How many CPD hours do paramedics need in the UAE?

Paramedics are classified as Allied Health professionals across all UAE authorities and require 10 CPD hours per year under DOH, DHA, SHA, and MOHAP. At DHCC, qualified paramedics typically fall under the Allied Professional (senior) grade requiring 30 CPD points per 2-year cycle. EMT-Basic grade may fall under the Assistant/Technician tier (20 pts/2yr). Confirm your grade through MASAAR.

What CPD activities are valid for paramedics?

Valid paramedic CPD activities include: pre-hospital emergency care updates and protocols, trauma management and triage workshops, advanced airway management courses, ECG interpretation and cardiac emergency conferences, disaster response and mass casualty incident training, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) programmes, pharmacology for paramedics courses, and paediatric emergency management.

Do my ACLS or PALS recertifications count as CPD?

No. Life support certifications (BLS, ACLS, PALS, ATLS) are mandatory licensing prerequisites across all UAE authorities and do NOT count toward CPD hours. They are zero-credit mandatory competencies that must be maintained separately. Do not include ACLS or PALS hours in your CPD portfolio submission.

I work for an ambulance service — which authority am I licensed under?

Your licensing authority depends on which emirate your employer's service is based in. Abu Dhabi ambulance and EMS services fall under DOH; Dubai EMS falls under DHA; Sharjah and Northern Emirate services fall under SHA or MOHAP (depending on the specific emirate). If you work within Dubai Healthcare City, your authority is DHCC. Check your individual professional license for the issuing authority.

What is my DHCC grade as a paramedic?

Qualified paramedics at DHCC are typically classified as 'Allied Professional' under DHCC GL/HCP/007/03 — the senior tier requiring 30 CPD points every 2 years. EMT-Basic or equivalent support grades may be classified as 'Allied Health Assistant/Technician' requiring 20 CPD points per 2-year cycle. Confirm your exact grade through the MASAAR portal.

Are BLS certifications mandatory for allied health professionals?

BLS (Basic Life Support) is a mandatory competency prerequisite for allied health licensure under DOH and MOHAP. BLS does NOT count toward your CPD hour total — it is a zero-credit mandatory prerequisite that must be maintained separately from your CPD portfolio.

Can online CPD courses count for allied health professionals?

Yes. Under DHA, 100% of allied health CPD hours can come from online programmes if they are relevant to your discipline. Under DOH and MOHAP, online courses can be Category 1 if they carry a DOH accreditation number or recognised provider stamp. DHCC caps online CPD at 50% of the 2-year cycle total.

Do CPD hours carry over to the next year?

No. Under all UAE authorities, CPD hours must be earned within the specific licensure cycle and cannot be carried forward. DHA explicitly prohibits carry-over in §18.8. DHCC's biennial cycle accumulation resets at the start of each 2-year period.

How do I submit CPD evidence as an allied health professional?

Submission portals differ by authority: DOH professionals submit through TAMM (tamm.abudhabi.ae → Healthcare Professional Services); DHA through Sheryan (sheryan.dha.gov.ae → CPD section); SHA through the SHA portal (sha.shj.ae); MOHAP through the MOHAP portal (mohap.gov.ae → License renewal section); DHCC allied health professionals submit through MASAAR (dhcc.ae) selecting the allied health category that matches your grade.

Do visiting or locum allied health professionals need CPD?

No. Visiting and temporary licenses (typically 3–6 months) have a CPD target of zero. This is common for allied health professionals on short-term contracts in the UAE. You must still maintain BLS and any other mandatory credentials, but you do not need to accumulate CPD hours during your visiting period. (Source: v4.11 §6.9 — License Type & Career Stage Handling.)

I'm in an allied health training programme — do I need to log CPD separately?

If you are enrolled in an active structured training programme recognised by your licensing authority, your programme enrolment may fulfil your CPD requirement for the duration of the programme. DOH awards CPD credits per year of enrolment in recognised programmes (CPD Standard Appendix 1) — keep your programme director's letter confirming active enrolment, programme name, and dates as your compliance evidence. Check with your specific authority whether your training programme qualifies, as not all allied health training programmes carry automatic CPD fulfilment.

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DOH Abu Dhabi DHA Dubai SHA Sharjah & Northern Emirates MOHAP Northern Emirates DHCC Dubai Healthcare City CPD for Physicians CPD for Nurses CPD for Pharmacists CPD for Dentists CPD for Allied Health CPD for TCAM UAE CPD Comparison Category 1 vs 2 BLS & ACLS in CPD DHA Excluded Activities CPD Calculator

CPD Requirements for Paramedics in the UAE (2026)

Updated February 2026

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Paramedics — UAE CPD at a Glance

Paramedics and EMTs are classified as Allied Health professionals across all UAE authorities. You need 10 CPD hours per year (DOH, DHA, SHA, MOHAP) or 20–30 CPD points per 2-year cycle at DHCC depending on your grade. Note: ACLS, BLS, and PALS do NOT count as CPD hours.

10 hrs / yr

DOH · DHA · SHA · MOHAP

30 or 20 pts

DHCC biennial (2yr)

0 hrs

ACLS / BLS / PALS

Mandatory but 0 CPD credit

CPD Requirements by Authority

Authority	Hours / Cycle	Cat 1 / Cat 2	DHCC Sub-tier	Cycle
DOH	10 hrs / yr	50% Cat 1 min	—	Annual
DHA	10 hrs / yr	No formal split	—	Annual
SHA	10 hrs / yr	No formal split	—	Annual
MOHAP	10 hrs / yr	50% Cat 1 min	—	Annual
DHCC	30 pts / 2yr (Allied Professional / senior)	50% Cat 1 min	20 pts / 2yr (assistant / technician)	Biennial (2yr)

CPD Activities Relevant to Paramedics

✓
Pre-hospital emergency care updates and protocol development
✓
Trauma management and triage workshops (excluding ATLS certification — that is 0 CPD credit)
✓
Advanced airway management courses
✓
ECG interpretation and cardiac emergency management
✓
Disaster response and mass casualty incident management
✓
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for pre-hospital settings
✓
Pharmacology for paramedics — drug updates and protocols
✓
Paediatric emergency management

DHCC Grade Classification for Paramedics

Allied Professional (Senior)

30 pts / 2yr

Qualified paramedics with a recognised degree or diploma typically fall under the Allied Professional grade. Minimum 15 Category 1 points.

EMT-Basic / Support Grade (Junior)

20 pts / 2yr

EMT-Basic or equivalent entry-level EMS roles may fall under the Assistant/Technician grade. Minimum 10 Category 1 points. Check your DHCC license if unsure.

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Last verified against UAE Authority CPD Standards (2024–2025) on February 2026. Requirements may change — always confirm with your licensing authority via the official portal.

This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional, legal, or regulatory advice. Provsure is an informational compliance tracking tool — not a regulatory authority. While we verify content against official sources, requirements may change without notice. Always confirm your current CPD obligations directly with your licensing authority before making compliance decisions. Provsure accepts no liability for actions taken based on this content. See our full disclaimer.