How to get your driver’s licence in Dubai

Getting your driver’s licence in Dubai can be a fairly simple task depending on your level of driving or how fast you learn how to drive, if this is your first licence.

If you are a beginner, and this is your first licence then you will need to register with a driving institute and attend at least 40 classes. After completing those classes, you will need to take a pre-test that is conducted by the driving institute and then a final test that is conducted by the RTA. You are looking at around 5,500 AED for this entire process from start to finish, however if you fail you will need to retake both exams and pay additional fees.

To apply for a driver’s licence you will need the following documents:

Emirates ID
First page of your passport
Visa page of your passport
Passport sized photos
NOC from your sponsor
Eye examination results from certified testing center

If you have already have a driving licence from another country, then you may have the chance of simply transferring your foreign licence to a UAE driver’s licence. However this can also be a bit tricky as there are two type of licence transfers so pay attention here.

The first type of transfer is if your licence and citizenship are from the same country then the process if very simple. Head on over to the RTA office and pay 360 AED and get your licence transferred.

However, if your licence is from the list of approved countries but your citizenship is not, then you will need to register in a driving institute, pay around 2500 AED and proceed with your driving tests. If you unfortunately fail your final test then you will need to take at least 8 classes before you can retake the test.

Both types of transfers require the following documents:

Emirates ID
First page of your passport
Visa page
Original licence
Translation or letter from the consulate (as needed)
Passport photos
Eye examination results from certified testing center
NOC from your sponsor

Here is a list of the countries with transferable driving licenses:

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, South Africa, Canada, USA, Austria, Belgium, Japan, Spain, Germany, France, Ireland, Norway, Turkey, Italy, Sweden, Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Switzerland, Denmark, UK, Poland, Romania, Finland, Portugal, Cyprus, Netherlands, South Korea.

For more information call RTA on their toll-free line 8009090