Locum and Part Time Doctors in Dubai: DHA and MOHRE Rules
Short answer: There is no freelance route for a locum doctor in Dubai. Every clinic you work in must activate a DHA licence for you at that facility before you see a patient. If you already hold a full time DHA licence, a second clinic can activate a part time licence once your full time employer approves it in Sheryan, within a cap set by your title. A visiting doctor from abroad needs a full time licence even for a short stint. On the employment side, a second job also needs a MOHRE part time work permit.
Last verified: October 2026 against Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. 49 of 2024, the DHA Sheryan FAQ, the DHA Activate Professional License service, the UAE Government Portal page on working for two employers and Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 as amended.
Key Takeaways
- Resolution No. 49 of 2024 says no Dubai facility may engage a health professional or visiting physician who is not authorised by DHA to work at that facility, including in free zones such as DIFC.
- A part time DHA licence needs approval from your full time facility, and DHA caps the number you can hold: one for GPs, general dentists, nurses and allied staff, two for non surgical specialists and four for surgical specialists and consultants.
- Visiting doctors need a full time DHA licence even for a limited period, following the same steps as any full time professional.
- Clinics in the same DHA facility group can rotate their own doctors without a part time licence, once the group is registered and the doctor is approved for those branches.
- A second job also needs a MOHRE part time work permit, valid for one year, and employing someone without a work permit carries a fine of AED 100,000 to AED 1,000,000 under the current labour law.
Why Locum Work Looks Different in Dubai
Doctors who come from the UK, Ireland or Australia often expect to register once and then pick up shifts wherever they are needed. Dubai does not work that way. A DHA registration says you are eligible to practise in a title. A licence is what lets you practise, and a licence is always activated by a specific facility.
Executive Council Resolution No. 49 of 2024 sets the rule in plain terms. Article 7(b) says no person may practise a health profession in Dubai without a licence, and Article 7(c) says no healthcare facility may engage a health professional or visiting physician who is not authorised by DHA to work at that facility. Article 2 applies the resolution to facilities across the emirate, including special development zones and free zones such as the Dubai International Financial Centre.
So when people talk about a locum doctor in Dubai, they usually mean one of three things: a part time licence at a second clinic, a doctor rotating between branches of one group, or a visiting doctor licensed for a short period. Each one has its own route.
How the DHA Part Time Licence Works
The second clinic, not the doctor, applies. DHA’s Activate Professional License service lets a facility activate full time, part time or trainee licences for professionals with an active registration, through Sheryan. Before the part time facility can apply, three things must already be in place:
- You hold a full time licence, and the full time facility has granted you part time approval. DHA’s FAQ says the Medical Director does this from the facility account by selecting you and ticking “Allow this professional to apply for part-time licences”.
- The new licence fits DHA’s part time permission matrix (below).
- The part time facility meets the general prerequisites: an active facility licence with your specialty, your consent in Sheryan, valid medical malpractice insurance covering you and, for non UAE nationals, a valid labour card.
| Licence Position | Maximum Part Time Permissions |
|---|---|
| General Practitioner, General Dentist, Nurses and Midwives, Allied Health, TCAM | 1 (a GP can hold up to 4 in nurseries) |
| Specialist, Non Surgical | 2 |
| Specialist, Surgical | 4 |
| Consultant | 4 |
A few rules from the FAQ catch people out. A part time licence can carry a different position from your full time licence. A part time licence covers that one facility only, so working at its branches needs another part time licence. Surgeons licensed in an outpatient facility for more than two years must add a logbook when applying for a part time licence in a day surgical centre or hospital. Processing is listed as instant, or one working day if your personal records changed.
What Happens When Things Change
Part time licences depend on the full time one, and DHA’s FAQ sets out what happens when that link moves:
- Your full time employer withdraws approval: current part time licences stay active, but they cannot be renewed until approval is granted again.
- Your full time licence is cancelled: part time licences move to “Active in transition” until a new full time licence is activated, or the part time facility converts one into a full time licence through the same service for a fee in the AED 200 range.
- A part time licence is not renewed: it expires with no fine, but you cannot practise on it, and the facility has to apply again.
Group Rotation and Visiting Doctors
If the clinics belong to one owner, there may be a simpler route. Under DHA Circular No. 80 of 2016, a professional may practise in branches of their full time licence facility. The facility and its branches must first be registered as a group in Sheryan through the Add Facility to Group service, and the professional must then be approved from the facility account for the selected branches. No part time licence is needed for that rotation. Our guide to opening a second clinic branch covers the group setup.
Visiting doctors are the closest thing to a short term locum doctor in Dubai, and they follow a different route. DHA’s FAQ says all visiting professionals must apply for a full time licence to practise their specialty in Dubai, even for a limited period, with the same procedures and steps as full time professionals. That means the full process of eligibility, DataFlow verification, any exam or assessment, registration and activation by the hosting facility, explained in our DHA licence for doctors guide. Plan visiting surgeon programmes well ahead.
The MOHRE Side: Part Time Work Permits
The DHA licence lets you practise. The work permit lets you be employed. The UAE Government Portal (page updated 16 October 2026) says residents on a work visa can take a second job once they get a part time work permit from MOHRE, valid for one year, and can work at the other company on a part time basis for less than eight hours a day. Under the part time contract system, employees can take several part time jobs without the approval of their original or other employers, but they must still get the permit. People on a family visa need an NOC from their sponsor, and permits are issued to people aged 18 to 65.
The penalty side matters to the clinic. Article 60 of Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021, as amended, sets a fine of AED 100,000 to AED 1,000,000 for providing employment to an employee without obtaining a work permit. The portal page still quotes an older AED 50,000 figure under the 2007 rules, so budget for the current law. The page does not say which side files the permit or list the documents, so confirm that with MOHRE or your typing centre.
What a Part Time Doctor Costs to Set Up
This table shows base government fees only for taking on a locum doctor in Dubai on a part time licence. It is not the full cost of the engagement.
| Item | Who It Affects | Base Government Fee |
|---|---|---|
| DHA part time licence, physician or dentist | Part time facility | In the AED 3,000 range |
| DHA part time licence, nurse, allied health or TCAM | Part time facility | In the AED 1,000 range |
| DHA Knowledge and Innovation fees | Added at checkout | No single published price |
| MOHRE part time work permit | Doctor and second employer | An application fee in the AED 100 range plus an approval fee in the AED 500 range |
| Typing or service centre charges | Whoever files | No single published price |
| Medical malpractice insurance covering the doctor at that facility | Part time facility | No single published price (commercial cover) |
| Convert a part time licence to full time | Part time facility, only if needed | In the AED 200 range |
In practice the malpractice cover and the service charges usually cost more than the government fees, so ask your insurer and typing centre for a quote before you agree the sessional rate.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Can a DHA licensed doctor work in two clinics in Dubai?
Yes. The second clinic activates a part time licence for you, after your full time facility grants part time approval in Sheryan and within DHA’s cap for your title. You also need a MOHRE part time work permit for the second job.
Can I work as a locum doctor in Dubai without a full time job?
Not on a part time licence. DHA ties part time licences to an approval from your full time facility, so a doctor with no full time licence would need a facility to activate a full time licence first.
Can an overseas doctor cover a clinic in Dubai for a few weeks?
Only with a DHA licence. DHA says visiting professionals must apply for a full time licence even for a limited period, following the same steps as full time professionals.
How many part time licences can a consultant hold?
Up to four, the same as a surgical specialist. A non surgical specialist can hold two, and a GP, general dentist, nurse or allied health professional one.
What happens to my part time licence if I leave my main job?
It moves to Active in transition until a new full time licence is activated, or until the part time facility converts it into a full time licence.
Where This Comes From.
- Dubai Legislation Portal: Executive Council Resolution No. 49 of 2024 (Articles 2, 7 and 22)
- DHA Sheryan FAQ (Part Time License, visiting professionals, facility groups)
- DHA Sheryan: Activate Professional License service
- UAE Government Portal: Working for Two Employers at One Time (updated 16 Oct 2026)
- MOHRE: Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 and its amendments (Article 60)
How OzaniX Partners Can Help.
Clinics that rely on sessional consultants, visiting surgeons or shared staff across branches need the licences, permits and contracts to line up. Our Healthcare HR team designs sessional and part time staffing models, builds the contracts and tracks every licence and permit, while our Licensing and Regulatory team maps the DHA steps, group registration and timelines with you. The facility submits its own applications, and we keep the file complete so nothing stalls.
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