Cost of DHA Exam 2026: Complete Fee Breakdown for Nurses, Doctors, Dentists, and Allied Health in India

Most Indian candidates searching for the cost of the DHA exam expect a single figure. The DHA exam cost actually consists of five separate fee components, which are paid to three different bodies at different stages. Missing even one is why budgets fall short.

Here is what the cost of the DHA exam includes, broken down in order:

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All DHA exam fees are non-refundable. Pay and cancel, and the money is gone. Fail and retake, and the Prometric fee starts from zero.

Read about working abroad from India if you are still deciding.

The cost of the DHA exam is not the same for everyone. DHA exam fees vary by your professional category. The two biggest variables in the cost of DHA exam are the DataFlow fee and the licence activation fee.

Note: Before you pay anything, log into Sheryan and confirm the exact figures for your profession; fees are revised periodically

Nurses comparing destinations can read about nursing in Canada for Indian students.

My Insight: The DataFlow fee is what catches Indian nurses off guard. It never feels like an "exam fee" and so never makes the budget. AED 935 (Rs.24,432) is money you pay before you even have a Prometric slot. Put it first in your planning.

The cost of DHA exam for doctors is higher at every stage: steeper DataFlow, a higher Prometric fee, and a licence activation cost three times that of a nurse.

The DHA Prometric exam fees for doctors shown below are for the GP code (GEN5331). Specialist and consultant codes may vary; please confirm your code on Sheryan first.

The DHA dental fee schedule follows the same structure as doctors for DataFlow and Prometric. The main difference is in the licence activation cost. A general dentist, a specialist and a consultant all pay the same prometric fee to sit the exam, but what each title pays to activate that licence afterward is very different.

Note: Dentists must also meet section-level minimum scores in restorative dentistry, oral surgery, and periodontics. Check your Sheryan exam notice.

Allied health and pharmacy professionals pay the same DataFlow fee as nurses (AED 935) and the same Prometric fee (USD 240).

The DHA DataFlow fees differ by AED 300 between nurses and doctors because of the number of document categories. DataFlow must verify:

• Nurses, pharmacists, and allied health (AED 935 / Rs.24,432): Fewer mandatory document categories to verify
• Doctors and dentists (AED 1,235 / Rs.32,271): More document categories, including speciality training and internship records

DataFlow fees for DHA are paid through the DataFlow portal after you start your application on Sheryan. Pay through Sheryan, not directly on the DataFlow site.

DataFlow fees for DHA are non-refundable. Go through every document before uploading. Experience certificates are the most common reason DataFlow is delayed or rejected; wrong designation, incorrect dates, or a certificate from a facility that no longer responds to verification requests can stall your entire application for months.

Source: DHA Professional Assessment Manual (May 2025).

My Insight: DataFlow states that the process typically takes 4 to 12 weeks. For many Indian nurses, particularly those who worked in government hospitals, it runs longer. State health departments can take months to confirm employment records. Start DataFlow on day one, not after you have looked at Prometric slots.

The cost of DHA exam does not end at Prometric. The licence activation fee converts your registration certificate into a licence you can actually use. The cost of DHA licence activation is paid after you pass. Your facility sponsor handles the submission, but knowing the cost matters for your budget.

Disclaimer: Licence fees are profession-specific and can change; confirm the current amount on Sheryan before your licence application.

Rescheduling fee:

Rescheduling close to your exam date risks forfeiting the full fee. Check your Prometric confirmation email for the exact window.

Retake cost:

If you do not pass, you will need to pay the full Prometric fee again for your next slot. There is no reduced price for a second attempt, no goodwill exception, and the cost resets entirely.

Oral assessment (if applicable):

Some specialist and consultant titles require an oral assessment in addition to the CBT. Approximately AED 500 (Rs.13,065); verify the current amount on Sheryan. Urgent assessment costs significantly more. Check Sheryan for your title. Exchange rate: 1 AED = Rs.26.13 as of October 1, 2026.

Currency conversion:

Prometric accepts Amex, Mastercard, and Visa only. Indian banks charge a 2-3% forex markup on USD payments, adding Rs.460-690 extra on a USD 240 transaction.

Document correction charges:

A name mismatch, an incorrectly uploaded document, or a wrong detail in your Sheryan profile costs extra to fix after submission. Going slowly at the application stage saves money later.

Exchange rate: 1 AED = Rs.26.13, October 1, 2026.

My Insight: The forex markup on Indian credit cards is genuinely something most candidates never think about. When you pay USD 280 for a doctor's Prometric fee, your card company converts it at a rate that includes their spread plus a transaction fee. On top of that, some Indian banks charge a flat international transaction fee of Rs. 100-300. It is avoidable. Use a zero-forex-markup card (several Indian banks offer one) or a forex card loaded in USD.

The cost of DHA exam lands at different points. Do not book Prometric until DataFlow has cleared and Sheryan has issued your Eligibility ID.

Here is the order:

Read the DHA mock test guide to make use of the time between DataFlow submission and your Prometric booking.

The cost of DHA exam starts at Rs.78,000. A nurse recovers the total DHA fees within one to two months. After typical Dubai rent (AED 5,000-8,000/month), monthly savings run into five figures in rupees, all tax-free.

Here is what Dubai pays after you are licensed, all tax-free:

For current benchmarks, read about highest paying jobs in Dubai for Indians.

1. Budget for all five fee components, not just the Prometric fee. The cost of DHA exam looks very different when you include DataFlow, Sheryan registration, and licence activation. Nurses: budget Rs.78,000 minimum. Doctors: budget Rs.1,42,000 minimum.

2. Pay DataFlow first, Prometric second. DataFlow takes 4 to 12 weeks. Every candidate who books Prometric before DataFlow clears either wastes a slot or delays their exam by months. Pay them in sequence.

3. Check your professional registration body before submitting documents. The Good Standing Certificate for nurses must come from your State Nursing Council, not the NMC (which is the doctors' regulator). Submitting from the wrong body delays your entire DataFlow process.

Verified by: LeapScholar's Dubai and the healthcare careers counseling team, who have supported Indian nurses, doctors, dentists, and allied health professionals through the DHA application and licensing process.

Have questions about the cost of the DHA exam or where to start? Book a free session with a LeapScholar counselor.