Good news UAE residents, your UAE driving license can be used in up to 50 countries across the globe to drive or hire a car when travelling.
Countries that now accept a UAE driving license:
| Algeria | Bahrain | Belguim |
| Canada | Comoros | Djibouti |
| France | Germany | Greece |
| Hungary | Ireland | Iraq |
| Italy | Jordan | Kuwait |
| Latvia | Lebanon | Lithuania |
| Mauritania | Morocco | Netherlands |
| New Zealand | Norway | Oman |
| Palestine | Poland | Saudi Arabia |
| Singapore | Somalia | South Africa |
| Spain | Sudan | Sweden |
| Switzerland | Syria | Tunisia |
| Turkey | United Kingdom | United States |
| Yemen |
The previous countries that accepted and still accept a UAE driving license are Austria, China, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Serbia and Slovakia. Romania was on the list last September. However, the revised entry does not show the Eastern European country any longer.
There are a few things to note before you jet off to your new destination as the duration that a UAE driving license can be used for varies from country to country.
For travellers heading to Switzerland, visitors holding a license issued from any of the seven Emirates are allowed to drive for up to 90 days on a short stay visa. For those planning to stay past 365 days, they must exchange their UAE license for a Swiss one and must undergo a 45-minute driving exam.
In the UAE, travellers from an approved list of 36 different countries can drive or lease a car. Once a residency visa has been issued, it is mandatory by law to switch to a UAE driving license to drive a privately owned vehicle or rental.
Don’t have a UAE driving license yet? Don’t worry; we’ve got a helpful guide here.
