Living in Dubai
Driving licence in Dubai: exchanging yours or learning from scratch
Which licences exchange for a UAE one, the steps and fees, and what learning from scratch involves if yours doesn't, as for India.
7 min readUpdated 29 September 2026
Short answer
Can you drive in Dubai on your home licence?
Only while you're a visitor. On a visit visa you can drive on an international driving licence. Once you're a resident, you must exchange your licence for a UAE one or get a UAE licence from scratch. Which of the two depends on the country that issued your licence, and that's where movers from the UK and India part ways.
RTA exchanges licences from 57 countries. In 2025 it swapped 58,082 foreign licences for UAE ones, the Dubai Media Office reported. Britain is on the list; India, Pakistan and the Philippines are not.
Until your Emirates ID arrives you can't apply either way, so plan on the metro and taxis for your first weeks. See your first two weeks in Dubai.
Exchanging a UK (or other listed) licence
Britain is one of 20 countries whose licences RTA exchanges whatever your nationality. You don't need a translation, you keep your UK licence, and every category on it carries over. There's no test: you pay RTA's fees, about AED 1,050 (≈ ₹27,200) in all.
- 1
Get your Emirates ID
RTA needs a valid Emirates ID. On a residence visa from another emirate, you also need proof that you work or live in Dubai. - 2
Take the eye test
An electronic eye test at an approved optician or centre costs AED 140 (≈ ₹3,600) to AED 180. The result is valid for 3 years. - 3
Apply for the exchange
Bring your original licence with your Emirates ID and eye test, and apply through RTA's licence exchange service (opens in a new window), which also lists every country.
For the other countries on RTA's list, your nationality matters too: RTA won't exchange the licence if your residence visa is on a passport from a country that isn't listed. If your passport and your licence come from different countries, check the list before you count on it. More on the move itself: moving to Dubai from the UK.
Indian, Pakistani and Filipino licences: the Golden Chance
A licence from India, Pakistan or the Philippines can't be exchanged, however long you've driven. You need a UAE licence from RTA's training and tests. There are two ways to shorten that.
- 1
The Golden Chance
If you hold a valid licence from a country that isn't on the exchange list, you can sit the knowledge test and the road test without training, but only once. Pass both and you get your licence. Fail the road test and you must do the training (not the theory) before you test again. RTA's instant test booking for these licences costs AED 420 (≈ ₹10,900). - 2
Fewer lessons for experienced drivers
If you do the training, the number of sessions depends on how long you've held your licence: 20 if it was issued more than 5 years ago, 30 if 2 to 5 years ago, and 40 if less than 2 years ago.
Holders of the Golden Visa with a valid licence from any country need no training at all, and can take the theory and road tests on the same day. Bring your Indian licence with you even so: the Golden Chance and the shorter training both need it. More on the move itself: moving to Dubai from India.
Learning from scratch: training and tests
You learn with one of Dubai's driving institutes. If you need to move a test, you can reschedule it online or through the institute.
- 1
Eye test, traffic file and learning permit
You need an eye test, a traffic file and a learning permit (AED 100 (≈ ₹2,600)) before your lessons start. - 2
Theory lectures
8 hours of lectures for a car licence, before the knowledge test. - 3
Knowledge test
40 questions; you need 30 right to pass. It costs AED 220 (≈ ₹5,700) with the knowledge and innovation fees. - 4
Driving lessons
RTA's pages don't set a number of lessons for a complete beginner: ask the institute what its package includes and what extra lessons cost. - 5
Road test
It costs AED 220 (≈ ₹5,700). After each failed road test you must take 4 more training sessions before the next one. A VIP test costs AED 2,620.
Keep going: your training file is suspended if you don't take a test within 6 months of your last appointment. A first licence is valid for 2 years if you're 21 or over, and 1 year if you're younger.
What it costs, step by step
RTA's own fees for an exchange come to AED 1,050 (≈ ₹27,200). For a new licence at 21 or over they come to about AED 1,270, before the driving institute's charges for lectures and lessons, which RTA doesn't list and which you'll pay on top. Under 21, the licence itself costs AED 100 instead of AED 300.
| Fee | Exchange | New licence |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic file | AED 200 | AED 200 |
| Learning permit | None | AED 100 |
| Handbook | AED 50 | AED 50 |
| Eye test (depends on the centre) | AED 140 to AED 180 | AED 140 to AED 180 |
| Knowledge test, fees included | None | AED 220 |
| Road test, fees included | None | AED 220 |
| Knowledge and innovation fees | AED 20 | Included |
| Driving licence (21 or over) | AED 600 | AED 300 |
| Total, eye test at the highest price | AED 1,050 | AED 1,270 |
Amounts in AED. AED 1,000 ≈ ₹25,900 at today's rate.
RTA gives no reason why the licence fee on an exchange is higher than on a new licence. Fees change: check them on RTA's new licence page (opens in a new window) before you pay.
Age limits and the new traffic law
A new federal traffic law, Decree-Law 14 of 2024, took effect on 29 March 2025. Khaleej Times reported that it lowered the minimum driving age to 17, but RTA's page, updated on 11 September 2026, still issues car licences from 18. If you're moving with a teenager, check with RTA before you book.
The law also sets the fines. A law firm, Motei & Associates, reports a fine of at least AED 20,000 (≈ ₹5.2 lakh) for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and AED 10,000 for driving without a licence. That second one matters to newcomers: once you're a resident, your home licence no longer counts.
Once you have a UAE licence, RTA issues an international driving licence for trips abroad, for AED 197 (≈ ₹5,100).
Before you buy a car: Salik tolls
Dubai's road tolls, Salik, are charged each time you pass a gate: AED 6 (≈ ₹200) at peak times and AED 4 off-peak, plus VAT. If you commute by car every day, that adds up; so does parking.
Choose where you live with the commute in mind: compare areas by rent and travel time to the tech hubs, and see what transport costs in the cost of living. If you're thinking of Sharjah or Abu Dhabi, read Dubai, Sharjah or Abu Dhabi for the tolls and the commute.
Sources
- Knowledge test appointment (opens in a new window), RTA, 11 September 2026
- Road test appointment (opens in a new window), RTA, 11 September 2026
- RTA replaces foreign driving licences with UAE ones (2025 figures) (opens in a new window), Dubai Media Office, 20 January 2026
- International driving licence (opens in a new window), RTA, 13 August 2026
- New driving licence (opens in a new window), RTA, 11 September 2026
- Driving licence exchange (opens in a new window), RTA, 11 September 2026
- Variable toll rates (opens in a new window), Salik, 29 September 2026
- UAE driving licence age lowered: 17-year-olds line up to get permits (opens in a new window), Khaleej Times, 13 March 2025
- Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on traffic regulation (opens in a new window), Motei & Associates (secondary), 29 September 2026
This is guidance, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; check the official source and your employer before you act.