Short answer: Yes
Yes. You need a professional licence from the health authority for your emirate and a job with a licensed facility, which then sponsors your Standard Work Visa (Employer-Sponsored). The visa takes about 1–2 months; the licence comes first, so start there.
The programmes that apply to nurses in the United Arab Emirates
Fees, salary floors and processing times below come from the official sources in Transita's visa database. Processing is an estimate from the published figure, not a promise.
| Programme | Fee | Salary floor | Processing | Job offer | PR after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Work Visa (Employer-Sponsored) | $300 | None set | 1–2 months | Yes | No direct route |
| Green Visa (Skilled Worker) | $700 | AED 15,000/mo (≈ $49,013/yr) | 1–2 months | Yes | Yes, no fixed timeline |
| Golden Visa | $1,000 | None set | 1–3 months | No | Yes, no fixed timeline |
Green Visa (Skilled Worker) headline floor: monthly salary, or the equivalent in another currency.
- Standard Work Visa (Employer-Sponsored): The standard route for employed nurses. The hospital or clinic applies, and it is the same employer that activates your licence.
- Green Visa (Skilled Worker): Self-sponsored residence for degree holders earning above the floor. Senior nurses with a bachelor's degree may qualify.
- Golden Visa: Has a frontline heroes category, but the official page does not name nurses, so treat it as something to ask about rather than a route.
Which authority licenses you
Three bodies license health professionals: DHA in Dubai, DOH in Abu Dhabi and MOHAP for the other emirates. They share one set of rules, the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), so the licence you aim for depends on where the job is.
The licensing steps
DHA's manual for licensing healthcare professionals sets out the sequence:
- A self-assessment on the Sheryan system against the PQR for your title.
- Primary source verification of your qualifications and experience by DataFlow, with a positive result.
- The licensing assessment, a computer-based test delivered by Prometric or an oral assessment.
- Registration, after which the licence is activated by a DHA-licensed facility that hires you.
The last step is why the job and the licence are linked. You can pass the assessment first, but the licence becomes active through an employer.
Visa costs and the Green Visa option
The employer-sponsored visa costs $300 in our data and is valid for 2 years. If you earn above AED 15,000/mo (≈ $49,013/yr) and hold a degree, the Green Visa ($700, valid for 5 years) lets you sponsor yourself, so your residence does not depend on one hospital.
The Golden Visa page lists doctors under exceptional talent and a separate frontline heroes category. More in the Golden Visa vs Green Visa guide.
Who sponsors nurses in the United Arab Emirates
Transita does not hold a UAE sponsor register. For nurses the sponsor is the hiring hospital or clinic, and under DHA rules that facility also activates your licence, so confirm which authority licenses the facility before you start the assessment.
The Transita sponsor register collects the official sponsor lists we hold, so you can check an employer before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a nursing licence in Dubai?
Through DHA: a Sheryan self-assessment against the PQR, primary source verification by DataFlow, the assessment (Prometric computer-based test or oral), then registration. A DHA-licensed facility that hires you activates the licence.
Which authority licenses nurses in the UAE?
DHA for Dubai, DOH for Abu Dhabi and MOHAP for the other emirates. They follow the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements.
What visa do nurses use in the UAE?
The employer-sponsored work visa, which costs $300 in Transita's data and takes about 1–2 months.
Can nurses get a UAE Golden Visa?
The official page lists a frontline heroes category but does not name nurses, so eligibility is not certain. Doctors are named under exceptional talent.
Related guides
- Can I Move to the UAE as a Software Engineer? Visa Options 2026
- Can I Move to Germany as a Nurse? Recognition and Visas 2026
- Can I Move to Singapore as a Nurse? Registration and Passes 2026
- Can I Move to Spain as a Nurse? Homologation and Visas 2026
- Can I Move to Portugal as a Nurse? Registration and Visas 2026
- Every visa route to the United Arab Emirates
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Build my workspaceofficial sources: Work Residence Visa · u.ae·Green Residence · u.ae·Golden Residence · u.ae