Short answer: For DHA licence renewal and CPD points, a certificate helps only if it shows who accredited the activity, how many credits it earned, the date and your name. Check that the accreditation is accepted for your licence before you pay. We could not confirm current credit rules, so use the DHA policy.
What this page covers
The guide to DHA licence renewal and CME explains the overall rhythm. This page is narrower. It is about one document: the certificate you collect after an activity, and whether it will count at renewal.
Meddex is independent and is not connected to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). We do not quote credit totals or fees because sources disagree and policy can change. Read the current policy in your Sheryan account or on the DHA website.
CPD points, CME credits and hours
Sources use these words in different ways. CPD stands for continuing professional development and CME for continuing medical education. Some candidate guides call the unit points and others call it credits or hours. Before you compare a certificate with a target, check what unit the policy uses.
DHA licence renewal and CPD points: read the certificate
When you receive a certificate, check each item below on the day. Fixing a problem is easier while the provider remembers the event.
- Your full name, spelled as on your licence.
- The activity title and the date or dates.
- The provider, and the body that accredited it.
- The number and unit of credits, such as hours or points.
- Any category or type the provider states.
- Whether the activity was live, online or self-directed.
Check that it counts
Some guides report that credits are grouped into categories and that limits apply to online activity. We could not confirm this on the DHA site, so treat it as reported. The safe order is to check the policy, ask the provider whether their accreditation is recognised for your title, and only then enrol.
Log it the same day
Open your tracking sheet and add the date, title, provider, credits, category and the file name of the saved PDF. Add a running total. The renewal guide has a full tracking system and a worked year. Back up the folder to a second place.
At renewal
Renewal is reported to run through the Sheryan portal, and older news coverage reported DHA urging practitioners to renew licences early. Confirm both in your account. See Sheryan portal steps for how the portal is organised, and leave enough time for questions from the authority.
If a certificate is missing or wrong
Ask the provider for a copy or a correction straight away. Do not edit a certificate yourself. If you are short of credits near expiry, ask the authority what options exist rather than guessing.
Choosing activities with renewal in mind
It helps to spread activities across the year and across kinds of learning, such as a live session, an online module and a workplace audit or teaching session, if the policy accepts them. Ask your employer which providers it already uses and whether those are recognised for your title. Keep the course page or email that shows the accreditation, because it may be needed if the certificate itself leaves the details out.
Adding a short note to each record
After each activity, add one line to your sheet about what you learned and one thing you will change at work. The note costs a minute, makes the activity more useful, and gives you something to say if a reviewer ever asks how the learning affected your practice.
A worked example of checking one certificate
Imagine you attended a half-day infection control course and received a certificate that shows your name, the date and the provider, but no credit figure and no accrediting body. Before you file it, email the provider and ask two things: how many credits the activity carries and which body accredited it. Save the reply with the certificate. If the provider cannot answer, treat the activity as unconfirmed and plan another one that clearly can.
Other ways people ask this question
You may have searched for DHA CME points, DHA CPD hours, how to renew a DHA licence or what counts as CPD for a DHA nurse. They are the same question in different words. The answer is in your Sheryan account and the current DHA policy, so check there, and keep your records so that you can answer quickly when a renewal is due.
Related guide
For the wider plan, including how to track credits over a year, see DHA licence renewal and CME.
Frequently asked questions
This article is general educational guidance, not official advice. Exam rules, fees and timelines are set by the Dubai Health Authority and the test provider and can change, so always confirm the latest details on their official channels.
Last updated .