Gulf dentist licences: 2 years of experience in the UAE and Qatar, 5 years in Bahrain for non-Bahrainis
A general dentist needs the internship and 2 years of clinical experience for the UAE's unified licence and 2 years for Qatar's, and 5 years after the internship in Bahrain if not Bahraini; a pharmacist needs a pharmacy degree and two years' experience in the UAE and Qatar, and a paramedic a two-year certificate and a year's experience in the UAE, or a BSc and two years' in Bahrain.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · DHA ↗
- Who it affects
- Pharmacists in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia; paramedics in the UAE and Bahrain; dentists in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
Pharmacists and paramedics, in each regulator's terms
| UAE: Pharmacist | A BSc in Pharmacy with two years of experience after qualification in a related field, or a PharmD; experience with pharmaceutical companies or as a sales representative does not count |
|---|---|
| Qatar: Pharmacist | A bachelor's degree in pharmacy, two years of post-graduate experience, the Prometric qualifying examination, and a registration licence from the country of experience; a bachelor's with a master's in a pharmacy-related field is exempt from Prometric |
| Saudi Arabia: Pharmacist (SCFHS manual, 2009) | A bachelor's or master's degree in pharmacy from a recognised university classifies as Pharmacist; Senior Pharmacist needs a master's with four years of programme and experience in total, Consultant Pharmacist a doctorate; a PharmD counts as a master's or a doctorate by its length |
| UAE: Paramedic | A certificate in paramedicine or emergency medical services of at least two academic years or 1,500 hours, valid BLS, ACLS, PALS and a trauma certificate (PHTLS or ITLS), and one year of experience after qualification as a paramedic; or a bachelor's degree in nursing with the same certificates |
| Bahrain: Paramedic | A BSc in emergency medical technology, emergency applied science or paramedic science or the equivalent, valid BLS, ACLS, PALS and PHTLS certification, and at least two years' experience after qualification for non-Bahrainis |
What it means for you
Nine pathways read from the UAE's unified PQR, Qatar's DHP guidelines and circulars, NHRA's dentist standards and allied health PQR, and SCFHS's classification manual.
United Arab Emirates
General Dentist: a dental degree, the 12-month internship and two years of clinical experience; a pass of the UK ORE within five years or the ADC exams spares the licensing exam. Pharmacist: a BSc in Pharmacy and two years' experience (industry and sales do not count); a licence from nineteen listed countries can spare the exam. Paramedic: a two-year certificate, BLS, ACLS, PALS and a trauma certificate, and a year's experience. Then DataFlow, the exam, AED 200 registration and a facility.
Qatar
General Dentist: two years of clinical experience, or the supervised title until the training is done; the Prometric exam. Pharmacist: a bachelor's in pharmacy, two years' experience under a registration licence and Prometric, which a master's spares. The employer's representative files first.
Bahrain
General Dentist: a dental degree with a one-year internship and, for non-Bahrainis, five years of clinical experience after it; the Bahrain Licensure Examination unless a master's or ten years' experience exempts you. Paramedic: a BSc in paramedic science, the four certificates and two years' experience with a recent six months.
Saudi Arabia
General Practitioner Dentist: a five-year bachelor's and a one-year internship. Pharmacist: a bachelor's or master's in pharmacy. Both: a year's experience for non-Saudis, DataFlow, Prometric and a good standing certificate, with the employer and residence first.
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Sources
- UAE Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025 edition ↗
- Department of Healthcare Professions, Qatar: Guidelines for Dentists ↗
- NHRA: Healthcare Professional Licensing Standards, Dentists (v1, 17 March 2017) ↗
- Department of Healthcare Professions, Qatar: Guidelines for Pharmacists ↗
- NHRA: Allied Health Professional Qualification Requirements (v2.3, updated November 2022) ↗
- SCFHS: Professional Classification Manual for Health Practitioners, 5th edition (1430H, 2009), hosted by King Saud University ↗
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