Why not the Registered Nurse title?

It needs a bachelor's degree in nursing of at least 3 years, so a nursing diploma, such as a GNM, leads to the Assistant Nurse title.

Can I move up to Registered Nurse later?

Nurses with a bachelor's degree in nursing licensed as Assistant Nurse may apply for a title upgrade provided their experience as an assistant nurse has not exceeded five years.

What is the exam like, and what is the pass score?

150 questions in 3 hours; pass score 50%. DHA's CBTs are multiple-choice exams run by Prometric through its test centres worldwide; the result is posted to the applicant's Sheryan account as pass or fail and the score is not shared.

How many times can I sit the exam?

You have 3 attempts across all the UAE's health authorities. One final attempt may be granted with a different authority after failing three times with another.

Is it the same in Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates?

Yes: one qualification rulebook applied by DHA (Dubai), DOH (Abu Dhabi), MOHAP and SHA (Sharjah).

← Nurses in the UAE outcomeOS

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates · Nurses

What do you need for an Assistant Nurse license in Dubai and the UAE?

DHA licenses a nurse with a “Diploma of Nursing of not less than eighteen (18) months course duration” as an Assistant Nurse, with no experience required, once DataFlow has verified your documents and you have passed DHA's nursing exam, which costs US$240; DOH, MOHAP and SHA apply the same rules. Assistant Nurses cannot work independently and shall work under a Registered Nurse.

Checked 23 Oct 2026 · DHA ↗

What DHA asks of an Assistant Nurse

Qualification	Diploma of Nursing of not less than eighteen (18) months course duration, not by distance or correspondence learning
Transcript	The academic transcript must be submitted for credentialing
Experience	No experience required
Licence at home	Valid, in your home country or country of last employment
Good standing certificate	Issued in the last 180 days by the regulator where you last worked
Gap in practice	No longer than 5 years
Life support	A valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certificate
Supervision	Assistant Nurses cannot work independently and shall work under a Registered Nurse
English test	None; the exam itself is in English

Fees

Step	Fee
DataFlow verification, as priced on 24 May 2023Who pays varies	AED 935
DHA's nursing exam, at a Prometric centreWho pays varies	US$240
DHA registrationWho pays varies	AED 200

Good to know

Why not the Registered Nurse title?: It needs a bachelor's degree in nursing of at least 3 years, so a nursing diploma, such as a GNM, leads to the Assistant Nurse title.
Can I move up to Registered Nurse later?: Nurses with a bachelor's degree in nursing licensed as Assistant Nurse may apply for a title upgrade provided their experience as an assistant nurse has not exceeded five years.
What is the exam like, and what is the pass score?: 150 questions in 3 hours; pass score 50%. DHA's CBTs are multiple-choice exams run by Prometric through its test centres worldwide; the result is posted to the applicant's Sheryan account as pass or fail and the score is not shared.
How many times can I sit the exam?: You have 3 attempts across all the UAE's health authorities. One final attempt may be granted with a different authority after failing three times with another.
Is it the same in Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates?: Yes: one qualification rulebook applied by DHA (Dubai), DOH (Abu Dhabi), MOHAP and SHA (Sharjah).

What to do next

Tell us your nursing qualification and where you are licensed, and we show which UAE licence you can get and what is left, with each fee and how long it takes.

Sources

outcomeOS describes each regulator's published rules; it does not advise on your individual case. · What changed · Privacy · Terms

See which of these I already meet, freeThree minutes, free. Sign in at the end to see your results.