In Dubai, Eligibility confirms you meet DHA’s professional standards; it does not permit practice. A DHA Licence is the legal authorisation to work—issued for a named employer/facility and aligned to your privileges. Many delays happen between these two stages, not during them.
What “Eligibility” really means (and doesn’t)
Eligibility = green light on paper
Qualification and experience accepted for the requested category.
Exams (if required) passed and recorded.
PSV/DataFlow components (education/licence/employment) verified or near-final.
But Eligibility ≠ permission to practise
No patient-facing work.
No malpractice cover triggered by the facility.
No hospital privileges granted.
Use the Eligibility window to finalise employer sponsorship, residency and onboarding.
What the DHA Licence adds (the practice switch)
Tied to a specific employer/facility in Dubai.
Requires active Residency (work/residence visa + Emirates ID in motion).
Enables credentialing & privileging for your exact scope (devices/procedures/settings).
Syncs with malpractice insurance at facility level.
Change employer? Expect licence transfer steps and a fresh privileging review.
The clean sequence from Eligibility → Licence (copy/paste)
DataFlow / PSV
Education, professional licence + Good Standing, employment references uploaded as colour PDFs with intact seals/QR.
Track each component to Verified (avoid screenshots).
DHA portal
Complete the steps to Eligibility (exam if required).
Keep email/phone identical to DataFlow profile to avoid mismatches.
Employer sponsorship
Offer signed with title aligned to DHA category.
Entry/Work Visa issued; arrival scheduled (if out-of-country).
Residency activation
Medical Fitness → Emirates ID biometrics → Residence issuance.
HR/PRO updates the DHA portal with sponsorship details.
Licence issuance
DHA converts your status from Eligible to Licensed for the named facility.
Credentialing & privileging
Department lead/committee grants scope (core vs advanced).
Malpractice policy confirms settings (hospital/clinic/home/hotel/yacht).
Only after steps 5–6 can you start clinical work.
Document & identity hygiene (small things, big delays)
Passport-exact name everywhere (all middle names).
Good Standing Certificate within the requested validity window at time of final review.
Employment references on letterhead with duties/dates/FTE; signed & stamped.
One PDF per document set: Original → Apostille/attestation → Sworn translation.
Role-specific notes
Doctors
Check exam equivalence/waiver rules early.
Prepare case logs for advanced privileges (e.g., endoscopy, sedation).
Nurses
Confirm category (e.g., RN – Med/Surg, ICU, Paeds) matches the offer letter.
Have BLS/ACLS/PALS ready per unit requirements.
Physiotherapists
Highlight hours/credits on transcripts; outline MSK/neuro/cardioresp competencies.
Prepare a concise rehab portfolio (protocols, outcomes, red-flag handling).
Timing signals (not guarantees)
DataFlow: weeks (faster if documents are clean and verifiable online).
Eligibility: soon after PSV clears and any exam is passed.
- Licence: dependent on employer sponsorship + residency readiness.Plan a 2–6 week buffer from Eligibility to Licence when immigration is smooth.
Common pitfalls—and calm fixes
Eligibility celebrated as “job done” → build a joint plan with HR for residency, malpractice, and privileges.
Title mismatch (offer ≠ DHA category) → amend offer letter before licence issuance.
Expired Good Standing at final check → reorder and upload the fresh PDF.
Screenshots/low-res scans → replace with colour PDFs, intact QR/seals.
No malpractice rider for home/hotel → add domiciliary settings before first shift.
Manager/HR checklist (to keep onboarding predictable)
Offer letter title = DHA category requested
PRO timeline for visa → medical fitness → biometrics booked
Malpractice policy issued with correct settings
Privileging committee date reserved; proctoring plan (if needed)
Candidate checklist (copy/paste)
DataFlow: Education/Licence/Employment Verified
DHA Eligibility letter saved (PDF)
Good Standing within validity; names aligned
Passport, visa, biometrics receipts organised
Competency logs/certifications ready for privileging
Malpractice confirmation received before start date