Short answer: DHA asks for a certificate of good standing from the health regulator that registers you, and it must not be older than six months when you apply. DHA’s manual says the same licensing authority that holds your registration must issue it. Documents that are not in English or Arabic need a legal translation.
What is a good standing certificate for DHA?
A good standing certificate is a letter from your health regulator saying that you are registered and that no action is pending or has been taken against your registration. DHA asks for it as part of the licensing file and verifies it through its primary source verification agency.
DHA’s Licensing Manual lists it among the documents that are generally verified, together with your qualification, your experience or employment, your licence or registration, a logbook for surgical physicians and any proof of exam exemption. For the wider picture of how those checks work, see DataFlow primary source verification explained. Meddex is independent and is not connected to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) or Prometric.
Key facts and where they come from
All of these are official statements. The source and the date we read it come after each one.
- The certificate must be valid and not older than six months when you apply. Source: PQR 1.3.3 and Licensing Manual 10.3, read 15 and 16 October 2026.
- It is issued by the health regulator of the country of last employment, or by the last employer where there is no regulator. Source: Sheryan FAQ, read 16 October 2026.
- The Licensing Manual’s definition says the same licensing authority that issued the healthcare professional registration or licence must issue the certificate. Source: Licensing Manual, read 16 October 2026.
- Documents that are not in English or Arabic must be legally translated, and copies in the original language are also needed. Source: Sheryan FAQ, read 16 October 2026.
- You must hold a valid licence or registration in your home country, or in the country of last employment. Source: PQR 1.3.1, read 15 October 2026.
Who issues it: your home regulator or the country where you last worked?
DHA’s texts put this in two ways, and they are not worded identically. The FAQ and PQR point to the regulator of the country of last employment. The Licensing Manual’s definition says the authority that issued your registration must issue the certificate. For many people these are the same body. If you registered in one country and worked last in another, they are not.
We do not know how DHA resolves that case for each title. Do not guess. Ask DHA through your Sheryan account which certificate it wants, and keep the reply, because the choice decides which regulator you contact and how long that takes.
How recent does it have to be?
Not older than six months at the time you apply. That date matters more than people expect, because a certificate that takes weeks to arrive can already be partly used up. A sensible order, which is our advice and not a DHA rule, is to request the certificate when your other documents are nearly ready, not at the start. Our guide on the order of steps looks at that trade-off.
If the certificate expires before DHA processes the file, the PQR gives no remedy in the sections we read, so you may need a fresh one. Check the date on the letter against your plan.
What if the certificate is not in English or Arabic?
DHA’s FAQ says documents in other languages must be legally translated. It also asks for copies in the original language. The FAQ does not say which translators count, so confirm that with DHA before you pay a translator. Keep clear scans of both the original and the translation, and see how to prepare and scan your DHA licence documents for file habits that avoid delays.
A note for Indian-trained clinicians
Which Indian body issues the letter DHA asks for is not stated on the pages we read, for pharmacists, dentists or doctors, and we found no Indian council page that describes a process for DHA. The nursing councils publish guidance on certificates, but its contents were not readable for us. Start from the council’s own website, found through the national council’s list of state bodies, and read DHA licence from India for what we could and could not confirm.
What we do not know
Frequently asked questions
This article is general educational guidance, not official advice. Exam rules, fees and timelines are set by the Dubai Health Authority and the test provider and can change, so always confirm the latest details on their official channels. Review of Meddex content by named, licensed clinicians is not complete yet. See how we write and check our content.
Last updated .