Transferring An International License
Individuals who have driving licenses from any of the GCC countries or any of the countries mentioned below, can transfer to a Dubai driver's license without having to take driving lessons or tests. It is only important to transfer to a Dubai driving license if you are planning to reside in Dubai.
| Australia |
France |
Japan |
South Africa |
| Austria |
Germany |
Luxembourg |
South Korea |
| Belgium |
Greece |
New Zealand |
Spain |
| Canada |
Holland |
Norway |
Sweden |
| Czech Republic |
Iceland |
Poland |
Switzerland |
| Cyprus |
Iran |
Portugal |
Turkey |
| Denmark |
Ireland |
Singapore |
Great Britian |
| Finland |
Italy |
Slovakia |
United States |
Those who want to transfer their license must be at least 18 years old, have a valid driver's license, have a residence visa in Dubai, and fill in the driver's license form with one passport size photograph, original passport and one photocopy, original driver's license and one photocopy, eye test report, and Dhs. 100. For none GCC license's, it is also required to obtain a letter from the Embassy or Consulate from which the driver's license was issued, confirming that the driver's license is valid. If the driver's license is not in English or Arabic, it is also required to have the license translated at the Consulate or Embassy.
Individuals with an Indian international drivers license will require to obtain a new license in order to drive a car.
Requirements of Obtaining a Driving License
To obtain a driver's license in Dubai, you need to be a resident of the United Arab Emirates, with a residence visa issued in Dubai. If you are a resident of Dubai but have a visa issued in another emirate, then you need to obtain a transferal form allowing you to obtain your driver's license from Dubai. The minimum age for obtaining a drivers license is 18 years. On successful completion of driving tests, it will cost Dhs. 100 to issue a Dubai driver's license. The driver's license will have a digital photograph on it and will look similar to the picture on the right. Individuals under the age of 21 will be issued a driving license that needs to be renewed yearly, while individuals over 21 will be issued driving licenses that last for 10 years.
Obtaining a Dubai Driver's Permit
The procedures of obtaining a driver's permit in Dubai have constantly been changing, and the procedures currently being followed, as of April 2003, are described below.
Before you decide to get a driver's permit, you should first decide which driving institute you wish to take driving lessons with. Driving institutes in Dubai can be grouped into two types, which are described below.
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Type A - These driving institutes are large institutes and there are less than 5 of them in Dubai. Initially a driving student needs to sign up with the driving institute and pay for the number of classes he/she will take, before beginning training. The student will also have scheduled lesson timings that has to be followed, and if a student misses a certain number of classes, then the classes will be cancelled without a refund. Most of these institutes have a typing office and eye test facilities, which will facilitate obtaining your driver's permit. Students are also able to take road tests normally taken at the Dubai Traffic Department, inside the institute.
Type B - These smaller driving institutes are the most common in Dubai. The student can request lessons from the driving institute's instructor whenever he/she has available time. The instructor will come to the driving student's residence in order for him/her to take driving lessons.
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So if you chosen to undergo driving classes with a Type B driving institute, then it is very important to read through the following information. It is no longer possible to obtain the driving licence application form from the Dubai Police Traffic Departments, so you will need to pick one up from any driving institute near you. After obtaining the application form, you will then need to gather together 4 passport size photographs (4cm x 6cm), your original passport (which is only used for inspection) and a photocopy of it (main and visa pages), 'No Objection Letter' from your sponsor (indicating that they don't object that you apply for a driver's license), and either a photocopy of your sponsor's passport or your company's trade license. When obtaining the 'No Objection Letter' from your sponsor, you should have him/her sign and stamp in the required place on the application form. Then take the application form and the other items down to any typing office in Dubai and have them fill out the form in Arabic using a typewriter, as the Dubai Traffic Deptartment will not accept applications written by hand. The filled form should then be taken to any UAE government hospital, or any private hospital, clinic, or optical centre in Dubai for an eye examination. The eye examiner will fill out the necessary place on the back of the form and stamp it. The eye exam/test should cost around Dhs. 25. Lastly, you can submit your application form and other items to Mr. Ibrahim Koya of Marhaba Motor Driving Institute by contacting him at 050-4564708. If you decide to undergo training at another drivinging institute, then submit the items to that driving institute so that they can take them down to the Dubai Traffic Dept. for the issuing of the permit. A fee of Dhs. 100 should be submitted with the filled application form. The driving permit is valid for one year and will cost Dhs. 40 for it to be renewed.