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Ministry of Health & Prevention
MOHAP Licensing & Compliance

Navigate UAE healthcare regulatory requirements with expert advisory for medical facility licensing, pharmaceutical registrations, medical device approvals, and health professional credentials.

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Medical Facility Licensing

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Pharmaceutical Approvals

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Medical Device Registration

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Health Professional Licensing

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Clinical Lab Accreditation

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Health Import & Export Permits

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) is the federal regulatory authority responsible for setting, enforcing, and supervising healthcare standards across the UAE mainland. MOHAP governs the licensing of hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, diagnostic laboratories, and healthcare professionals, as well as the registration and market approval of pharmaceutical products and medical devices.

Any entity seeking to establish, operate, or expand a healthcare business in the UAE — including private clinics, specialty hospitals, pharmaceutical distributors, medical device importers, and digital health platforms — must obtain the relevant MOHAP approvals and maintain ongoing regulatory compliance. In emirate-specific jurisdictions, MOHAP works in parallel with local health authorities: the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DOH), and Sharjah Health Authority (SHA).

Regulatory Role of MOHAP

MOHAP operates as the apex federal health regulator, with responsibilities spanning facility licensing, professional accreditation, product safety, and public health protection:

Healthcare Facility Regulation

Licensing and inspecting hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, medical laboratories, and rehabilitation centres operating in the UAE mainland.

Pharmaceutical Product Approval

Registering and approving pharmaceutical products, controlled substances, medical nutrition products, and over-the-counter medicines for the UAE market.

Medical Device Registration

Overseeing the market entry of medical devices, diagnostic equipment, surgical instruments, and in-vitro diagnostic tools through the MOHAP Medical Devices Registration system.

Health Professional Licensing

Licensing and accrediting physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and allied health professionals through the Sheryan health regulation system.

Emirate-Level Coordination: In Dubai, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) issues facility and professional licenses for Dubai-based entities. Abu Dhabi facilities fall under the Department of Health (DOH). MOHAP maintains federal oversight of national standards, drug approvals, and cross-emirate policy frameworks.

Our MOHAP Regulatory Services

We provide full-scope healthcare regulatory advisory, from initial licensing strategy through ongoing compliance management:

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Healthcare Facility Licensing End-to-end support for obtaining medical facility licenses for clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories, and specialist centres across mainland UAE.
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Pharmaceutical Registration Navigating the MOHAP drug registration portal to secure market approval for pharmaceuticals, biologicals, medical nutrition, and controlled substances.
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Medical Device Approvals Preparing and filing medical device registration dossiers under the MOHAP Medical Devices Registration system, covering Class I, II, and III devices.
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Health Professional Licensing Managing Sheryan system applications for physician, pharmacist, nurse, and allied health professional licensing and credential verification.
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Import & Export Permits Securing pharmaceutical and medical product import and export permits, including controlled substance import authorizations and customs clearance documentation.
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Laboratory & Diagnostic Accreditation Supporting clinical laboratory licensing, ISO 15189 accreditation preparation, and diagnostic imaging facility approvals under MOHAP standards.

Healthcare Licensing Pathway

Healthcare facility and product licensing in the UAE follows a multi-stage approval pathway coordinating both federal and emirate-level authorities:

Regulatory Mapping Identifying applicable MOHAP, DHA, or DOH regulatory tracks based on facility type, emirate of operation, and service scope.

Corporate Setup Incorporating the healthcare entity with DED/DET, securing the appropriate healthcare commercial activity code and initial trade license.

Facility Approvals Obtaining initial approvals from MOHAP covering facility design, clinical space requirements, infection control standards, and equipment specifications.

Staff Licensing Processing health professional license applications through the Sheryan system, coordinating credential verification and good standing certificates.

Inspection & Accreditation Coordinating MOHAP facility inspection, resolving inspector observations, and preparing accreditation documentation for clinical certifications.

Ongoing Compliance Managing annual license renewals, regulatory update monitoring, adverse event reporting, and pharmaceutical supply chain compliance.

Key Regulatory Deliverables

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Healthcare Facility License

Official MOHAP/DHA/DOH facility operating license.

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Drug Registration Certificate

MOHAP market approval for pharmaceutical products.

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Medical Device Registration

MOHAP registration certificate for medical devices.

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Health Professional License

Sheryan-issued practitioner license for clinical staff.

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Import/Export Permits

Authorization letters for pharmaceutical imports and controlled substance movements.

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Laboratory Accreditation

Clinical laboratory license and diagnostic accreditation documentation.

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Inspection Clearance Report

MOHAP facility inspection sign-off clearing the entity for operations.

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Annual Renewal Packages

Coordinated annual license renewals for facilities, professionals, and registered products.

Frequently Asked Questions

MOHAP is the federal health regulator setting nationwide standards, approving drugs and medical devices, and licensing facilities in the Northern Emirates and cross-emirate settings. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is the emirate-level regulator for Dubai, and the Department of Health (DOH) serves Abu Dhabi. All three coordinate under MOHAP's federal framework but issue emirate-specific licenses independently.

Yes. Foreign investors and international healthcare groups can establish healthcare facilities in the UAE, including 100% foreign-owned entities under the amended Commercial Companies Law. Healthcare facilities require both a trade license from the relevant Economic Department and a healthcare facility license from the applicable health authority (MOHAP, DHA, or DOH).

Pharmaceutical products must be registered through the MOHAP drug registration portal. The process involves submitting a dossier covering product composition, clinical trial data, manufacturing compliance, stability studies, labelling requirements, and pricing documentation. MOHAP reviews submissions and grants market authorization upon successful evaluation.

Yes. All medical devices imported, distributed, or used in the UAE must be registered with MOHAP prior to market entry. The registration process is risk-based (Class I, II, III) and requires technical dossiers, conformity certificates, and manufacturer authorizations. Unregistered devices may not be imported or sold in the UAE.

Yes. All healthcare professionals, regardless of country of origin, must obtain a UAE health professional license through the Sheryan system (for MOHAP), Nabidh (for DHA), or the DOH licensing portal before practicing clinically. The process involves credential verification, good standing certificates, and competency assessments.

Licensed facilities must maintain active facility licenses, renew health professional licenses on schedule, adhere to infection control protocols, submit pharmacovigilance reports for adverse events, maintain proper medical record systems, and comply with MOHAP inspection requirements. Annual renewals and periodic quality audits are mandatory.

MOHAP operates a reliance pathway for products already approved by reference regulatory authorities (such as the EMA, FDA, UK MHRA, or Health Canada). Products with existing approvals from recognized authorities may qualify for expedited review. However, a full local dossier submission and MOHAP review are still required.

Controlled substances are strictly regulated under the UAE Federal Law on Drug Control. Import, export, storage, and dispensing of controlled medications require specific MOHAP-issued permits and are subject to stringent traceability, record-keeping, and reporting obligations. Non-compliance carries severe criminal penalties.

MOHAP licensing applies to hospitals, general and specialty clinics, polyclinics, pharmacies, dental clinics, optical centres, physiotherapy centres, diagnostic laboratories, radiology centres, blood banks, and home healthcare providers operating in the UAE mainland and Northern Emirates.

Sheryan is MOHAP's unified digital platform for licensing and regulating healthcare professionals across the UAE. It manages license applications, renewals, credential verifications, continuing medical education (CME) tracking, and disciplinary records for all categories of health practitioners operating under MOHAP's jurisdiction.

Navigate UAE Healthcare Regulations

Partner with expert advisors to secure your MOHAP approvals, facility licenses, and healthcare professional credentials efficiently.

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Ministry of Health & Prevention MOHAP Licensing & Compliance