How to Become a Registered Nurse in Dubai in 2025: Dubai remains the hub for health innovations with tax-free, competitive salaries and top-notch working conditions for registered nurses (RNs). To be a registered nurse in Dubai in the year 2025, the individual should have passed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSc Nursing) or equivalent nursing diploma from a renowned university.
A minimum of two years post-registration professional experience as a nurse is required, in addition to a recent Basic Life Support (BLS) certificate. They must go through the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) registration as part of the mandatory process.
How to Become a Registered Nurse in Dubai in 2025? Step-by-Step
The foundation of your Dubai nursing career is meeting DHA's obligatory requirements, which guarantee that you possess the required clinical competency. To qualify for the title of Registered Nurse (RN), applicants should comply with the following three significant requirements:
1. DHA Eligibility Check
- Ensure you possess a Bachelor's degree in Nursing (BSc Nursing) or equivalent from a recognized organization.
- A minimum of two years post-qualification nursing experience, although freshers are also eligible under the new "Fresher Category" with certain conditions.
- Hold a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
2. Register an Account on DHA Sheryan Portal
- Register an account on the Dubai Health Authority's Sheryan portal. This account will be used to follow up on your application and license process.
3. Primary Source Verification (Dataflow)
- Submit all the documents that are asked for, i.e., your nursing diploma, transcript, your country of origin license/registration certificate, etc.
- Dataflow verifies your credentials independently.
4. Apply for DHA Nursing License Exam
- Having completed Dataflow verification, register for the DHA Prometric Licensing Exam, an online test that examines your nursing knowledge, clinical practice, and safety principles.
- Pay for the exam and book your exam date.
5. Pass DHA Licensing Exam
- The exam outcome is either Pass or Fail. You need to pass the exam to proceed.
6. Pay Additional Fees and Documents
- You will then be requested to pay the DHA license fees and other documents that DHA may require after passing the exam.
7. Obtain Medical License for DHA
- Upon going through all the procedures and being admitted, your DHA Nursing License will be issued to you. It will enable you to practice lawfully as a nurse in Dubai.
8. Job and Work
- Get a job at the Dubai health center, which will also sponsor your work visa. You might have to undergo on-the-job training or probation with some employers.
Licensing Process to Become a Registered Nurse in Dubai
How to become a registered nurse in Dubai in 2025 online is an electronic process via the website. The licensing procedure, which takes 3-6 months, will be going through document verification and date scheduling for examination.
Step 1: Primary Source Verification (PSV)
- Once your initial qualification has been verified, you must have your main documents verified by an independent verification agency, DataFlow Group. This is called the Primary Source Verification (PSV).
- DataFlow verifies each document directly with the issuing organisation (university, former employer, or licensing body). This will generally take about 2-3 months.
Step 2: How to Become a Registered Nurse in Dubai in 2025 After Verification
- Having received a clear DataFlow report, you are then at liberty to go on to the professional assessment stage of the DHA, commonly referred to as the Prometric exam.
- You will be given an Eligibility ID, on which you can book your seat at any Prometric test center in the world.
Important Documents to Become a Registered Nurse in Dubai
To enroll for the Dubai Registered Nurse license in 2025, the candidates must prepare and provide certain documents according to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) licensing regulations. Here are the DHA license requirements for nurses:
- White background passport photo
- Copy of passport (validity not less than 6 months)
- Education certificates (Bachelor of Science in Nursing or equivalent degree/diploma)
- Transcripts
- Valid current active professional nursing license/registration from the home country of the candidate
- Experience certificates (at least 2 years of clinical nursing experience preferred)
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certificate demonstrating competence in emergency life-saving skills.
DHA Exam Pattern and Structure
It is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) given globally by Prometric. The DHA exam for nurses sample questions can be attempted by the students so that they are aware of the exam pattern. Below is the description of the DHA exam pattern and structure.
| DHA Exam Pattern and Structure |
| Parameter |
Details |
| Question Type |
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Number of Questions |
150 |
| Duration |
165 minutes (2 hours and 45 minutes) |
| Passing Score |
Minimum 60% (90 out of 150 questions) |
| Number of Attempts |
Candidates can attempt a maximum of three attempts for all UAE health authorities (DHA, DOH/HAAD, MOH). |
| Result Declaration |
Results are usually issued within 5 to 10 working days. |
DHA Exam Syllabus for Nurses
The syllabus is designed to assess critical thinking and application clinically across extensive areas of nursing practice. The most significant areas to stress are:
- Nursing Fundamentals: Professional standards, responsibility, prevention of infection, and procedures for patient safety.
- Medical-Surgical Nursing: Pathophysiology, care, and treatment of several acute and chronic illnesses (cardiac, respiratory, endocrine, GI, etc.).
- Maternal and Child Health (MCH): Antenatal care, labor care, neonatal resuscitation, and infant growth/immunization milestones.
- Community Health Nursing: Epidemiology, health promotion, prevention of disease, and public health legislation.
- Pharmacology: Administration of drugs, classification of drugs, general side effects, and drug calculation.
- Professional Practice: Local policy, unit management, leadership philosophies, and the UAE legal framework of nursing.
DHA Exam Dates 2025
As compared to exams with an annual fixed date, the DHA Prometric exam is available year-round as a function of the scheduling availability of Prometric centers globally. While you are able to choose a desirable date, normal test times normally arrive in rounds, primarily in January, April, July, and October.
You have to complete your DataFlow verification prior to being able to log on to the Prometric website through your DHA Eligibility ID to select your particular date and time slot.