Overseas Filipino professionals in the Middle East will have another opportunity to obtain their Philippine licenses without returning home.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has announced that the 2026 Special Professional Licensure Examinations (SPLE) will take place from May 28-30, with online applications open from Feb. 16 to March 16.
The exams will be administered in several Middle East testing centers, including Bahrain; Al-Khobar, Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; Israel; Kuwait; Qatar; and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
The SPLE covers 39 professions, giving qualified Filipino workers abroad the chance to secure their credentials while continuing their employment overseas.
These include licensure examinations for:
- Aeronautical Engineers
- Agriculturists
- Architects
- Certified Plant Mechanics
- Certified Public Accountants
- Chemical Engineers
- Chemical Technicians
- Civil Engineers
- Criminologists
- Customs Brokers
- Electronics Engineers
- Electronics Technicians
- Environmental Planners
- Geodetic Engineers
- Interior Designers
- Master Plumbers
- Mechanical Engineers
- Medical Technologists
- Midwives
- Nurses
- Nutritionists-Dietitians
- Pharmacists
- Physical Therapists
- Professional Food Technologists
- Professional Teachers
- Psychologists
- Psychometricians
- Radiologic Technologists
- Real Estate Appraisers
- Real Estate Brokers
- Registered Electrical Engineers
- Registered Master Electricians
- Respiratory Therapists
- Sanitary Engineers
- Social Workers
- Veterinarians
- X-Ray Technologists
- Professional Electronics Engineers
- Professional Mechanical Engineers
In the UAE, the oral examination for Professional Electronics Engineers will be conducted in Abu Dhabi from May 28-30, while the oral examination for Professional Mechanical Engineers will take place in Dubai from May 24-29.
Application process
Applicants are required to apply and pay examination fees online through the PRC’s Licensure Examination and Registration Information System (LERIS).
The prescribed examination fees are P2,200 for professions requiring a baccalaureate degree, P1,700 for non-baccalaureate degree courses, and P1,400 for removal examinations.
After completing the online application and payment, examinees must submit clear scanned copies of required documents, including:
The PRC said a Transcript of Records (TOR) without a photo or without the remark “For Board Exam Purposes” will be accepted. A copy of a valid passport may be submitted in lieu of a birth certificate and valid NBI clearance, while married female applicants are required to submit a marriage certificate.
All application documents must be submitted on or before March 16 through the designated online form. Examinees are also required to present physical copies of their documents to the PRC delegation team upon arrival at their assigned testing centers.
The licensure examinations will also be administered on the same dates in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
