How to Get a DHA Sick Leave Certificate in Dubai
Know who can issue the electronic certificate, when it must be created, how practitioner limits work, and when download, attestation or verification may be needed.
A DHA sick leave certificate in Dubai is an electronic record generated through Sheryan by an authorised DHA-licensed physician or dentist after a clinically justified consultation or treatment. It is not a blank document that a patient can buy, complete or backdate independently.
Attend an appropriate clinical consultation
DHA policy says the treating physician or dentist must be licensed at the health facility where the consultation occurs. A certificate should be issued only after the patient completes a consultation or treatment and when there is clinical justification. Medical and dental trainees or interns are not entitled to issue it.
The normal certificate must be issued on the same day as the visit. DHA states that retrospective certificates are not processed, except for a documented system error or special case recorded in the remarks and attested by DHA. Do not wait several days and assume a clinic can simply change the date.
Face-to-face and telehealth rules differ
Certificates usually follow a face-to-face consultation at the licensed facility. DHA also permits a certificate following a telehealth consultation through the licensed health facility, but limits a telehealth sick-leave certificate to three days. The clinician still decides whether the medical facts justify time away from work.
Maximum duration depends on the practitioner
DHA’s current policy lists these maximum durations per patient:
- Consultant: up to 30 days.
- Specialist: up to 14 days.
- General practitioner or dentist: up to 5 days.
- GP or general dentist for specified infectious diseases: up to 14 days under the policy’s exception list.
These are authority limits, not an entitlement to the maximum period. The actual leave must match the diagnosis and clinical evidence. Submissions beyond the permitted period require the appropriate medical report and may be referred for committee review.
How the certificate is issued and downloaded
- Provide correct identity details. The facility records the patient’s name, file number, visit information, Emirates ID or passport, employer, diagnosis and leave dates.
- Complete the consultation. The licensed treating physician or dentist determines whether leave is medically justified.
- The provider submits through Sheryan. DHA’s provider service creates a reference, reviews the submission and issues an approved certificate electronically.
- Receive or download the certificate. Dubai Health’s patient service allows eligible patients to download attested and non-attested certificates and lists a valid Emirates ID as the required document.
- Check the employer’s requirement. A Sheryan-generated certificate generally does not need a manual stamp unless one is specifically requested.
- Verify rather than alter it. The certificate’s barcode and PIN can be used in Sheryan’s Verify Document service.
Attestation and fees
Dubai Health currently states that a non-attested certificate is free to download, while an attested certificate costs AED 70 online. This patient-download charge is separate from a clinic’s consultation or treatment bill. Check whether the employer or receiving authority actually requires attestation before paying.
Corrections, privacy and misuse
DHA says a Sheryan certificate becomes invalid if altered after generation. If there is a system or typing error, the responsible clinician must follow the correction route, issue the appropriate replacement with remarks and obtain required attestation. Do not edit a PDF yourself.
Share the official certificate or verification details requested by the employer, not unrelated medical records. A sick-leave certificate is a legal document; DHA can approve, reject, request more evidence, audit the submission or refer it to the General Medical Committee.
Related guides explain how to verify a DHA sick-leave certificate, make a healthcare complaint in Dubai, complete a residence-visa medical fitness test and file a UAE labour complaint when a separate workplace issue remains.
A medical certificate records a clinician’s assessment; it does not guarantee paid leave or determine every employment dispute. Check the employment rules and your employer’s lawful process separately.
Official sources and review note
Dubai Daily Guide reviewed this article on 27 October 2026 against DHA’s Sick Leave Certificate Policy version 2.1 ↗, the Sheryan provider service ↗ and Dubai Health’s patient certificate download service ↗. Live requirements control.