The 2026 Special Professional Licensure Examinations are scheduled to run from May 28 to 30. The online application period for the exams is open from February 16 to March 16 through the PRC’s Licensure Examination and Registration Information System.

Testing centers will be available in several Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain; Al Khobar, Jeddah, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; Israel; Kuwait; Qatar; and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The exams will cover 39 regulated professions, allowing qualified OFWs to obtain their Philippine licenses while continuing their overseas employment. These include engineers, nurses, teachers, architects, accountants, pharmacists, medical technologists, and social workers, among others.

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.

Applicants must complete their registration and pay the examination fees online. The fees vary depending on the profession: P2,200 for professions requiring a bachelor’s degree, P1,700 for non-bachelor degree courses, and P1,400 for removal exams.

After paying the fees, examinees must upload clear scanned copies of required documents, including the accomplished application form, two passport-sized photos with a white background and name tag, and other board-specific documents listed on the PRC website.

A Transcript of Records without a photo or 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 by 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 OFWs in the Gulf region, this provides another opportunity to obtain a Philippine license without taking extended leave for travel. Those planning to apply are advised to complete their online registration early and prepare all required documents before the March 16 deadline.