We received responses from 4 different respondents with discrepant information. “United Arab Emirates (Unified)” has combined information taken from the respondents and from the different links and resources provided. In the UAE, there are 3 main licensing boards 1) CDA (Community Development Authority), 2) DHCR (Dubai Healthcare City Authority – Regulatory), and 3) DHA/DOH (Dubai Health Authority/Department of Health). The answers below cover all three boards.

Professional title for a Practicing Psychologist:

  1. CDA: Psychologist or Psychotherapist (this is under the ‘social therapist’ category)
  2. DHCR: Psychologist
  3. DHA/DOH: Psychologist

Criteria, Regulations and Procedures to obtain a License:

Note: These bodies set different eligibility criteria for UAE Nationals (requirements for a license are lower) compared to expats from other countries.

1. CDA

  • Equalization of transcripts through the Ministry of Education
  • Applicant must hold a Master’s degree in the various fields of psychology
  • The degree or its equivalent must be from an educational institution recognized in the country
  • One year experience is required
  • New graduates from UAE are to be under supervision for a minimum of 1 year
  • Forty hours of continuing professional development is required for renewal of license
  • Passing an exam

2. DHCR (this licensing board has 2 options for licensing)

Option #1:

  • A Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or A Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD) from an accredited institute.(The program must at least be of three (3) years duration, and include both a practicum and an internship.)
  • One (1) year postgraduate experience.
  • A current license to practice and/or registration as a Psychologist.
  • Certificate of Good Standing: Issued in the last six (6) months from jurisdictions (licensing authority/professional membership body) in which the Applicant holds a current license to practice and/or registration.
  • English Proficiency Test: Required if the graduate’s education was not taught in English. TOEFL – a minimum score of 500 or IELTS – a minimum band of 5.0, or Occupational English Test (OET) – minimum of grade C or equivalent, or Cambridge Assessment English– minimum score of 169 on the scoring scale
  • No exam required

DHCR Option #2

  • A Master’s degree in Psychology/Clinical Psychology following a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
  • A minimum of two (2) years of experience as a Psychologist in a clinical setting.
  • A current license to practice and/or registration as a Psychologist.
  • Certificate of Good Standing: Issued in the last six (6) months from jurisdictions (licensing authority/professional membership body) in which the Applicant holds a current license to practice and/or registration.
  • English Proficiency Test: Required if the graduate’s education was not taught in English. TOEFL – a minimum score of 500 or IELTS – a minimum band of 5.0, or Occupational English Test (OET) – minimum of grade C or equivalent, or Cambridge Assessment English– minimum score of 169 on the scoring scale
  • DHCA licensing exam required

Reciprocity of Licenses:

No

Temporary/Short-Term Licenses (which are often needed for psychologists doing humanitarian work in foreign countries):

No (a separate license in required for this)

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