Medical Document Translation in UAE: Requirements for DHA, DOH & HAAD

Healthcare professionals seeking to work in the UAE — whether doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, or allied health professionals — must submit a detailed package of documents to the relevant health authority. If those documents are in any language other than Arabic or English, certified translation is mandatory.

This article explains the medical document translation requirements for Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH), and the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD), which was consolidated into DOH.

Which Health Authorities Require Translated Documents?

The three main health authorities regulating healthcare professionals in the UAE are:

• Dubai Health Authority (DHA): Regulates healthcare professionals in Dubai.
• Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH): Regulates healthcare professionals in Abu Dhabi (formerly HAAD).
• Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP): Federal licensing for certain professions and for emirate coverage beyond DHA and DOH.

All three require that documents in languages other than Arabic or English be accompanied by certified translations. Documents in English are generally accepted without translation by these authorities, though individual application portals may specify otherwise.

Which Documents Require Translation for Medical Licensing?

Common documents requiring certified translation for UAE health authority applications:

• Medical degree certificates and transcripts (if not in Arabic or English)
• Postgraduate specialisation certificates
• Good standing certificates from previous employers or licensing authorities
• Police clearance certificates from home country
• Birth certificates
• Marriage certificates (for name change issues)
• Reference letters in non-Arabic/non-English languages
• Experience certificates from non-English-speaking countries

What Format Is Required for Medical Document Translations?

For DHA, DOH and MOHAP submissions:

• Translation must be certified by an MOJ-licensed translation office
• The official MOJ stamp and registration number must be visible
• Translation should be a complete and faithful rendering of the original
• The original document must be submitted alongside the translation
• Translations for DOH/DHA are typically submitted as PDF uploads through the Malaffi/Dubai Health licensing portals

Dataflow Verification and Translation

Most UAE health authorities now require Dataflow (Primary Source Verification) for healthcare professional licensing. Dataflow verifies the authenticity of your educational and professional documents directly with the issuing institutions.

If your documents are in a non-English language, Dataflow will require certified translations as part of the verification package. Having certified translations ready before initiating the Dataflow application accelerates the process.

Timeline and Cost for Medical Document Translation

Turnaround Times

• Standard medical documents (1–2 pages): same-day to 24 hours
• Multi-page transcripts: 24–48 hours
• Complex specialist documents: up to 5 business days

Translation Costs

• Standard medical document (1 page): AED 59–150 depending on language pair
• Medical transcript (per page): AED 59–100
• Rare language pairs: higher rates apply — contact us for a quote