Annual CPD Hour Requirements
Minimum annual hours per DOH CPD Standard V1/2024. Multi-year license holders must still meet the annual quota each year.
| Profession | Annual Hours | Cat 1 Min (Formal) | Cat 2 Max (Non-Formal) | Specialty | Mandatory LSC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physician | 40 hrs | 20 hrs (50%) | 20 hrs (50%) | 70% specialty, 30% general | BLS, ACLS (mandatory) |
| Dentist | 40 hrs | 20 hrs (50%) | 20 hrs (50%) | 70% specialty, 30% general | BLS (mandatory) |
| Nurse / Midwife | 20 hrs | 10 hrs (50%) | 10 hrs (50%) | 70% specialty, 30% general | BLS, ACLS (mandatory) |
| Pharmacist | 20 hrs | 10 hrs (50%) | 10 hrs (50%) | 70% specialty, 30% general | BLS (mandatory) |
| Allied Health | 10 hrs | 5 hrs (50%) | 5 hrs (50%) | 70% specialty, 30% general | BLS (mandatory) |
| TCAM | 10 hrs | 5 hrs (50%) | 5 hrs (50%) | 70% specialty, 30% general | BLS (mandatory) |
Source: DOH CPD Standard V1/2024. BLS and ILS are mandatory licensing prerequisites and do NOT count toward CPD hour totals.
Physician
40
hrs/yr
20 hrs
Cat 1 min
70% specialty
Specialty
BLS, ACLS (mandatory)
Dentist
40
hrs/yr
20 hrs
Cat 1 min
70% specialty
Specialty
BLS (mandatory)
Nurse / Midwife
20
hrs/yr
10 hrs
Cat 1 min
70% specialty
Specialty
BLS, ACLS (mandatory)
Pharmacist
20
hrs/yr
10 hrs
Cat 1 min
70% specialty
Specialty
BLS (mandatory)
Allied Health
10
hrs/yr
5 hrs
Cat 1 min
70% specialty
Specialty
BLS (mandatory)
TCAM
10
hrs/yr
5 hrs
Cat 1 min
70% specialty
Specialty
BLS (mandatory)
Source: DOH CPD Standard V1/2024. BLS and ILS are mandatory licensing prerequisites and do NOT count toward CPD hour totals.
BLS and ILS do NOT count toward CPD hours
Understanding Category 1 and Category 2
At least 50% must come from Category 1. DOH uses both terminologies interchangeably: “Category 1” = “Formal CPD Activity” and “Category 2” = “Non-Formal CPD Activity”.
Category 1 — Formal Activities
Must be accredited by DOH or an approved accreditation body. Requires defined learning objectives, structured training, assessment, and certification.
- ✓DOH-accredited conferences and workshops
- ✓Accredited online courses (synchronous or asynchronous)
- ✓Academic coursework and formal study programmes
- ✓Residency and fellowship enrolment
- ✓Credit-bearing micro-credentials
- ✓DOH-approved observerships
Category 2 — Non-Formal Activities
Self-directed activities with learning value. Do NOT require DOH accreditation. Maximum 50% of total CPD can be Category 2.
- ◆Self-directed journal reading (with quiz or certificate)
- ◆Peer review of academic manuscripts
- ◆Teaching or lecturing in formal CPD activities
- ◆Healthcare volunteering and outreach
- ◆Earning specialty board certification
- ◆Peer-reviewed publications (10 credits each, max 20/cycle)
Category 1/2 is DOH and MOHAP only — DHA, SHA, DHCC use different systems
DOH Credit Multipliers
Some activities earn enhanced credit; others are capped per DOH CPD Standard V1/2024, Appendix 1:
| Activity | Credits | Cap | Proof Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conference / course attendance | 1 per contact hour | — | Certificate of attendance |
| Teaching / lecturing in formal CPD | 2 per 1 hour presented | — | Letter from programme director |
| Peer-reviewed journal publication | 10 per publication | 20 per cycle | Journal DOI / publication copy |
| Peer review of manuscript | 2 per article reviewed | 10 per cycle | Letter from journal editor |
| Residency / fellowship enrolment | 40 per year | — | Programme director letter |
| DOH-approved observership | 1 per contact hour | 20 per cycle | Institution letter |
| Specialty board certification | 10 | — | Board certificate |
Credit rules per DOH CPD Standard V1/2024, Appendix 1. Always verify with DOH for the latest credit calculation rules. Note: speakers cannot claim simultaneous participant credit for sessions they present.
Teaching earns 2× credits — 2 per hour presented
Presenters at accredited CPD events earn double credit. Maximum 10 bonus credits per cycle.
DOH-Specific Rules
BLS/ILS Exclusion
All healthcare professionals must maintain BLS and ILS (Basic and Immediate Life Support) certification. However, per the DOH FAQ verbatim: “credit hours designated to this course are not counted towards the CME/CPD minimum requirements.” BLS and ILS are mandatory licensing prerequisites, not elective CPD.
No Mandatory Topics
DOH does not currently mandate specific CPD topics. The only content requirement is the 70/30 specialty-to-general ratio. DOH has reserved the power to mandate specific topics under CPD Standard §4.1.2 but has not exercised it as of February 2026.
Online CPD
DOH has no explicit online percentage cap. Accredited online learning (DOH-accredited e-learning) counts as Category 1 with no cap. Unaccredited online learning falls under Category 2, which is capped at 50% of total hours.
Year-Round Engagement
DOH expects professionals to pursue CPD activities throughout the year, not just before renewal. Even if you reach your annual target early, continue engaging in CPD and maintain portfolio evidence. DOH requires a portfolio of all CPD activities, available on request for audit (CPD Standard §4.4.5).
Multi-Year Licenses
Professionals on 2-year or 3-year DOH licenses must accumulate CPD proportionally — 80 hours for a 2-year physician license, 120 hours for 3 years. The annual quota still applies each year; hours cannot be front-loaded or back-loaded.
DOH expects year-round CPD engagement — don't front-load
Even if you exceed your annual target early, continue CPD activities throughout the year. DOH requires evidence of ongoing engagement, not just total hours.
Tracking DOH Abu Dhabi compliance automatically
Tracking CPD requirements across categories, ratios, and deadlines is time-consuming. Provsure automates it — upload certificates, and we handle the categorisation, gap analysis, and renewal alerts.
See how it works →General Practitioners (GPs) — Special Note
For the 70/30 rule, a GP’s “specialty” is general practice itself. These clinical domains all count as core specialty CPD (per Unified PQR and DHA Manual §5.31):
- ✓General Practice / General Medicine
- ✓Internal Medicine
- ✓Family Medicine
- ✓Primary Care
- ✓Emergency Medicine
- ✓Paediatrics
- ✓Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- ✓General Surgery
- ✓Cardiology
- ✓Critical Care Medicine
If a GP’s portfolio spans multiple domains from this list — emergency medicine, paediatrics, and internal medicine — all count toward the 70% specialty component. GPs are generalists by definition and are not required to hold a named board specialty certification to satisfy the 70% requirement.
How to Submit CPD Hours to DOH
- 1Log in to the TAMM platform (tamm.abudhabi) or the DOH e-licensing portal.
- 2Navigate to the Healthcare Professional Licensing section.
- 3Upload each certificate with: course name, date of completion, credit hours, and accreditation body.
- 4Allow processing time for DOH review and approval.
- 5Keep the original certificates for audit purposes — DOH may request them at any time.
Common Mistakes
- Counting BLS/ILS hours toward CPD — DOH explicitly excludes them.
- Not maintaining the 70/30 specialty ratio — e.g., attending only general conferences for a specialist.
- Exceeding the 50% Category 2 cap — e.g., submitting 30 hours of journal reading against a 40-hour requirement.
- Assuming all online courses count as Category 1 — only DOH-accredited e-learning qualifies.
- Waiting until license renewal to submit CPD — DOH expects year-round activity and portfolio maintenance.
- Not keeping original certificates for audit — digital copies in your portfolio are required.
- Claiming participant credit for sessions where you were the speaker — speakers earn 2× credits as presenter, not as participant.
- Assuming DHA rules apply to your DOH license — different authorities have different rules.
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