Introduction
Healthcare professionals holding a valid MOHAP evaluation letter may apply for professional assessment with the Sharjah Health Authority.
This is commonly described as an “MOH evaluation-to-SHA transfer.” However, the MOHAP evaluation letter is not directly converted into an SHA professional licence.
The correct pathway is:
- Use the MOHAP evaluation letter and supporting documents to apply for an SHA assessment.
- Obtain the SHA Healthcare Professional Assessment Certificate.
- Secure an offer from an SHA-licensed healthcare facility.
- Ask the employer to activate the SHA professional licence.
What Is a MOHAP Evaluation Letter?
A MOHAP health professional evaluation certificate confirms that the applicant has been evaluated for a healthcare professional title under MOHAP requirements.
MOHAP describes the evaluation service as enabling healthcare professionals to obtain an evaluation certificate required for licensing and to complete any necessary professional examination.
The MOHAP evaluation certificate is not, by itself, an active professional licence. A MOHAP-licensed healthcare facility must complete a separate licensing process before the professional may practise under MOHAP.
Can a MOH Evaluation Letter Be Used for SHA?
Yes. SHA includes an MOH evaluation or an eligibility or registration document issued by another UAE health authority among the documents that may be submitted for professional assessment.
A valid MOHAP evaluation may support:
- SHA professional assessment
- Examination exemption
- Recognition of previous UAE credentialing
- Use of the existing MOHAP DataFlow report
- Recognition of the previously approved professional title
- Review of previous Prometric or licensing-assessment results
The professional must still obtain a separate SHA assessment certificate.
MOH Evaluation Letter Versus MOH Licence
| MOHAP Evaluation Letter | MOHAP Professional Licence |
|---|---|
| Confirms evaluation for a professional title | Authorises practice under a MOHAP-licensed facility |
| May be issued before employment | Connected to a healthcare facility |
| Does not establish MOHAP work experience | May be supported by MOHAP employment experience |
| May support SHA examination exemption | A valid licence may provide stronger proof of current practice |
| Good Standing may not apply if no licence was activated | MOHAP Good Standing may be available for licensed practice |
Who Can Apply?
The process may be used by:
- Nurses and midwives
- Physicians and dentists
- Pharmacists
- Medical laboratory professionals
- Radiology professionals
- Physiotherapists
- Optometrists
- Dental assistants
- Operation theatre professionals
- Anaesthesia professionals
- Dialysis professionals
- Other allied healthcare professionals recognised under the Unified PQR
Documents Required
Prepare the following documents before starting:
MOHAP’s current evaluation service requires qualification, academic record, experience where applicable, professional licence where applicable, Good Standing where applicable, passport, exemption documents, and unprotected copies of previous DataFlow reports.
SHA’s assessment service similarly requests qualifications, transcript, current licence if any, experience, Good Standing from the current licensing authority where applicable, PSV reports, examination-exemption documents, passport, Emirates ID, and specialty-related records.
Is a MOHAP Good Standing Certificate Required?
The answer depends on whether the applicant had an active MOHAP professional licence.
Applicant Has Only an MOHAP Evaluation
When the applicant received only an evaluation certificate and never activated a MOHAP licence, MOHAP Good Standing may not be applicable because the applicant did not practise under a MOHAP professional licence.
The applicant should normally provide:
- MOHAP evaluation certificate
- MOHAP DataFlow report
- MOHAP examination result
- Current or most recent home-country or UAE professional licence
- Good Standing Certificate from the relevant current or most recent licensing authority
Applicant Previously Held a MOHAP Licence
A current or previously MOHAP-licensed professional should obtain a recent MOHAP Good Standing or current-status document when requested.
MOHAP provides a service for professionals to request a certificate covering periods worked in MOHAP-licensed medical facilities.
Step-by-Step MOH Evaluation to SHA Process
Step 1: Verify the MOHAP Evaluation Status
Check that the evaluation certificate clearly displays:
- Applicant’s name
- Evaluation reference number
- Approved professional category
- Approved professional title
- Issue or validity details
- Examination result, when applicable
A valid evaluation is more likely to support examination exemption than an expired or outdated evaluation.
Step 2: Download the Complete MOHAP DataFlow Report
Download an unprotected PDF copy.
Check whether the report contains positive verification for:
- Qualification
- Academic transcript
- Professional registration
- Employment experience
- Internship
- Specialty qualification
MOHAP’s current evaluation service specifically requests unprotected copies of previous DataFlow reports when available.
Step 3: Review the Approved Professional Title
Compare the MOHAP evaluation title with the title to be requested from SHA.
For example:
- Registered Nurse should normally be matched with Registered Nurse
- Medical Laboratory Technologist should not be entered as Medical Laboratory Technician unless the qualification supports that title
- Physiotherapist should not be entered as Physiotherapy Technician
- Specialist titles require the appropriate postgraduate qualification, registration, and experience
SHA can issue a title based on its own evaluation and the current PQR, even where the previous MOHAP title differs.
Step 4: Create or Access the SHA Account
Visit the SHA electronic services portal and select:
Request for Healthcare Professional Assessment
The applicant, rather than the future employer, normally completes this assessment stage.
Step 5: Complete the SHA Assessment Application
Enter:
- Personal details
- Passport and Emirates ID details
- Education history
- Internship details
- Professional registration
- Experience history
- MOHAP evaluation information
- Previous UAE examination attempts
- DataFlow details
- Requested SHA professional title
Ensure that all dates match the uploaded certificates.
Step 6: Upload the MOHAP Evaluation as an Exemption Document
Upload:
- MOHAP evaluation certificate
- MOHAP assessment or Prometric result
- MOHAP DataFlow report
- Current licence and Good Standing, where applicable
SHA states that applicants holding a valid evaluation certificate or licence from a UAE health authority may be exempt from its professional assessment examination. The final exemption is determined after SHA reviews the application.
Step 7: Declare Previous Examination Attempts
Applicants required to take an SHA examination must declare the number of previous attempts with other UAE health authorities.
Do not omit failed attempts or applications made through DHA, MOHAP, DOH, or another UAE authority. SHA specifically requires this declaration when an examination is applicable.
Step 8: Pay the SHA Assessment Fee
Current SHA professional assessment fees are:
- Physicians, dentists, and TCIM practitioners: AED 500
- Nurses, midwives, pharmacists, allied healthcare professionals, and TCIM therapists: AED 300
Additional DataFlow and examination fees may apply.
SHA lists an application-review period of approximately eight working days when the submission is complete.
Step 9: Complete Additional Verification When Requested
Additional DataFlow may be required when:
- A qualification was not verified in the MOHAP report
- Experience needed for the SHA title is missing
- A professional registration was not included
- The existing report is protected or unreadable
- A discrepancy appears in the verification result
- New experience or qualification has been added
- The title requested from SHA differs from the MOHAP title
Step 10: Receive the SHA Assessment Certificate
After approval, SHA issues the Healthcare Professional Assessment Certificate.
This certificate confirms the title accepted by SHA but does not permit the professional to begin work.
Step 11: Obtain Employment in an SHA-Licensed Facility
The professional must receive an offer from a hospital, clinic, medical centre, pharmacy, diagnostic facility, or other healthcare facility holding an active SHA licence.
The facility must be authorised for the speciality related to the professional’s title.
Step 12: Employer Applies for Professional Licence
The SHA facility representative submits the licence activation request.
The official SHA licence service may require:
- SHA assessment certificate
- Offer letter
- Medical malpractice insurance
- NOC for part-time arrangements
- Physical and mental health report for professionals over 60
- Additional facility or professional documents
A valid SHA assessment certificate is mandatory before the professional licence can be issued.
Step 13: Pay the Professional Licence Fee
Current SHA full-time licence fees include:
- Physicians, dentists, and TCIM practitioners: AED 3,000
- Nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, trainees, and specified related categories: AED 1,000
- Part-time professional licence for all categories: AED 4,000
The official licence-service duration is approximately eight working days, provided all requirements are fulfilled.
Is Another SHA Examination Required?
A valid MOHAP evaluation and examination result may support exemption from an SHA examination.
However, another assessment may be required where:
- The MOHAP evaluation is expired
- The requested SHA title is different
- The applicant does not meet the current PQR
- The examination result cannot be verified
- Previous examination attempts were not properly declared
- The applicant has a significant practice gap
- SHA requests a category-specific assessment
- Supporting documents are incomplete
Applicants should wait for the official SHA assessment decision before assuming that an examination is waived.
Practice-Gap Requirement
SHA states that an applicant should not have a professional practice gap exceeding three years.
Where the gap is longer, the professional may be asked to complete approved clinical training or other requirements before receiving a licence.
MOHAP’s current evaluation service also states that professional practice should not have a gap exceeding three years.
What if the MOH Evaluation Has Expired?
An expired evaluation may still be uploaded as evidence of previous UAE assessment, but it may not qualify as a valid document for examination exemption.
SHA may request:
- Updated qualification and experience review
- Recent Good Standing
- Additional DataFlow verification
- Current professional licence
- New examination
- Additional training for a practice gap
- Reassessment under the latest PQR
It is advisable to begin the SHA process while the MOHAP evaluation remains active.
Common Reasons for Application Delay
Common issues include:
- Expired MOHAP evaluation
- Missing MOHAP examination result
- Protected DataFlow report
- Incomplete DataFlow verification
- Negative or discrepancy result
- Missing Good Standing from the actual licensing authority
- Experience certificate without clear dates
- Professional title mismatch
- Incorrect declaration of previous UAE examination attempts
- Practice gap exceeding three years
- Applicant selecting a higher SHA title without the required qualification
- Employer facility not authorised for the approved speciality
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an MOH evaluation letter automatically converted into an SHA licence?
No. It is used as supporting evidence for the SHA assessment application.
Can I apply for SHA without an active MOH licence?
Yes. An applicant with a valid MOHAP evaluation may apply for SHA professional assessment even if the MOHAP licence was never activated.
Will SHA accept my MOH Prometric result?
A valid MOHAP evaluation and examination result may support examination exemption. SHA makes the final decision.
Do I need a new DataFlow report?
The existing MOHAP DataFlow report may be used when it is complete, positive, readable, and covers all documents required for the requested SHA title. Additional verification may still be requested.
Can I work after receiving the SHA assessment certificate?
No. An SHA-licensed employer must activate the final professional licence.
Can the approved SHA title differ from the MOH title?
Yes. SHA evaluates the title according to the qualification, registration, experience, speciality training, current PQR, and submitted evidence.
Conclusion
The correct MOH evaluation-to-SHA pathway is:
MOHAP Evaluation Certificate → MOHAP DataFlow and Exam Result → SHA Professional Assessment → SHA Assessment Certificate → SHA Employer Offer → SHA Professional Licence
Successful processing depends on the validity of the MOHAP evaluation, a complete DataFlow report, accurate examination history, recent professional experience, and selection of the correct SHA professional title.
For support with MOHAP evaluation-to-SHA processing, DataFlow review, examination exemption, document preparation, SHA assessment application, and employer licence activation guidance, contact Nursing Manthra.
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/971502515717
UAE: +971 502 515 717
India: +91 6828756689
👩⚕️ About the Author
Shincy George, RN, MSN (Cardiothoracic Nursing), SCFHS-RN, DHA RN, MOH UAE RN, NCLEX-RN (USA), is the Founder of Nursing Manthra Academy.
With extensive international clinical and academic experience, she is dedicated to guiding healthcare professionals through global licensing pathways. Through Nursing Manthra, she supports internationally educated healthcare professionals in achieving their career goals across Canada, USA, UAE, Middle East, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries.
Her mission is to simplify complex licensing processes and empower healthcare professionals with the right knowledge, guidance, and support to succeed globally. 🌍
