Overseas Filipino professionals in the Middle East can take their Philippine board exams this May without flying home, after the Professional Regulation Commission announced the schedule for the 2026 Special Professional Licensure Examinations.
The Special Professional Licensure Examinations will run from May 28 to 30, 2026.
Online applications are open from February 16 to March 16 through the PRC’s Licensure Examination and Registration Information System.
Testing centers in the Middle East include Bahrain; Al Khobar, Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; Israel; Kuwait; Qatar; and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE.
The exams cover 39 professions, allowing qualified Filipino workers abroad to secure their Philippine licenses while continuing their overseas employment. These include engineers, nurses, teachers, architects, accountants, pharmacists, medical technologists, social workers, and other regulated professions.
In the UAE, oral examinations for Professional Electronics Engineers will be held in Abu Dhabi from May 28 to 30. Oral exams for Professional Mechanical Engineers will take place in Dubai from May 24 to 29.
Application and Fees
Applicants must complete their application and payment online. The examination fee is P2,200 for professions requiring a bachelor’s degree, P1,700 for non bachelor degree courses, and P1,400 for removal exams.
After paying online, examinees must upload clear scanned copies of required documents. These include the accomplished application form generated from the system, two passport size photos with white background and name tag, and other board specific documents listed on the PRC website.
A Transcript of Records without a photo or without the remark “For Board Exam Purposes” will still be accepted. A valid passport may be submitted instead of a birth certificate and NBI clearance. Married female applicants must also submit a marriage certificate.
All documents must be uploaded on or before March 16. Examinees must also bring physical copies when reporting to their assigned testing center.
The Special Professional Licensure Examinations will also be conducted on the same dates in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
For Filipino professionals in the Gulf region, this means another chance to earn a Philippine license without taking leave for long travel. Those planning to apply should complete their online registration early and prepare all required documents before the March 16 deadline.