Community Development Authority (CDA) Dubai Health Care Professional Licensing Process:

Professionals benefit from this service:

1. Social worker:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work.

2. Social counselor:

• Masters in counseling or psychology or education with specialization in counseling.

3. Social therapist/Behavior Analyst:

• MSc in psychology or education with behavior analysis specialization.
• BSc in psychology, education, or nursing with an applied behavior analysis program.

4. Assistant behavioral analyst

5. Psychologist:

• MSc in various fields of psychology.

6. Assistant psychologist:

• BSc in psychology (can work under the supervision of a licensed psychologist).

7. Special Education:

• Special Education teacher, learning support teacher:
  • Masters in special education or BSc degree in special education with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in the field.

Please note that at least 1 year of experience is required for all categories. Job vacancies can be seen on Dubai Careers: https://dubaicareers.ae/en/Pages/default.aspx

Steps of the application process under CDA:

1. Process of Equalization and PSV (Primary Source Verification) – Primary source verification prior to submitting the application to CDA licensing department must be fulfilled from MOE.

A. Equalization of your highest Academic degree from the Ministry of Education, UAE:

• Higher secondary certificate, Diploma, Bachelor degree – 100 AED each
• MS, Pg. certificates – 150 AED
• PhD – 200 AED

B. PSV – Primary source verification of Documents of Qualifications and Work experience through Dataflow Agency.
Documents required for PSV Application:

• CDA application form
• LOA (Letter of Authorization) copy duly filled and signed
• Resume
• Copy of highest academic Degree
• Professional license copy if available
• Experience letter (last 3 years)

1. Once you receive results from MOE and Dataflow, compile the remaining documents listed below and send them to [email protected]:

• CDA licensure application form
• Passport size photograph
• EID
• Resume
• Attested degree and transcript
• Equalization Report by MOE
• Letter of Experience
• Good Conduct Certificate issued by Dubai police (if resident of Dubai) or from the Police department of the respective Emirates
• Good standing certificate from the country of residence (If residency is less than 6 months in Dubai)
• Dataflow verification positive Report

1. Exam Process: The examination is held every 3 months at the British University of Dubai. A CDA licensing representative will contact you to inform you of the exam date and preparation materials.
2. After completion of the exam, you will receive the issued license.
3. License Renewal: Every 2 years, 2 months prior to expiry.

Here I will show , how the approval mail will be received from CDA:

Greetings from the Community Development Authority.

Kindly fill out the attached application form (word document) ASAP

If you receive this message it means that your application has been received and the credentialing process has been completed. 

The next step is to register for the professional practice examination being administered by the British University of Dubai,  the fee is AED 1,000 for a first attempt and AED 700 in case of retaking the exam. 

Kindly note that we will register you for the exam. Approximately 2 to 3 weeks before the exam date, you can expect to receive an email with a payment link from the British University.

Please note that the exam result will be released three or four weeks after the exam date.

 Note: Please note that a passing score: 50

The British University offers an online training program for individuals who have not passed their exams. This program includes the following categories:

•             Psychologist

•             Social Worker

•             Special Education Teacher

•             Social Counsellor

The units will include best practices in social services, communication skills, and problem-solving techniques. The language of delivery is Arabic or English

The Cost:

The training program incurs a total cost of 8,000 AED (eight thousand Dirhams). Payment of the full amount is due upfront. (If your education demands attending extra course in Dubai).

Please see below the schedule for the CDA exams for 2024

• 2nd September 2024
• 23rd December 2024

Do let me know if you need any additional information, thank you.

Kind Regards,

Are you fed up with all these processes? Don’t worry, Nursing Manthra is there to assist you throughout the process. They can help with filling the application, Dataflow service, exam booking, and more. You can approach Nursing Manthra at any time.

If you need any more clarification, feel free to contact Nursing Manthra on WhatsApp