A Step-by-Step Guide to Obtaining Health Facility License in the UAE

Are you a doctor aspiring to establish your own clinic in the UAE? Or perhaps you're an investor seeking new opportunities in the healthcare sector?

Before embarking on this journey, it's crucial to obtain a health facility license from the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) in the UAE.

Securing this license involves undergoing inspections and submitting necessary documentation. The process can be initiated through the MOHAP website, application, or official email. This comprehensive guide outlines the steps to acquiring a healthcare facility license in the UAE, along with key considerations and fee structures for various types of medical facilities.

Steps to obtain the licence

Login with UAE pass on the MOHAP website, or smart application.
Submit a request for a health facility licence.
Then, submit an initial inspection application.
After inital inspection approval, submit application to study the architectural plan. Pay the fees.
Apply for initial licence approval, and pay fees.
Obtain licence requirements from relevant entities, such as civil defence.
Apply for the licence for medical staff, such as doctors, technicians and nurses.
Submit application for final inspection, and once approved, pay the fees and submit any remaining documents.
The licence will be sent to your email, or you can download it from the website.

Documents required

Request to obtain health facility licence

A copy of the owner's passport
A copy of the owner's family book
A copy of Emirates ID
Recent passport-size photos with white background
Through Customer Happiness Centres, the owner must complete a character reference. After the approval of the relevant authority, the licensing process will resume.

Initial inspection approval

Application letter requesting licence of medical facility
A letter addressed 'to whomsoever it may concern'
Plan of the facility
Photos of the site
In case of school and nursery clinics, a statement of the total number of students, including gender and school stage, and the capacity of the facility, is required.

Initial licence approval

Plan of facility with initial approval from MOHAP engineers
Licence of Department of Economic Development
Application letter of facility
Security clearance of owner
Owner's qualifications proof

Final inspection approval

Facility's plan with inital and final approval of MOHAP engineers

Final licence approval

Facility's external billboard
Medical waste agreement
A list of medical equipment
A list of services' price
Radiation protection licence - issued by Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation
Trade licence - issued by Department of Economic Development. There are different steps to follow, depending on whether the facility is in the free zone or in the mainland.
Certificate of preventive safety - issued by Civil Defence
List of partners' names
Facility's internal rules and regulations
Facility's plan with MOHAP engineers' final approval
Registration in Tatmeen and Riayati

Fees for the services involved

Licence application fees - Dh100

Initial inspection fees:

If the facility is a hospital, convalescent home, fertility centre, emergency centre or home medical centre - the fee is Dh2,000
If the facility is a general clinic, specialist clinic, medical centre, medical diagnosis centre or rehabilitation centre - the fee is Dh1,000

Site plan verification fees:

If the facility is a hospital, convalescent home, fertility centre, emergency centre or home medical centre - the fee is Dh2,000
If the facility is a general clinic, specialist clinic, medical centre, medical diagnosis centre or rehabilitation centre - the fee is Dh1,000

Geometric site plan re-verification:

If the facility is a hospital, convalescent home, fertility centre, emergency centre or home medical centre - the fee is Dh1,000
If the facility is a general clinic, specialist clinic, medical centre, medical diagnosis centre or rehabilitation centre - the fee is Dh500

Final licence fees:

If the facility is a general clinic, rehabilitation centre or home health centre - the fee is Dh5,000
If the facility is a specialist clinic, medical diagnosis centre or emergency centre- the fee is Dh6,000
If the facility is a multi-speciality clinic - the fee can range from Dh12,000 to Dh18,000
If the facility is a fertility centre, convalescent home, one-day surgery facility - the fee is Dh20,000
If the facility is a hospital (with 1 to 50 beds) - the fee is Dh20,000
If the facility is a hospital (with 50 to 100 beds) - the fee is Dh30,000
If the facility is a hospital (with 100+ beds) - the fee is Dh40,000

Service time taken

1 working day for application approval
2 working days for final licensing

The engineering team approval for the following services will take a time of:

2 working days for initial inspection
5 to 7 working days for facility plan verification
7 to 10 working days for final inspection

Points to note

If a non-national wants to own a health facility, the local authority to which the facility belongs must issue an approval letter regarding the percentage of foreign ownership.
If the facility has high floors, an electric elevator must be installed.
The engineering conditions and standards for licensing health facilities must be met.
The initial approval will be valid for six (6) months only. This duration is granted to the owner to meet all the technical requirements and conditions for obtaining the MOHAP licence.
One can not practice or operate the facility with the initial approval. The initial approval only allows you to complete procedures required to obtain the licence.
Additional approvals may be required from concerned authorities in the emirate that the facility is located in.
A letter addressed 'to whomsoever it may concern'
Plan of the facility
Photos of the site
In case of school and nursery clinics, a statement of the total number of students, including gender and school stage, and the capacity of the facility, is required.

News Source: Khaleej Times