DHA Clinic & Pharmacy Approval Dubai 2026: Complete Healthcare Permit Guide

DHA updated minimum space standards for specialist clinics in March 2026. All applications submitted after March 1, 2026 must comply. Designs prepared before the update may be non-compliant.

General Practice (GP) Clinic — updated 2026 standards:

• Total minimum area: 50 sq. m. (updated from 40 sq. m.)
• Consultation room: minimum 9 sq. m. per room
• Waiting area: minimum 6 sq. m. + 1 sq. m. per seat beyond 3 seats
• Reception counter: minimum 3 linear metres
• Accessible restroom: mandatory
• Clean and dirty utility room: mandatory (separate areas)

Specialist Clinics (dermatology, cardiology, orthopaedics etc.) — updated 2026:

• Total minimum area: 70 sq. m. (updated from 60 sq. m.)
• Treatment/consultation rooms: minimum 12 sq. m. each
• Dedicated equipment storage room: locked, minimum 4 sq. m.
• Nurse station: mandatory for any clinic with treatment rooms

Dental Clinics:

• Total minimum area: 55 sq. m.
• Dental operatory: minimum 10 sq. m. per dental unit with 1.2m clear access on each side
• Sterilization room: mandatory, minimum 6 sq. m., separate dirty zone (incoming instruments) and clean zone (processed instruments)
• X-ray room (panoramic/CBCT): lead-lined walls to 1mm Pb equivalent minimum, FANR approval mandatory
• Decontamination protocol documentation: mandatory for all dental clinics

Physiotherapy Centres:

• Treatment bay: minimum 15 sq. m. per physiotherapy bay (curtained or walled)
• Exercise area: minimum 25 sq. m. if fitness equipment is used for rehabilitation
• Wheelchair-accessible changing room: mandatory

DHA updated pharmacy space requirements in 2026, adding mandatory pharmacist consultation booths and digital temperature monitoring requirements.

Community Pharmacy — 2026 standards:

• Total dispensing area minimum: 40 sq. m.
• Dispensing counter: minimum 4 linear metres with knee clearance for customer access
• Cold storage: dedicated pharmaceutical refrigerator(s) maintaining 2–8°C continuously; digital temperature logging with cloud backup mandatory (paper logs no longer accepted for new applications)
• Controlled drug storage: double-locked steel cabinet, bolted to floor and wall, tamper-evident
• Pharmacist consultation booth: minimum 2 sq. m., enclosed or screened for auditory privacy (new 2026 requirement)
• Pharmaceutical waste area: DHA-compliant waste segregation (sharps, expired medications, chemical waste — each segregated)
• Security: CCTV covering dispensing area, DHA inspection may request CCTV recording access

Digital cold storage monitoring — the 2026 requirement most applications miss:

DHA now requires continuous digital temperature logging with cloud-based data backup for all pharmaceutical cold storage. The system must:

• Log temperature at minimum every 15 minutes
• Store data in cloud backup accessible via DHA's pharmacovigilance portal
• Trigger an alarm (SMS/email) if temperature falls outside 2–8°C range
• Retain 12 months of temperature data accessible on request

Physical paper temperature logs are not accepted for new pharmacy approvals from 2026. This requires specifying an automated monitoring unit (pharmacy-grade datalogger with cloud connectivity) during fit-out — the equipment must be installed and commissioned before the DHA inspection.

The Sheryan portal (sheryan.dha.gov.ae) is DHA's primary platform for all Healthcare Facility Licence applications and renewals.

Step 1: DHA pre-approval for the medical activity

Before fitting out, obtain DHA's confirmation that the proposed medical activity is approvable at the selected location and zoning. This prevents investing in a fit-out for an activity DHA cannot licence at your specific address.

Step 2: Fit-out to DHA standards

Complete the medical fit-out per DHA 2026 space standards, in parallel with the DM fit-out permit and Civil Defense NOC. The physical premises must be complete before the DHA inspection is booked.

Step 3: Sheryan portal submission

Submit via sheryan.dha.gov.ae with:

• Facility details, address, and activity classification
• Floor plan showing all rooms with dimensions
• Equipment list with manufacturer specifications
• All clinical staff credentials and DHA practitioner licence numbers
• DM/DDA fit-out permit copy
• Civil Defense NOC copy
• Infection control plan (written protocol document)
• Medical waste management plan
• Cold chain monitoring system specifications (pharmacies)

Step 4: DHA technical review — 7–14 working days

DHA reviews documentation and may issue comments requiring clarifications or additional documentation.

Step 5: DHA facility inspection

DHA inspector visits the physical premises and checks:

• Room dimensions against DHA standards
• Equipment installation and specifications
• Staff credentials on-site
• Infection control procedures in practice
• Medical waste segregation in place
• Cold chain monitoring system operational (pharmacies)

Step 6: Healthcare Facility Licence issued

DHA issues the electronic Healthcare Facility Licence, enabling DED to issue the medical trade licence.

Yes — but with additional approvals beyond the standard clinic process. This comes up frequently for doctors and healthcare providers wanting to use ground-floor villas or retail units in residential buildings.

Additional requirements for a clinic in a residential building:

1. Zoning confirmation

The building or plot must be zoned for or contain permitted commercial/medical use. Ground floor commercial zoning is common in mixed-use buildings but not in purely residential-zoned areas.

2. DM Change of Use permit

Converting a residential unit to a medical clinic requires a formal Change of Use permit from Dubai Municipality. This involves:

• DM Planning Department feasibility study (20–30 working days, fee AED 2,000–8,000)
• Approval before any drawings can be prepared for the fit-out

3. Building owner/management NOC

Written confirmation from the building owner or management company that the medical use is permitted under the building's rules.

4. DED zoning confirmation for medical activity

DED must confirm the proposed medical activity is permitted in the classified zone.

Only after these four confirmations can the standard 4-authority clinic opening process begin. Dar Al Naseeb advises on zoning eligibility before any lease commitment is made — avoiding the situation where a lease is signed and change of use is not feasible.

Dental clinics and any medical facility with X-ray or radiation equipment need a fifth authority approval that many operators and even some consultants miss until late in the process.

FANR (Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation) approval is required for:

• All dental clinics with periapical, panoramic, or CBCT X-ray equipment
• Radiology centres and diagnostic imaging facilities
• Physiotherapy clinics with therapeutic radiation equipment
• Nuclear medicine facilities

FANR X-ray room requirements:

• Primary barrier (walls in the X-ray beam direction): minimum 2.0mm lead equivalent
• Secondary barriers: minimum 1.0mm lead equivalent
• Lead-lined door with 1.0mm lead equivalent minimum
• Warning light system outside the X-ray room
• Radiation controlled area signage

FANR approval process:

1. Radiation safety design review by FANR-accredited radiation safety officer

2. Construction of lead-lined room per FANR specifications

3. Radiation survey after construction (physical measurement of radiation levels)

4. FANR registration of X-ray equipment

5. FANR facility registration

FANR approval typically takes 4–8 weeks and must be completed before the DHA facility inspection for dental and radiology clinics. Include FANR in your parallel submission planning from the start.