Exchange drivers licence Dubai UAE

Dubai Driving License

Friday 21 November 2008 (UAE)

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Exchanging home country driving licence for Dubai or UAE driving license

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06 April 2007 - All/most nationalities must now take a driving test?

Information below about certain nationalities exchanging licences may not be correct as of 15 January 2007, or 06 April 2007. See Dubai driving licence discussion for Khaleej Times newspaper article and comments.

The Khaleej Times (a UAE English language newspaper) carried a report on 06 April 2007 that Shihab Hamad Bu Shihab, Manager of Driving Licences at the RTA (Dubai Roads and Transport Authority) said holders of licences from countries that were previously allowed to simply exchange them for a UAE driving licence, must now do a minimum 21 classes and a driving test. Apparently this rule has been in place since 15 January 2007. Whether or not this will be implemented/enforced is unknown, despite what Mr Shihab says. See Dubai driving licence discussion for article and to comment.

Countries that can exchange their driving licence in the UAE

Certain nationalities have the good fortune to be able to obtain a Dubai driving licence simply by showing their own driving license, and going through a bit of paperwork. The procedure takes an hour or so. If you're not one of the lucky ones, you'll have to pass a driving test first - an annoyingly time-consuming and bewildering procedure. Expats with licences from other GCC countries may or may not - they're supposed to have a license from the country of nationality.

List of countries that can obtain a Dubai driving licences without the driving test from dubai.ae/dubaipolice.gov.ae is below. * means you need to get license translated into Arabic. Canadians need to get a letter from the Canadian Consulate in Dubai to state the license is genuine.

Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Canada*
Cyprus*
Czech Republic*
Denmark

Finland
France
Germany
Greece*
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan*
South Korea*

Kuwait
Luxembourg
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Poland*
Portugal*
Qatar

Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia*
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey*
United Kingdom
United States

Note that your original driving licence is supposed to be from the same country as your passport nationality. If it's not, try to get a Dubai driving licence anyway. People have succeeded before - possibly because they have something like an EU passport with a UK driving licence or vice versa. An Australian/NZ combination might work also. As of 2007 this is less likely to be possible.

If you're on an Asian passport with a non-Asian driver's license, you may find it more difficult as many Asian driving licences are not accepted for a simple conversion - a driving test has to be done before getting a driver's licence for Dubai.

The following 2 paragraphs may be out of date from 01 March 2008, depending on how the new Federal Traffic Law is implemented.

Each Emirate issues their own driving licenses and procedures, which, whilst generally the same, occasionally have some odd differences. For example, apparently New Zealanders cannot do an exchange with a Sharjah driving licence (rumour has it that someone important from Sharjah got a traffic ticket while in NZ several years ago - maybe the person concerned has calmed down and NZers can do a simple exchange again).
You will have to get a driving license from the Emirate which you received your residency visa from although if you live in a different Emirate and have a tenancy contract in your name, you may be able to try and get a driving licence from that Emirate (as can be done with car registration).

Procedure for exchange of home country driving licence for a UAE driver's license

Bring your driving license from your home country to show them (you'll get it back) - and a copy.
Bring your passport with resident's visa and a couple of copies.
Bring a couple of hundred dhs and some passport photographs (at least twice as many as you think you need - 4 or 5 should be enough).
Go to Dubai Police Traffic Department in Umm Suqueim on Sheikh Zayed Road interchange 4 near Mall of the Emirates (it's signposted), next to the garden center. You may be able to get a Dubai driver's licence at the other Police Traffic Departments - there's one near Al Mulla Plaza for example. Or you may get sent back to Go.
There's a typing office there where you pay money and get an application form typed out in Arabic. Start there, then take your documents to the Dubai driving license application area. The usual Dubai application procedure applies - get a number from a machine, wonder why you bothered when no one seems to take any notice of it, and eventually hand in your application to someone official looking. Bring a book or magazine to read and don't sweat it.
If you have to wear contact lenses or spectacles, you may do an eye test there. If that's not stated on your own driver's licence, you probably won't have to do an eye test (this changed sometime in 2005 - previously all applicants for a driver's license had to do an eye test there, then it was changed so they had to go to an optician, then it was only those who already wore visual aids so who knows what it'll be next week...).

UAE driving license with a driving test

See the UAE driving licence and UAE driving schools information.

This information last updated Sunday 24-Aug-2008

See an error? Have suggestions or comments? Visit the Dubai driving license discussion