GCC Medical License for Doctors —
Complete 2026 Guide
Complete GCC medical licensing guide for doctors and physicians. DHA, DOH, MOH, SCFHS, QCHP and more. Eligibility, exams, timelines and expert support for all specialties.
Licensing Requirements for Doctors in GCC
Each GCC country has specific requirements for doctors. While the core elements are similar, experience minimums, exam formats, and portal processes differ by authority.
Your degree must be from an institution recognised by the relevant GCC authority. DHA, DOH, and SCFHS all maintain tiered recognition lists. Degrees from certain countries or institutions may require additional validation steps.
Tier-based recognition by authorityMost GCC authorities require a minimum of 2 years post-graduation experience. UAE MOH accepts graduates with internship completion. DHA and DOH require 1–2 years minimum. SCFHS requires post-graduation training specific to the specialty.
2 years DHA/DOH · Internship MOHMandatory for all UAE authorities (DHA, DOH, MOH) and required or equivalent for most other GCC countries. Verifies your degree, internship, and all experience directly with issuing institutions. We manage the entire process.
Mandatory for UAE · 4–12 weeksEach authority sets its own exam — DHA MCQ exam, DOH MCQ exam, MOH Prometric, SCFHS Prometric, QCHP exam etc. Content is specialty-specific. Pass marks vary by authority and specialty. We provide targeted exam preparation for each.
Different exam per authorityMedical degree, transcripts, internship certificate, experience letters, and good standing certificate — all requiring the full attestation chain: HRD → Home MOFA → UAE Embassy → UAE MOFA. We coordinate the full attestation process.
Full chain requiredFrom your home country medical council — required by all GCC health authorities. Must be valid within 3–6 months of application submission. We coordinate timing with your council to ensure it doesn’t expire mid-application.
All GCC authorities · 3–6 months validitySpecialty Recognition Across GCC Countries
Each GCC country has its own specialty classification list. Your specialty from your home country must be mapped to an equivalent GCC-recognized specialty. Misclassification causes application rejection — we handle this carefully.
- General Practice (GP) — most common
- Internal Medicine — Cardiology, Endocrinology etc.
- Surgery — General, Orthopaedic, Neuro etc.
- Paediatrics — GP and subspecialties
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Psychiatry / Dermatology / Radiology
- Physician / Resident / Consultant tiers
- Saudi Board fellowship equivalence
- Allied physician specialties recognised
- Fellowship from UK / US / Canada / Australia
- Sub-specialty recognition with documentation
- CME requirements post-licensing
- QCHP — Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners
- OMSB — Oman Medical Specialty Board
- NHRA — Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority
- Kuwait MOH — Ministry of Health Kuwait
- All maintain separate specialty lists
- Pre-classification check before every application
Exams Required by Country
The DHA, DOH, MOH, and SCFHS exams are each different — separate content, different formats, different pass marks. Preparing for the right exam matters.
| Authority | Country | Exam Type | Format | Questions | Prep Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHA | Dubai, UAE | MCQ Prometric | Computer-based | 100–150 | 8–12 weeks |
| DOH | Abu Dhabi, UAE | MCQ Prometric | Computer-based | 120–150 | 10–14 weeks |
| MOH | N. Emirates, UAE | Prometric MCQ | Computer-based | 100 | 6–10 weeks |
| SCFHS | Saudi Arabia | Saudi Prometric | Computer-based | 100–150 | 8–12 weeks |
| QCHP | Qatar | Prometric MCQ | Computer-based | 100–120 | 8–10 weeks |
| OMSB | Oman | Prometric MCQ | Computer-based | 100 | 6–10 weeks |
| NHRA | Bahrain | Prometric MCQ | Computer-based | 100 | 6–8 weeks |
Timeline for Doctor Licensing
Running DataFlow and exam preparation in parallel — rather than sequentially — cuts the overall timeline by 6–10 weeks. This is standard practice for all our doctor clients.
Eligibility confirmed, specialty mapped, document checklist delivered, and attestation initiated from day one.
Week 1 · FreeBoth initiated simultaneously. DataFlow typically 4–12 weeks. Full attestation chain coordinated in parallel.
Weeks 1–12 · ParallelStudy plan begins immediately alongside document prep. Exam booked at Prometric. 8–14 weeks for most doctor specialties.
Weeks 2–14 · Also parallelFull application submitted once DataFlow complete and exam passed. Pre-submission audit before every submission.
After DataFlow + examAuthority review 4–8 weeks. We track and notify immediately on approval.
Total: 4–8 monthsDoctor Licensing Questions Answered
License — Free Assessment
We confirm your eligibility, map your specialty correctly, and manage every step — DataFlow, exam prep, portal — through to license issuance.
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in the GCC — Right First Time
Expert specialty mapping, DataFlow managed, exam prep included. We handle everything until your GCC medical license is issued.