Registered nurses are among six allied health categories that no longer need to complete six months of post-graduation work experience before obtaining a professional license in the UAE, following a policy update by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).
The other five categories covered by the exemption are assistant nurses, medical laboratory technicians, laboratory technologists, respiratory care technicians, and healthcare assistants.
MoHRE said the change applies regardless of whether a graduate completed their studies inside or outside the country, removing a barrier that had previously delayed workforce entry for newly qualified professionals.
Healthcare authorities are also reviewing additional allied health specializations for potential exemptions on a case-by-case basis, though the Ministry noted any such decisions would be conditional on maintaining patient safety and care quality.
The policy forms part of a wider effort to modernize the UAE’s national healthcare licensing framework, with MoHRE describing updated exemption mechanisms as central to building a more responsive regulatory environment. The Ministry cited its advanced digital infrastructure as a factor enabling faster coordination between government entities involved in licensing decisions.
Separately, MoHRE announced — in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research — that academic staff at universities and medical colleges, including physicians and other healthcare specialists, may now practice within healthcare facilities. Teaching hours may be counted toward Continuing Professional Development requirements under accredited medical education policies, a recognition the Ministry framed as acknowledging the professional value of the academic role.
