Good news, expats: the Dubai government has made it possible for some countries to get a local driving license by simply converting your existing one. This means you don’t have to undergo a driving test or attend driving school; you can simply convert your foreign driving license instead. Read on to learn how to convert a driving license in Dubai.
Related articles:
How to get Dubai driving license
How to renew your driving license in Dubai
Eligible countries for converting to a Dubai driving license
The citizens of the following countries can transfer their home country driving license to a Dubai driving license.
| Australia | Austria | Bahrain |
| Belgium | Canada | Denmark |
| Finland | France | Germany |
| Greece | Holland | Hong Kong |
| Ireland | Italy | Japan |
| Kuwait | New Zealand | Norway |
| Oman | Poland | Portugal |
| Qatar | Romania | Saudi Arabia |
| South Africa | South Korea | Singapore |
| Spain | Sweden | Switzerland |
| Turkey | United Kingdom | USA |
Required documents to convert a foreign driving license into a Dubai driving license
While the documents required to covert a driving license in Dubai depends on where your original license is from, generally you’ll need:
- Original driving licence and a copy
- Electronic eye test
- Original valid Emirates ID
- Legalised translation of the licence if it was not in English or Arabic
Required documents for UK driving license holders
If your original license is from the UK, you’ll only need the following documents to convert it to a Dubai driving license:
- Passport (copy and original)
- UK driving license (copy and original)
- Emirates ID (copy and original)
Passport photographs are no longer required as the Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA) will take it from the Emirates ID. The No Objection Letter is also not required.
Fees for converting a foreign driving license to drive in Dubai
The fees for converting a driving license to a Dubai license is the same across all eligible countries:
- 200 AED for opening a file
- 600 AED for issuing the license
- 50 AED for the handbook manual (your guide to driving safely in the UAE)
- 20 AED Knowledge and Innovation fees (a standard fee added to all transactions to support cultural and educational projects)
Where to go to convert a driving license in Dubai
To convert your foreign driving license to drive in Dubai, you need to visit a Dubai Traffic Department with a driver licensing service. There, RTA officers will help you convert your driving license for Dubai.
Step-by-step guide to converting your driving license in Dubai
- Obtain an eye test from a recognised optician in Dubai.
- Gather your documents as required and go to any Dubai Traffic Department with a driver licensing service – the list of these is available here.
- There, fill in the form to convert a foreign driving license then submit the documents to an RTA officer at the office for their signature.
- Take the signed documents to the cashier to then make the payment of 360 AED.
- Once payment is done, go back to the RTA officer and submit your papers and payment receipt.
- Have a seat and wait until your name is called to take a photograph.
- Once your photograph has been taken, the license should be issued in just a few minutes.
Special cases and extra requirements
Certain countries have extra steps involved in order to convert a driving license into a Dubai one.
Driving licenses issued in Canada require a letter from the Canadian consulate to verify the license is genuine.
And the licenses issued from the following countries require translation from the respective country Consulate:
- Canada
- Greece
- Japan
- Poland
- South Korea
- Turkey
Now you’ve converted your license into a Dubai driving license, find your new car in the UAE
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