Federal Law No. (6) of 2023 on the Practice of Some Medical Professions by Persons Other Than Physicians and Pharmacists
Federal Law No. (6) of 2023
This law regulates licensing and practice of specified healthcare professions carried out by persons other than physicians and pharmacists, including qualifications, professional duties, national and local registers, disciplinary measures and penalties.
Overview
What this legislation covers
This law regulates licensing and practice of specified healthcare professions carried out by persons other than physicians and pharmacists, including qualifications, professional duties, national and local registers, disciplinary measures and penalties.
Who or what it applies to
- Nurses, therapists, technicians and other health professions covered by the law/Executive Regulation.
- Licensed health practitioners other than physicians and pharmacists.
- Health facilities employing covered practitioners.
- MOHAP and federal/local Health Authorities responsible for licensing and discipline.
Key points
Important points at a glance
Issued on 31 May 2023 and effective from 30 June 2023.
Repealed Federal Law No. (5) of 1984 while preserving existing implementing resolutions until replaced.
Applies to health professions identified under the law/Executive Regulation rather than physicians and pharmacists.
Requires a professional licence before practising a covered health profession.
Sets education, qualification, experience, fitness and other licensing requirements.
Health Authorities issue professional licences and maintain practitioner registers.
The Ministry maintains the national regulatory framework and professional standards.
Regulates professional duties, ethical conduct and scope-of-practice requirements.
Prohibits practice outside licence scope and misrepresentation as a licensed practitioner.
Provides disciplinary sanctions through the competent Health Authority.
Creates criminal fines/penalties for unlicensed practice, fraudulent licensing documents and related conduct.
Allows judicial enforcement officers to detect violations.
Existing licensed practitioners were given a status-adjustment mechanism linked to licence expiry and the Executive Regulation.
Cabinet Resolution No. (176) of 2025 is the current Executive Regulation and became effective on 29 November 2025.
Current professional qualification requirements and Emirate-level health authority rules must also be checked.
Practical explanation
Understanding the law
Purpose and practical effect
This law regulates licensing and practice of specified healthcare professions carried out by persons other than physicians and pharmacists, including qualifications, professional duties, national and local registers, disciplinary measures and penalties.
Who and what the law applies to
- Nurses, therapists, technicians and other health professions covered by the law/Executive Regulation.
- Licensed health practitioners other than physicians and pharmacists.
- Health facilities employing covered practitioners.
- MOHAP and federal/local Health Authorities responsible for licensing and discipline.
Important definitions
- Health Profession: a profession covered by the law and specified through the regulatory framework.
- Health Practitioner: a person licensed to practise a covered Health Profession.
- Health Authority: the competent federal/local governmental health regulator.
- Licence: the authorisation to practise the specified Health Profession.
Main rights, duties and legal consequences
- A practitioner may practise only while holding the required current licence and within its authorised scope.
- Practitioners are subject to professional ethics, competence and patient-safety duties.
- Health Authorities may investigate professional violations and impose disciplinary measures.
- Facilities must verify practitioner licensing and scope before assigning clinical duties.
Practical compliance / procedure checklist
- Identify whether the profession is listed/regulated under the law and Executive Regulation.
- Meet qualification, experience, fitness and documentation requirements.
- Apply to the competent Health Authority for professional licensing.
- Maintain licence renewal and continuing professional requirements.
- Practise only within approved scope and facility privileges.
- Report or address disciplinary/fitness matters through the regulator's formal process.
- Use Cabinet Resolution No. (176) of 2025 and current unified professional qualification requirements for applications.
Important dates and deadlines
- Issued: 31 May 2023.
- Effective: 30 June 2023.
- Executive Regulation No. (176) of 2025: effective 29 November 2025.
- Legacy practitioners must follow the status-adjustment period in Article 19 and the current regulation.
- Licence renewal and appeal periods depend on the relevant regulator and regulation.
Enforcement and legal exposure
Unlicensed practice and fraudulent licensing conduct can trigger criminal penalties, while professional misconduct can lead to disciplinary sanctions including suspension or cancellation. Exact penalties must be checked against the current article.
Practical scenarios
- A therapist moving from another jurisdiction needs the UAE/Emirate licence before practising.
- A facility should not assign clinical duties outside a practitioner's licensed scope.
- A practitioner whose fitness is questioned may be referred through the statutory assessment process.
- An old licence issued under the predecessor framework must be aligned with the current Executive Regulation.
Current-law interaction
The law remains active. Cabinet Resolution No. (176) of 2025 now supplies the Executive Regulation, replacing transitional reliance on the former 1984-law resolutions to the extent addressed by the new regulation.
Research status
Legal-status and source verification for this package was carried out on 2026-09-07. UAE federal legislation often operates together with Cabinet resolutions, Executive Regulations, ministerial decisions, local Health/competent-authority rules and later amendments. The current official source should be rechecked before a live filing, licence application, clinical decision, enforcement step or court submission.
Practical notes
- Use the current official Arabic text for interpretation and application; the English package is a structured legal-information rendering.
- Verify the latest consolidated law, Executive Regulation, Cabinet/ministerial decisions and relevant Emirate-level rules immediately before case-specific reliance.
- Exact penalties, thresholds, exceptions, consent rules and procedural deadlines must be checked against the current article and implementing instrument.
- The supplied cover artwork is editorial artwork and does not constitute an official UAE Government publication or legal-status certificate.
Legislation text
Text and provisions
Official-text notice. This file is a comprehensive structured English legal-information rendering based on the sources listed in this package. It is not represented as the controlling verbatim English text. The official Arabic text prevails for interpretation and application. Exact offences, penalties, thresholds, exceptions, licences, consent requirements and deadlines must be checked against the current official article and implementing instrument.
Federal Law No. (6) of 2023 on the Practice of Some Medical Professions by Persons Other Than Physicians and Pharmacists
Verified legislative metadata
| Instrument | Federal Law No. (6) of 2023 |
|---|---|
| Issued | 2023-05-31 |
| Effective | 2023-06-30 |
| Status | Active / in force |
| Official Gazette | Official Gazette No. 752 |
| Official source | UAE legislation source |
Purpose and scope
This law regulates licensing and practice of specified healthcare professions carried out by persons other than physicians and pharmacists, including qualifications, professional duties, national and local registers, disciplinary measures and penalties.
Structured legislative map
Definitions and scope
Defines covered Health Professions, practitioners, Ministry and Health Authority.
Professional licensing
Requires a licence and sets the authority/procedure for issue, renewal, suspension and cancellation.
Qualification requirements
Sets academic, professional, experience, fitness and good-conduct conditions.
Scope of practice
Limits practitioners to the profession and activities authorised by their licence and applicable professional standards.
Professional duties
Requires ethical, competent and safe practice and observance of health-authority rules.
Registers
Provides for local and national registers of licensed practitioners.
Fitness and competence
Allows assessment where physical/mental fitness or professional competence is in question.
Disciplinary action
Provides warnings, suspension, cancellation and other disciplinary consequences.
Criminal penalties
Penalises unlicensed practice, false licensing documents and misleading claims of licensure.
Judicial enforcement
Authorises designated employees to act as judicial enforcement officers.
Status adjustment
Provides transitional rules for practitioners licensed under the predecessor law.
Executive Regulation
Cabinet Resolution No. (176) of 2025 contains detailed current licensing/practice provisions.
Repeal and commencement
Repeals the 1984 law and states the commencement rule.
Key statutory points
- Issued on 31 May 2023 and effective from 30 June 2023.
- Repealed Federal Law No. (5) of 1984 while preserving existing implementing resolutions until replaced.
- Applies to health professions identified under the law/Executive Regulation rather than physicians and pharmacists.
- Requires a professional licence before practising a covered health profession.
- Sets education, qualification, experience, fitness and other licensing requirements.
- Health Authorities issue professional licences and maintain practitioner registers.
- The Ministry maintains the national regulatory framework and professional standards.
- Regulates professional duties, ethical conduct and scope-of-practice requirements.
- Prohibits practice outside licence scope and misrepresentation as a licensed practitioner.
- Provides disciplinary sanctions through the competent Health Authority.
- Creates criminal fines/penalties for unlicensed practice, fraudulent licensing documents and related conduct.
- Allows judicial enforcement officers to detect violations.
- Existing licensed practitioners were given a status-adjustment mechanism linked to licence expiry and the Executive Regulation.
- Cabinet Resolution No. (176) of 2025 is the current Executive Regulation and became effective on 29 November 2025.
- Current professional qualification requirements and Emirate-level health authority rules must also be checked.
Amendments and interaction with other legislation
The law remains active. Cabinet Resolution No. (176) of 2025 now supplies the Executive Regulation, replacing transitional reliance on the former 1984-law resolutions to the extent addressed by the new regulation.
Legal-reading rule
This package is designed for website publication, internal research and client-facing orientation. It maps the law's operative subject matter and current regulatory context, but a paraphrase cannot replace the statutory wording. Where the outcome depends on a defined term, licence category, medical condition, consent requirement, penalty, exception, transition rule or deadline, open the current Arabic article and the relevant Executive Regulation or competent-authority decision before relying on it.
Verification
Official source & references
Official legislation sourcehttps://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1960Open ↗Official Gazette: Official Gazette No. 752
This page is a research and educational resource. Legislation can be amended, repealed, supplemented by regulations or interpreted by courts and authorities. Obtain advice before relying on it for a live matter.