We gained advice from Dr Katrin Jahn, owner of the German Veterinary Clinic in Abu Dhabi, UAE – Dr Katrin Jahn talks about the infamous process to obtain a license to practice in the UAE. As someone who has been on both sides of the fence as an applicant and employer in the UAE, this blog post is the ultimate insight that is worth a read if you’re thinking about making the move.
Over to Dr Katrin Jahn…
In my 16+ years UAE experience, the rewards of working in the UAE are huge! Yes, some things are perhaps not quite as easy as working elsewhere – getting hold of medication or equipment at the drop of a hat is not always possible and you have to become a problem solver and lateral thinker – however, the cases are varied and interesting and there aren’t as many options to refer so your skills stay current and the potential to upskill is immense. I, together with my team, have been able to educate, innovate and bring high-end veterinary care to the region, which is hugely rewarding as well as challenging – in a good way!
The licensing, whilst confusing and a bit frustrating, is just a matter of patience and logistics, however, the rewards of working in an exciting and developing market and being able to really make a difference in animal welfare is what it has all been about to me!
The process of becoming licensed to practice in the UAE
This is an interesting (and some may say very frustrating) topic and one that receives plenty of attention and debate from veterinarians and veterinary business owners UAE-wide, especially as some aspects are not as clearly defined as would be ideal and gaining clarity can be problematic.
A well-documented cause of frustration has been the amount of time that it can take to become licensed… as the whole process has been known to take over a year…! Although equally there are licenses that have been issued within three months. Either way, this is an important consideration if you are seeking employment in the UAE.
The good news is that there have been some positive changes made to the process over the last few months that suggest that the time frames are becoming consistently more manageable.
Until mid-2022, one of the lengthiest parts of the whole process has been obtaining the necessary “equivalency certificate” from the Ministry of Education (MOE). This required the MOE to contact your graduating university for verification of your degree via a relay of communication channels from MOE to overseas embassies to university and back again…. And this is where the time frames could hugely vary depending on the response times from the various parties involved, as well as the specific processes for your country of origin or graduation (we’ve known this to take over 12 months!).
However, a recent change has seen the initial part of the process out-sourced by the MOE to a specialist third-party, which appears (from recent experience) to have reduced timeframes to 4 – 6 weeks max for the verification process. Once verified, the MOE will then require another 4 – 6 weeks to complete the equalization and issue the equivalency certificate. Which means that a process that could take 12+ months should now be completed within a maximum three months.
Once the equivalency certificate is received your employer can move forward with the MOCCAE Veterinary License application. Since 2020, all licensing applications are managed entirely online, and timeframes are now far more efficient.
- For a Full Veterinary License (Veterinarians with 5+ years’ experience post-grad), allow 2 – 4 weeks depending on when the licensing exam is scheduled
- For a Veterinary Technician License (requires at least one-year post-grad experience), allow up to 5 business days (as no exam required).
So, what can you do… Well, the key to all the above is early preparation, and if you know that you would really love to live and work in the UAE (and it’s definitely worth it), then getting the preliminary attestations and translations (if necessary) done before or at the same time you apply for positions will give you a huge head start.
One of the main struggles for veterinary clinics is the lead time to find new vets, either if they are expanding quickly or if an existing vet resigns and a vacancy arises. Given the average notice period of 3 months, it may be difficult to fill the position in that time frame, bringing obvious implications with it. So, if your documents are already attested, you will be in a much better position to receive an offer of employment!
The two types of veterinary licenses in the UAE
The one you really want and the one that most employers will look for is the “Full Veterinary License”, which requires you to evidence a minimum of 5 years of post-grad practical experience.
The second type is now the “Veterinary Technician License”, which requires only one year of post-grad practical experience but limits you to working under the supervision of a fully licensed vet:
Veterinary Technicians can: Carry out advisory, diagnostic, preventive and curative veterinary tasks, more limited in scope and complexity than those carried out by, and with the guidance of, veterinarians. (Source – Occupations and Careers Handbook for UAE Nationals)
The required documents (at the time of writing) are:
- High School Certificate (secondary education) attested from UAE Embassy in the country of origin (country where studied). A legal translation is required if the certificate is in any language other than English or Arabic
- Diploma/Degree Attested from UAE Embassy in the country of graduation. Again, a legal translation will be required if the original is in any other language except English or Arabic.
- 5 years of Diploma/Degree Transcript – attested, legal translation again if not in English or Arabic.
- Reference Letters from previous employers evidencing dates worked (start and finish) and role/s fulfilled. Again, these will need to be attested and translated (if not in English or Arabic).
All documents need to be attested by the Foreign Ministry in the country of origin, the UAE embassy in the country of origin as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE. However, there are very efficient document attestation services available via several companies who will be able to complete these processes within a few weeks at very affordable prices, saving you time and the otherwise inevitable headaches.
Ok, that’s a lot of information… so, in summary:
- Your education and experience documents need to be attested (this really helps!)
- Education documents will then need to be “equalized’ and the MOE to issue an “equivalency certificate”
- Equivalency certificate and attested experience docs (plus employment contract) submitted to MOCCAE for the license application
- Licensing exam sat, passed and license issued (hooray!)
FYI – The equivalency certificate process and final application for the license happens in the UAE and is the responsibility of your employer to arrange and pay for (document attestation will be your responsibility).
Lengthy and a bit complicated? – YES
Time-consuming and gathering of documents you never thought you’d need again? – YES
Worth it? – DEFINITELY!
Written by Dr Katrin Jahn, DrMedVet, CertVA, MANZCVS, MRCVS
