
Closed hospital/university: archived records or regulator attestations.
Agency/locum work: assignment letters + timesheets + supervisor letter.
Name discrepancies: passport + official change document + regulator update.
Career gaps: brief statement with supporting evidence (study, parental leave, etc.).
6) Timelines & costs (signals, not guarantees)
PSV/DataFlow: typically several weeks; issuer responsiveness is the key driver.
Exams (Prometric) / assessments: book early; attach results as instructed.
Who pays: many employers cover regulator and immigration fees; translations/apostilles and police clearance are often candidate costs—confirm in your contract.
7) Common pitfalls—and how to avoid them
Inconsistent dates across CV, references and licence history → reconcile before submission.
Expired Good Standing/Police Clearance → request close to filing.
Low-quality scans/unreadable stamps → rescan in colour at high resolution.
Wrong category exam or missing blueprint alignment → verify category with HR/regulator.
Starting clinical work on a visit visa → never do this.
Title mismatch (contract vs regulator category vs privileging) → align at offer stage.
8) Ready-to-use pre-submission audit (copy/paste)
Passport name = all portal names = all document names.
CV month/year exactly matches every reference letter and licence.
Good Standing issued recently (and valid through submission).
All required translations/apostilles attached.
Issuer contact emails confirmed and expecting PSV requests.
Exam (if required) booked/passed and linked to the file.
9) Short FAQs
Can I start DataFlow without a job offer?
Yes—early PSV shortens total lead time once sponsorship begins.
Will previous GCC PSV reports transfer?
Sometimes partly; each authority (DHA/DOH/SCFHS/QCHP) sets its own reuse rules—plan for gaps.
Do I need OET/IELTS for PSV?
Language testing is usually employer/regulator policy, not a PSV requirement; confirm thresholds with HR.