Medical clinic business setup in Dubai needs two licenses: a DHA health facility license, applied for through the Sheryan platform, and a DET trade license for the company. Every doctor, dentist and nurse also needs a DHA professional license. Wordcraft forms the company, keeps the trade license in step with DHA, and attests and translates staff certificates in-house while your medical director leads the clinical side.
Approvals a Dubai Clinic Needs, and Who Issues Them
DHA leads. It approves the facility type, the layout, the medical director and every practitioner, then inspects before issuing the facility license. DET issues the trade license in line with DHA's approval, and the fit-out needs fire-safety clearance.
| Approval | Who issues it | Documents usually needed |
|---|---|---|
| Initial approval for the facility type and services | Dubai Health Authority (DHA), through Sheryan | Services and specialties list, medical director details, owners' passports |
| Trade name and trade license | Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) | DHA initial approval, passports, MOA for an LLC, Ejari |
| Layout approval and pre-opening inspection | DHA | Layout drawings, Ejari, equipment list |
| Fire-safety approval for the fit-out | Dubai Civil Defence (confirmed at application) | Contractor's fit-out drawings, landlord no-objection letter |
| Professional licenses for doctors, nurses and allied staff | DHA, through Sheryan | Attested degrees, experience letters, good-standing certificates, primary source verification |
| X-ray or other radiation equipment, only if used | Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) (confirmed at application) | Equipment details, radiation safety arrangements |
| Medical waste collection | An approved waste contractor under Dubai Municipality rules (confirmed at application) | Signed waste-collection contract |
The regulator's own requirements are published by DHA, and the trade license side by DET. Timing depends heavily on the fit-out, so we set it out in your quote.
DHA or Another Regulator? Where Your Clinic Will Sit
Most Dubai clinics are licensed on the mainland, with DHA granting the facility license and DET issuing the company's license, usually as an LLC or another form permitted for practitioner-owned clinics. Dubai Healthcare City is a healthcare free zone with its own regulator and suits some facility types. Outside Dubai, Abu Dhabi's Department of Health licenses facilities, and in the northern emirates the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) generally does; we confirm the regulator for your emirate before any lease is signed. Our Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah offices handle the company side there too.
The Sheryan Facility Path, Stage by Stage
DHA runs facility and professional licensing on Sheryan. A typical facility file moves through initial approval for the facility type and services, then layout approval, then fit-out, then inspection, and finally the facility license. The clinic must have a licensed medical director, and every service you advertise has to match what DHA approved. We prepare the business documents for each stage and keep the DET license activities identical to the DHA scope, which avoids mismatches at renewal.
Premises That Pass Inspection
Clinic premises must meet DHA design and infection-control standards: room sizes, accessibility, sterilization and waste areas, and space for equipment. The building itself must permit healthcare use. Check these points before you sign, because moving after a failed inspection is expensive. The tenancy contract is registered in Ejari and goes into both the DHA and DET files.
Getting Doctors' and Nurses' Certificates Ready
Each practitioner's DHA professional license involves an assessment of qualifications and experience, primary source verification of certificates, and sometimes an exam or interview. Degrees and experience letters issued abroad usually also need attestation: authentication in the issuing country, then the UAE embassy there, which now completes MOFA attestation digitally in most cases. Documents in other languages need translation. We handle degree certificate attestation, medical translation and the wider paperwork covered in attestation for healthcare professionals. Licensed staff then receive employment visas through the company.
How Wordcraft Coordinates Medical Clinic Setup in Dubai
- Share the clinic concept, specialties and staffing plan on WhatsApp; the written quote arrives within 10–30 minutes.
- After payment, we form the company (see LLC company formation) and reserve the name while the DHA initial application is prepared.
- Staff certificates go into attestation and translation straight away, since they often take longest.
- We supply the business documents for each DHA stage and track the file.
- Once DHA approves the facility, DET issues the license and we process the establishment card and staff visas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a non-doctor own a clinic in Dubai?
It depends on the facility type and legal form. A licensed medical director is always required, and we confirm the ownership options for your clinic before you commit.
Which comes first, DHA approval or the trade license?
DHA's initial approval comes first. DET issues the trade license once DHA is satisfied, and the final facility license follows the inspection.
Do all my doctors need DHA licenses?
Yes. Every practitioner must hold a DHA professional license linked to your facility before seeing patients.
What is primary source verification?
DHA checks degrees, licenses and experience directly with the institutions that issued them. Missing or inconsistent certificates are a common reason for delay, so we review each file before submission.
Can you attest degrees from any country?
We attest certificates from 50+ countries through the home-country authorities and the UAE embassy, and confirm the route for each one in your quote.
Can I open the clinic in Abu Dhabi or a northern emirate instead?
Yes, but the regulator changes: Abu Dhabi's Department of Health, or generally MOHAP in the northern emirates. The steps are similar, and we confirm the details for the emirate you choose.
What affects the cost of opening a clinic?
The facility type, the fit-out, the number of practitioners to license and attest, and any equipment approvals. Your quote itemizes government charges and our fee before anything begins.
Last updated: September 2026
