The complete guide to the SHA (Sharjah) licensing exam
Sharjah has its own health authority, separate from Dubai's DHA and the federal MOHAP. Since July 2025, SHA licenses dentists for Sharjah's local-government and private facilities, including free zones. The process has two steps: an SHA assessment certificate (with an exam if required), then a licence your employer applies for.
At a glance
Checked 1 October 2026
- Regulator
- Sharjah Health Authority (SHA), established 2010
- Coverage
- Sharjah local-government + private facilities, incl. free zones (since July 2025)
- Process
- Assessment certificate (exam if required), then a licence your employer applies for
- Attempts
- Maximum 3, pooled with other UAE authorities — declare previous attempts
What makes SHA different
Sharjah's process in numbers
Straight from SHA's own service pages.
Assessment fee (dentist)
For the Healthcare Professional Assessment Certificate. SHA reviews the request in 8 working days.
SHA established
Sharjah's own health authority, regulating the emirate independently of Dubai's DHA and the federal MOH.
Exam attempts, maximum
A re-attempt fee is paid before each new attempt. Attempts at other UAE authorities count too and must be declared.
Max practice gap allowed
Both the assessment and the licence require no gap in practice longer than three years.
The pathway
From assessment to a Sharjah licence
Two SHA services: an assessment certificate for you, then a licence your employing facility applies for.
Step 1: Confirm your eligibility
SHA assesses you against the Unified PQR: for a General Dentist, a BDS/DMD/DDS, a 12-month internship, two years of clinical experience, a valid home licence — and no gap in practice over three years.
Step 2: Primary Source Verification
Upload recent PSV reports if you have them; SHA's fees include the DataFlow verification. DHA's manual says a PSV report can be transferred between UAE authorities in about 5 working days, versus about 15 for a new one.
Step 3: Request your SHA assessment
On the SHA portal, submit the Request for Healthcare Professional Assessment (AED 500, reviewed in 8 working days). Not everyone has to sit an exam — upload any exemption documents. If you do need one, accept the disclaimer and state your previous attempts at other UAE authorities.
Step 4: Sit the exam, if required
The exam is computer-based, at Prometric. SHA does not publish the question count, duration or pass mark.
Step 5: Receive your assessment certificate
SHA issues a Healthcare Professional Assessment Certificate. On its own it does not let you practise — it is what your employer needs for the licence.
Step 6: Your employer applies for your licence
A healthcare facility licensed by SHA applies for your first SHA professional licence (full-time dentist: AED 3,000, 8 working days), using your valid assessment certificate.
Read this before you book
What makes Sharjah's process different
Who SHA covers, how attempts work, and what's shared with the rest of the UAE.
Separate from DHA and MOHAP
A Sharjah Executive Council decision of 15 July 2025 made SHA the licensing authority for Sharjah's local-government and private facilities, including free zones. Federal government facilities in Sharjah stay with MOHAP.
PSV reports can be transferred
SHA asks for recent PSV reports. A report done for another UAE authority can usually be transferred rather than redone — check before paying for a new verification.
The certificate is not a licence
The assessment certificate alone doesn't let you practise. You need a job with an SHA-licensed facility, which then applies for your licence.
Some categories skip the exam entirely
SHA's assessment asks for "exam exemption documents (if available)" — not every applicant has to sit the exam. Check whether your case qualifies before you book.
Three attempts, shared across the UAE
SHA allows a maximum of three exam attempts, with a fee before each re-attempt. Under the unified PQR the three are shared with DHA, DOH and MOHAP, and you must state your previous attempts when you apply.
Plan for verification and the exam
SHA publishes 8 working days for each of its two steps (assessment and licence). Verification and any exam come on top of that.
What the exam actually covers
No published blueprint
SHA doesn't publish a subject-by-subject blueprint, question count or pass mark. Prepare across the core General Dentist curriculum the UAE authorities share — not an official SHA breakdown.
- Core General Dentist clinical curriculum (no official SHA blueprint)
Practise SHA-style questions
20 questions free, with dentist-written explanations. No card needed.
SHA FAQ
Questions candidates actually ask
Answered against what SHA actually is, including clearing up a mix-up worth addressing directly.
Is SHA connected to Oman? I've seen it listed that way somewhere.
No — that's a mix-up worth clearing up, since it's out there in a few places (including an earlier version of this platform's own listing). SHA is the Sharjah Health Authority, in the emirate of Sharjah, UAE. Oman's dental exam is run by OMSB — see the OMSB guide for that.
Do I need DataFlow verification separately for SHA if I already did it for DHA?
Usually you can transfer it. SHA asks for recent PSV reports, and UAE authorities accept transferred reports — DHA quotes about 5 working days for a transfer versus about 15 for a new report. Check in the SHA portal before paying for a new one.
What's the difference between the assessment certificate and the licence?
The Healthcare Professional Assessment Certificate shows you meet SHA's requirements (including the exam, if you needed one). It doesn't let you practise. The licence is applied for by an SHA-licensed facility that employs you, using that certificate.
Do I definitely need to sit the exam?
Not necessarily — SHA's assessment accepts exam exemption documents, and only applicants "required to take an exam" sit one. Confirm your case on the SHA portal before booking.
How long does the whole SHA process take?
SHA publishes 8 working days for the assessment review and 8 working days for the licence. Verification and the exam (if you need one) add time on top — SHA doesn't publish a total.
Does my DHA or MOH attempt count against my SHA attempts?
Yes. SHA co-issues the unified PQR, which pools three attempts across the UAE authorities, and SHA's application asks you to state your previous attempts at other UAE authorities.
Where do I actually apply?
On SHA's own portal (portal-sha.shj.ae): you request the assessment yourself; the licence request comes from your employing facility. The full list of services is on sha.shj.ae.
Official sources
Checked 1 October 2026
The facts on this page come from these official pages. Rules change — confirm with the regulator before you book or apply.
- SHA — health professional servicesSharjah Health Authority(opens in a new tab)
- SHA — Request for Healthcare Professional AssessmentSharjah Health Authority(opens in a new tab)
- SHA — Request for Healthcare Professional LicenseSharjah Health Authority(opens in a new tab)
- Sharjah Executive Council decision on health regulation (July 2025)Sharjah Executive Council(opens in a new tab)
- Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), April 2025MOHAP, DOH, DHA and SHA (hosted by DOH)(opens in a new tab)
Ready to start preparing for the SHA exam?
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