Russian-speaking healthcare in Dubai: 30 clinics in three years, and how a doctor gets a DHA licence

“Where do I find a Russian-speaking doctor” is a question almost every relocating family asks, and the market has answered it faster than it has answered many other expat needs. Russian-speaking healthcare in the emirate has grown from a handful of private practices into a visible segment with its own clinics, its own brands, and a clear — if not quick — licensing route for a doctor.

30 clinics in three years — where the number comes from

According to Arabian Business, citing Dubai-based relocation firm Volna, investors from CIS countries have opened around 30 clinics in Dubai since 2023. In 2024 alone, at least 150 Russian-speaking doctors relocated to the emirate, with roughly 500 more at the time preparing for the qualification exams needed to practise. Volna itself reported 9,000 relocation enquiries from medical professionals in 2024 — a figure that reflects interest rather than actual moves, but gives a sense of the scale of demand. Clinics with Russian-speaking management or staff cited in the market include Kandinsky Clinic, Polyclinic.ae and CIDK Clinic, operating alongside larger networks such as Mediclinic, which also recruits Russian-speaking doctors to serve CIS patients.

How a doctor gets a DHA licence

The right to practise in Dubai comes from a Dubai Health Authority (DHA) licence, and for a doctor from Russia or another CIS country the route usually runs through the Prometric exam — 150 multiple-choice questions, two to three hours, a 60% pass mark. The exam follows DataFlow verification of the doctor's diploma and work history, and candidates need 2–3 years of post-internship clinical experience, a valid home licence and a Good Standing Certificate. Doctors with certain Western qualifications are exempt from Prometric — UK PLAB holders, US USMLE Step III, Canadian LMCC, Australian AMC, and doctors from several EU countries — but there is no exemption for doctors from Russia or most CIS countries. After passing and a positive DataFlow result, DHA issues an Eligibility Letter valid for one year, which the doctor then uses to apply for a position at a Dubai clinic.

The licence is territorial: a DHA permit covers Dubai only, not Abu Dhabi, where requirements and equipment-inspection rules are separate and, by industry accounts, stricter.

What it means for a relocating family

For a family choosing a district to move to, having a Russian-speaking clinic or doctor nearby is a practical factor, not an afterthought, all else being equal: a paediatrician, gynaecologist or dentist without a language barrier removes one source of stress in the first months. The specialist pool is also growing faster than the clinic count alone suggests — hundreds of doctors are still working through licensing, and the choice of Russian-speaking specialists in Dubai will likely keep expanding over the next year or two.

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