HAAD, DOH — same process, current name
The Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD) was renamed the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH) in 2017. The licensing process, requirements and exam are unchanged — only the authority's name changed. Most candidates still say "HAAD license" or "HAAD process" out of habit, but every actual registration and license today runs through DOH's own channels.
The three platforms you'll use
Unlike DHA's single Sheryan portal, Abu Dhabi licensing runs across three linked systems, each handling a different part of the process:
- DataFlow — verifies your qualifications, professional license and work experience directly with the issuing institutions.
- TAMM — Abu Dhabi's government services platform, where you apply for your DOH professional license and get approved for exam.
- Pearson VUE — where you book and sit your actual licensing exam once DOH approves you.
Step by step: from application to license
- Complete DataFlow primary-source verification of your qualifications, license and employment history.
- Apply for your DOH professional license through TAMM, and submit for the Professional Qualification Requirement (PQR) review.
- Once approved for exam, pay the exam fee in TAMM — this generates a link to book your slot with Pearson VUE.
- Sit your exam at a Pearson VUE test centre.
- On passing, complete any remaining license steps in TAMM to have your DOH license issued.
Who needs a DOH license?
Every healthcare professional who wants to practise in Abu Dhabi — physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and practitioners of several other recognized specialties — needs a DOH license before they can legally work in the Emirate. Abu Dhabi's licensing is entirely separate from Dubai (DHA) and the Northern Emirates (MOHAP); a license from one authority doesn't automatically transfer to another, though DataFlow's verification can sometimes carry across with additional checks.