A Guide in Becoming a Nurse in Dubai

This is all about my journey as a Nurse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Since there are not much detailed posts and information when I looked over the internet, to help all of you out there I decided to make one. World Registration Article

A Guide in Becoming a Nurse in Dubai

If you are now at the point in your life when you are one or two of these: you want a career boost, gain better experience, earn more than what you do now, live a tax free-life, encouraged by one or two of your relatives or friends, follow your family in the Middle East (or husband in my case), or simply because it is one of the countries open nowadays where nursing is in demand, you will always deem for a better life for you and your family.

As I share my experiences, I will give some tips for you to save time and money as you go through the whole process of getting registered.

First Step: Get Your Documents Ready

You would not want to end up waiting in vain from winter to summer for your documents to come as what happened to me.

To help you in getting your documents ready, here is a list from the Dubai Health Authority or DHA website from the pdf downloaded file:

attachment.php?attachmentid=26653&stc=1

*please read the above carefully

You should have your:

  • High School Diploma or Certificate
  • Nursing Diploma or Certificate
  • Nursing Transcript with Related Learning Experience
  • Certificates of Employment or Experience (signed by Human Resource, Nursing, or Medical Director)
  • Nursing Licenses (Valid, from country of graduation and/or last employment)
  • Good Standing Certificates
  • Passport Copy (front and back)
  • Passport Sized Photo (colored, white background)

You can visit [THIS LINK] to view online from the website. Scroll down to the Nurses tab then click the link To view licensure requirements and recognized specialty qualifications.

If you are from the Philippines, you might want to process this ahead of time before you come here in Dubai especially the documents from PRC. In my case they would not give me Good Standing Certificate because my license is expiring this year 2013 so I renewed my license first before I got to process the certificate which took me another 3 weeks or so waiting for my license to get here for my signature then back to the Philippines to process the certificate.

Another thing to discuss is the Attestation, Authentication, Red Ribbon of documents. While it says in the image above (Documents Required image) that "Qualifications Attestation by the UAE embassy and/or Ministry of Foreign Affairs is NOT required.", some of the companies here were looking for it when I tried applying for a nursing job in some Home Nursing companies. It is also required for the application of visa to have your documents authenticated with Red Ribbon then have it attested by the UAE embassy.

The documents I have "red-ribboned" were nursing diploma and transcript of records and marriage certificate.

Second Step: Scan the documents.

Once you completed all the documents, have it scanned in a clear copy

Yesterday I submitted all the scanned documents for my application for registration through [DHA WEBSITE] (

Third Step: Create an account then follow the procedures on the video.

Before anything else, you must have an individual account in their system. You have to sign up as NEW USER. This video will guide you through the whole process including the submission of all the necessary documents online. Although the applicant is a Dentist, the whole process is just the same. I actually played the video while I am submitting my documents and made sure that I follow the steps.

Fourth Step: Pay with a local UAE bank account or credit card

On the last page which includes authorization, you need to download the letter then sign it and upload it back with your particulars and the date. Once you reach the payment section, you need to have a local UAE credit card or bank account to be able to pay. In my case I tried to use my Singapore bank account (debit/credit card) to pay thinking it would go through but always prompted me a Failure Transaction Status on my receipt. I called the DHA hotline (800-DHA or 800-342) to confirm and they told me to pay ONLY with the local bank account.

Next...

Next is to wait for the assessment of all the submitted documents which will take up to 6 weeks. Hopefully, it won't take that long for me because I want to continue my nursing career as soon as possible.

I hope this helps you make your own experience in registering as a Nurse here in Dubai easier as for the "First Phase". I am anxious and excited for the exam and since I am always at home, I am trying to look for some review materials to refresh my knowledge about the fundamentals of nursing.

Any comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome ?

~"Have Faith, Grace Always Abounds"~

a-guide-in-becoming-a-nurse-in-dubai.pdf

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RNRouge

About RNRouge, BSN, RN

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Hi there. very informative post. Thanks for the info. I just want to ask, I already followed your process and I am stuck in the payment stage. I tried to use my credit card but failed several times already. I just figured out in your post that I need to pay with the local bank account. What will I do? How can I pay DHA? Hope you can answer my query.

Specializes in Neonatal Intensive Care.

Hi nurse_tinny, the only way to pay the amount of 210aed is by using a local bank account card. In my case, I used my husband's credit card because mine doesn't work at all. I called up the DHA hotline and they told me foreign bank accounts (not from UAE) is not accepted and the transaction won't go through. I suggest have someone from your relatives in the UAE pay the amount first (ask a favor). I cannot see any other way than this.

This will not be the only time you are going to pay. You have to pay 700aed for the PSV (primary source verification) which I just did today. Then after that pay again for the Prometric exam after the verification of documents.

Specializes in Neonatal Intensive Care.

A Guide in Becoming a Nurse in Dubai

Continuation...

After waiting for a week, they sent me an e-mail regarding Primary Source Verification Fee which is 724aed in total (as per Nurses and Allied Health) to pay using the local bank account (credit card) here in Dubai via online transaction through a link sent to my personal e-mail address (like yahoo or gmail account). I strongly suggest for you to regularly check your e-mails for any updates so as not to miss anything important like this.

I did not notice the e-mail which was sent on May 30 until last night which made me hurriedly pay it first thing in the morning today June 2 as it indicates in the message that "Payment for Primary Source Verification must be done 48 Hours after the date completion of the online application." and after seeing another e-mail which says "Request you to make the payment at the earliest.".

The first e-mail was from [email protected] and the second was from [email protected] . I am not sure if they will reply to any messages sent to these addresses and I encourage you not to send e-mails to these. They are for Reference Purposes Only.

This is the second payment made for the Application of Registration as a Nurse here in Dubai (724AED). The first one which i forgot to include on the first post was 210AED upon uploading all the requirements online.

I have been hearing some of my friend's friend that they did not need the Good Standing Certificate from their recent country of experience or their home country but in my own experience THEY ASKED FOR IT. They told me via my online account on DHA that I need to upload Good Standing Certificate from my recent experience which was in Singapore. I was ready for the said certificate from the Philippines and included it but that was all. So I got in touch with the Singapore Nursing Board to clear this matter up.

If you do not want any delay in your application, you must have ALL the required documents at hand. It would be better to upload all of what they might ask for than waiting for them to tell you so which will take a lot of time.

Next is the real wait for them to finish assessing all the documents you sent if valid, legitimate and nothing but the whole truth. This will take up to six weeks.

*This is an errata from the previous post prior to waiting for the next 6 weeks. Because I did not expect to encounter this step, I am sharing it to you now.

Any comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome :)

~"Have Faith, Grace Always Abounds"~

Your post is very helpful. Thanks!

For example I'm done with the Primary Source Verification and successfully passed the assessment.

Can I go to Dubai even without an employer and just look for a job as a nurse when I get there?

Im an newbie here but I used to be a lurker.

For Mr.RNRouge you post is very informative since I am also planning to go to UAE next month hopefully on a husband visa.

Now I am waiting for my documents from UAE embassy for attestation and I was almost broke since I had all my documents from my Nursing school attested:rolleyes:.huh!!!! Im not sure if I will use all of it including my PRC certificate/license/board rating.

I am also planning to take the MOH exam...anybody who knows what books to review?What score should I get to pass the 100 item test?Also can I get a job in nursing home even without a license although I have 4 years experience as RN in saudi?

Hope to hear from you guys.

Specializes in Neonatal Intensive Care.

sharlowtee26,

If you are determined and qualified enough, I'm sure you will be able to get a job. It would be up to you to weigh if its worth taking the risk.

You will then have your eligibility letter. That's as good as a license.

Specializes in Neonatal Intensive Care.

shelly_030304,

Its actually better to be prepared with all your documents before you come here than be sorry later.

Honestly, I haven't looked through the MOH exam details and requirements.

I have a friend here working in a nursing home. He came from the Philippines and directly applied for the job without DHA license. He got in successfully. Although the salary is not as high as the RN's, workload is very much easier than in the hospitals. I think it wouldn't be impossible for you to get a job considering you have worked in a muslim country.

Specializes in Neonatal Intensive Care.

A Guide in Becoming a Nurse in Dubai

Continuation...

After submitting all the requirements online, I waited and received a message from DHA on my sheryan account telling me to book the exam online via prometric website using the eligibility number. I then scheduled the exam and alloted more than 1 month time for extensive review so I scheduled it 1st of August. Make sure to check the schedule on the testing center or the availability of the dates before proceeding to scheduling the test date. Filling out the necessary information on the prometric website is easy. Just follow the directions and read everything thoroughly. It is very unlikely for you to make mistakes in scheduling your test date if you are keen. At the end part, you have to pay USD 170 using any international credit cards.

Reviewing for the exam has been quite easy since I have my laptop, internet access and lots and lots of time on my hands (since I stay home all day not to mention embracing the symptoms of pregnancy). I don't have any review materials, I don't know any scope of the exam, I don't even know how many items there are in the exam which made me really anxious so I started on reviewing the basics (Nursing Fundamentals). Half way through my review I met with my friends in Abu Dhabi and they told me to focus on reviewing NCLEX questions instead of dwelling into the fundamentals. I did what they said and felt confident with the scores I have been getting from the online exams.

If you will ask me what websites do I go to for the online reviews just google "NCLEX/nursing review online questions" or just play with the words and hit search. One of the great sites I found useful for me was *******.com with questions categorized for review. I did not purchase any books or hard copy reviewers because I don't feel the need to but I tried looking for some nursing reviewers here in Dubai. I found nothing interesting more than the online reviews on the internet which is greatly free. So if you want to come here and then take the exam, I advise for you to bring a good nursing review book or NCLEX reviewer.

Before the day of the exam i made sure I...

= get a good night sleep early

= eat a healthy meal

= feel confident and good

= prepare what to bring (passport and Appointment letter)

*Appointment letter will be sent to your email once you have successfully booked the exam date.

= know what will happen once I get there

*This LINK will help you feel better once you know what to expect when you get there.

On the day of the exam, we drove to Prometric Testing Center. Street Address: Block 2B, Office G-01B Knowledge Village Dubai. You can easily see the signage at the parking lot. I arrive early at 0830h for the 0930h exam. You will see from this YouTube video that this is similar to what happened next.

When I entered the examination room I was surprised to see that I was not the first one to arrive. There they were busy answering their exams on the computer.

The scope of the 70-item computerized test was a little bit of everything from management of respiratory conditions of the elderly to newborn assessment although not much of the pharmacology and computations (thank God).

Last Sunday, I received my eligibility letter which I saw just now! It was on my sheryan account which I now forgot to check regularly. I passed and I am so happy :). Thank You Lord. I really do not want to go through it again.

Hopefully anyone of you who read my blog will pass the same exam with me soon! I also hope this helped any of you who wish to get registered here in Dubai as RN. Now I can consider working either in a hospital or a clinic.

It has always been a challenge for me relocating from one country to another and to establish a career since we nurses need to take licensure exams with standards varying from country to country. I know this will not be the last but the beginning of my journey in Dubai as a nurse :)

Any comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome :)

~"Have Faith, Grace Always Abounds"~

hello sir/madam .thank you so much for your post .its very informative .. actually i dream to work as a nurse in Dubai .. i'm a filipina.i just wanna ask ,if how much money should i prepare to go there? ...i mean the the total amount of money

Specializes in Neonatal Intensive Care.
hello sir/madam .thank you so much for your post .its very informative .. actually i dream to work as a nurse in Dubai .. i'm a filipina.i just wanna ask ,if how much money should i prepare to go there? ...i mean the the total amount of money

zeldieluckz,

I am not so sure how much money should you bring but considering everything; the visa, the flight, your accommodation, your everyday expenses that would all depend on your lifestyle. If you haven't taken the exam but is planning to take it here that would be additional cost as well. If you have relatives and friends here to help you, that would be great.

Hi sir RNRouge. My contract here in KSA will end after 4-5 months and i am also planning to go to Dubai directly. I wanna ask about the authentication, since my certificate of employment will be issued from Saudi Arabia, do i still have to go to philippines for it to be authenticated by DFA or be content of the stamp given by the saudi of commerce who is the authenticating body here? Next is, i have my prometric license here in KSA too, do i have to upload both the licenses from phils and here? Thank you so much and i will greatly appreciate your reply! :)

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