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If you want to work as a dentist in the UAE, one of the first decisions is which authority to license with: DHA (Dubai), DOH (Abu Dhabi, still widely called HAAD) or MOHAP (the federal Ministry, usually just "MOH"). They look interchangeable from the outside. They are not: each one licenses a different part of the country, uses a different booking system, and publishes a different amount about its exam. And because all of them share one attempt counter, a wrong first choice has a real cost.
Here is what is actually the same, what is different, and how to choose, using only what the authorities themselves publish.
What all three share
Since April 2025 the UAE has one rulebook for qualifications: the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), 3rd version, issued jointly by MOHAP, DOH, DHA and the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA). For the General Dentist title it asks for:
- a BDS, DMD or DDS degree,
- a 12-month internship,
- two years of clinical experience,
- a valid licence from your home country.
The PQR also requires Primary Source Verification: your degree, licence, experience letters and good-standing certificate are checked directly with the bodies that issued them. Start this early, because it depends on how fast your university and past employers reply, not on you.
Most important of all: attempts are pooled. The PQR gives you three attempts in total across the UAE authorities, not three per authority. Fail once at DHA and you have two left at DOH, MOHAP and SHA too. After three fails, the PQR allows one final attempt with a different authority.
Where they differ
| DHA (Dubai) | DOH / HAAD (Abu Dhabi) | MOHAP / MOH (federal) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the licence lets you work | Dubai | Emirate of Abu Dhabi | Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah + federal government facilities |
| Application portal | Sheryan | TAMM | MOHAP website or app (UAE PASS) |
| Test vendor | Prometric | Pearson VUE (booked through TAMM) | Prometric (MOHAP programme) |
| Published format | 150 questions, 3 hours, exam code GEN5301 | Not published | Not published |
| Published pass mark | 60% | Not published (Pass/Fail only) | 60% (shown as Pass/Fail) |
| Fee | USD 280 | Paid in TAMM | Not stated in the sources below |
| Missed exam | Fee lost, but not counted as a failed attempt | Pearson VUE's own rules | Counts as one of your three attempts |
A few of these rows deserve a closer look.
DHA publishes the most
DHA's own CBT guideline gives the General Dentist exam in full: 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours (the 3 hours include registration and instructions), exam code GEN5301, fee USD 280, pass score 60%. It also lists the subject areas it draws from: endodontics, periodontics, restorative dentistry, oral medicine and oral surgery, orthodontics and paediatric dentistry, implant surgery, anaesthesia and pain management, TMJ, cosmetic dentistry, orthognathic surgery, patient education and ethics.
Results appear in Sheryan as Pass or Fail within 2 working days. You never see your own score, but Prometric sends a separate "Learning Outcome" report by domain, which helps you plan a resit. A DHA pass can be reused for 2 years.
DOH (HAAD) publishes the least
HAAD became the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi by 2017, but the old name stuck. DOH runs its exam through Pearson VUE, which is a different vendor and login from the Prometric system DHA and MOHAP use. You pay and start the booking in TAMM, then pick your slot on Pearson VUE, and you need two original IDs at the test centre.
DOH does not publish a question count, duration, pass mark or subject blueprint. You will see figures like "60%" or "65%" on prep sites, but they contradict each other and none comes from DOH. Prepare for the whole General Dentist curriculum.
MOHAP covers four emirates, not five
Many guides still say the MOH licence covers the "Northern Emirates" including Sharjah. Since July 2025, Sharjah's own authority (SHA) licenses Sharjah's local-government and private facilities. MOHAP now covers Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, plus federal government facilities across the UAE.
You apply for MOHAP's Health Professional Evaluation on its website or app with UAE PASS. If an exam is needed, MOHAP gives you a Prometric eligibility ID, which is only valid for a short window. MOHAP's exam FAQ sets the minimum pass at 60%, shown to you as Pass or Fail. One rule is stricter than DHA's: a cancelled or missed MOHAP appointment counts as an attempt. Only book a date you are sure of.
Can one licence get you another?
Possibly. The PQR has licensure-recognition rules: if you hold a valid licence from one UAE authority for the same or a lower title, another authority may license you without a second exam. Each authority applies its own criteria, so check before you pay for a booking you may not need.
So which one should you sit?
There is no official ranking of difficulty, and all three draw on the same core General Dentist knowledge. The deciding question is simpler:
- Where will you work? A job offer in Dubai means DHA; Abu Dhabi means DOH; Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah (or a federal facility) means MOHAP; Sharjah's private or local-government sector means SHA.
- No offer yet? DHA is the most transparent: you know the format, the pass mark and the subject list before you book. That makes it the easiest exam to prepare for precisely.
- Protect your attempts. With three attempts shared across the country, sit when you are consistently scoring well on timed practice, not to "see what it's like".
For the step before all this, read DHA eligibility: who can actually apply and DataFlow verification, exam by exam. For the full picture across all nine Gulf exams, see the Gulf dental licensing exams guide. Each authority also has its own guide on this site: DHA, HAAD (DOH) and MOH.
Official sources, checked 24 October 2026: DHA CBT assessment guideline (GEN5301, 150 questions, 3 hours, USD 280, 60%), DHA Manual for Licensing Healthcare Professionals v1.3, Unified PQR (April 2025), DOH FAQ, Pearson VUE – DOH, MOHAP Health Professional Evaluation, Prometric – MOHAP and the Sharjah Executive Council decision (July 2025). Rules change; always confirm your own case with the authority before you pay or book.