The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has announced that its recently issued Circular No. (24/2025), which introduces updates to the Registration and Licensing Policy for healthcare practitioners in Qatar, is designed to reinforce workforce development and simplify administrative procedures across the sector.

Jawaher Al Ali, Director of Registration at the Department of Healthcare Professions at MoPH, explained in remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the revised policy focuses on easing registration and licensing requirements for three principal groups: Qatari nationals, children of Qatari women, and holders of Qatari family residency permits.

She noted that the update includes a review of conditions related to professional experience and the Prometric qualifying examination for graduates of universities within Qatar as well as those educated abroad. The aim, she said, is to enable qualified healthcare professionals to enter the local labor market more quickly and efficiently.

She said that graduates of public and private universities and higher education institutions in Qatar are now exempt from the requirement to have prior professional experience in order to obtain a practice license. This exemption applies to graduates in general dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health professions.

With regard to medical graduates, she clarified that physicians who completed their studies at universities in Qatar are required to complete one year of experience to be licensed as general practitioners. This requirement can be met either through a traditional internship year or by completing approved practical training under a supervised general practitioner license, in line with prevailing laws and regulations.

She added that physicians who graduate from Qatari universities and proceed directly into accredited medical residency programs are not required to undertake an internship year, as they are granted licenses to practice as resident physicians.

She also pointed out that the circular introduces several updates for graduates of universities outside Qatar. These include specific facilitation measures and advantages for Qatari nationals and children of Qatari women in certain medical specialties.

In addition, the policy outlines experience requirements for applicants holding family residency permits. It also allows some categories of practitioners to complete the necessary professional experience under supervision within healthcare institutions operating in Qatar.

According to MoPH, the updated policy reflects ongoing efforts to build a skilled healthcare workforce while ensuring that licensing procedures remain efficient, transparent, and aligned with national healthcare priorities.