The following 3 essential processes must be completed for initial licensure of all health

professionals:
1. Primary Source Verification (PSV):
The process through which the HAAD validates credentialing information from the
institution that originally conferred or issued the credential (e.g. authenticity of
educational degrees). This is done through our partnership with Dataflow group.
Please click here for more information on dataflow.
All health professionals must undergo the PSV process upon initial licensure application
or license renewal (for licensed health professionals whose qualifications had not
previously undergone PSV). Please note that each document only requires to be verified
once. Health professionals may be required to repeat the PSV process for verification of
newly acquired credentials/qualifications as required for credentialing purposes (e.g.
Acquisition of new educational degree).
ALL APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE VERIFIED
DATAFLOW REPORT TO COMPLETE LICENSING PROCESSES.
2. Credentialing
Upon completion of primary source verification, all health professionals applying for
licensure are credentialed in accordance with the HAAD Professional Qualifications
Requirements (PQR). The PQR is a comprehensive document which sets out the
standards of education, qualification, training, and professional experience that are
required of specific health professional categories.
Please click here to access the PQR.
ALL APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE MUST SATISFY MINIMAL PQR REQUIREMENTS
FOR SPECIFIC LICENSURE TITLES/POSITIONS.
3. Assessment/Examination
Certain professionals may require formal assessments (examinations) to ensure
clinical competence and safe practice. Examinations are provided in a variety of
formats including:
o
o
o
o
o

Written
Oral
Practical
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
Computer-Based Testing (CBT)/Online Testing

PLEASE NOTE, SELECT HEALTH PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES HAVE THE OPTION

OF SITTING THE REQUIRED HAAD EXAMINATION BEFORE INITIATING THE
LICENSING PROCESS. This is usually reserved for health professional categories where
online testing is available (e.g. medical practitioners, registered nurses).
For details on examination requirements, exemptions, and exam registration procedures
please click here to access the HAAD website.

Equivalence of qualifications
The HAAD cross recognizes select qualifications related to specific health professional
categories as equivalent to the related HAAD competency based examination.
Individuals who show proof of current attainment of these qualifications are waived from
undergoing the equivalent HAAD examination.
Please click here for details on examination exemptions policies.
Facility sponsorship requirement
All practicing health professionals in Abu Dhabi must have a designated facility sponsor
whose name appears on the HAAD license. Evidence of sponsorship is provided by
completing the facility declaration form in section 3.0 of the HAAD licensure
application.
Though individuals may start and complete the 3 essential components of licensure (PSV,
credentialing, and examinations) process without facility sponsorship (as an unsponsored
applicant) final license issuance requires a facility sponsor. Thus, unsponsored applicants
will be prompted to provide evidence of sponsorship before issuance of license.
Proof of Medical Fitness
All health professionals over age 60 who wish to apply for licensure must provide a
medical fitness clearance form. After submission of the HAAD licensure application,
applicants over 60 will receive a notification from HAAD licensing officials with detailed
instructions on how and where to complete the medical fitness requirement. Please note
that medical fitness reports must be issued from specific HAAD designated facilities
ONLY.
Security Clearance (CID)
All health professionals must submit a CID (staff data form) form to be used for
security clearance purposes (this will appear as part of the licensure application form).
Please note that applicants who are unable to complete the last two sections of the form
(requiring proof of UAE visa and appointment dates) may leave these sections blank.
These applicants can proceed with all licensure processes but may be prompted to
provide the missing CID clearance information before the final step of license issuance.
Gap of Practice
The HAAD has strict time allowances for health professionals who have experienced a
gap of clinical practice. To access the gap of practice policy, please refer to page 14 of the
PQR 2011.
The following is a checklist of requirements of all health professionals submitting
licensure applications for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. We highly recommend that you
prepare the following required documents before starting your application:

Recent passport size photograph (white background)

Passport copy, only pages showing personal details and expiry
If the applicant is inside the country they need to submit a copy of the residence/visit visa
for CID purposes.
Experience Letters (to cover the minimal and most recent experience duration as required
by the PQR title being applied to). Please note the following:
Experience is defined as a salaried position as a licensed health professional. Volunteer
and training/trainee positions do not qualify.
Experience letters must be issued as official documents from the relevant human
resources department(s)
If submitting part time experience please attach an official record of hours worked.
Copy of license valid and current professional license(s) (to cover the minimal and most
recent experience duration as required by the PQR title being applied to)
Certificate(s) of Good Standing from the relevant regulatory authority (to cover the most
recent experience duration as required by the PQR title being applied to AND the most
recent 10 years of clinical practice. Please note:
If duration required by PQR is over 10 years, then please provide certificate(s) of good
standing to cover the experience as required by PQR .
If the applicant has less than 10 years of clinical practice, please provide certificate(s) of
good standing to cover the entire duration of practice.
If you do not have a regulatory authority that issues certificates of good standing (e.g.
U.S. and Canadian professional license holders) professional licensure status will be
reviewed by the Health Authority independently.
For applicants whose regulatory authority will not issue good standing certificates to
individuals (e.g. GMC license holders), you may have it sent to the following address:
Health Authority Abu Dhabi
Division of Health Regulations
Department of Health Professional
Licensing P.O. Box 5674
Abu Dhabi, UAE
PLEASE INCLUDE/ENCLOSE YOUR HAAD LICENSE APPLICATION NUMBER
Facility Declaration Form (applicable only to applicants with facility sponsorship,
provided in the application)
CID/staff data clearance form (provided in the application)
Letter of Authorization (provided in the application)
Educational qualifications (must provide the relevant qualifications as required by the
PQR title being applied to). Below is a summary table of educational requirements
according to health professional category.