Dubai is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates that welcomes tourists and visitors from all over the world. It is the 4th most visited city across the globe. According to an estimate, more than 16 million people visited it in the last year. Its skyscrapers, wonderful buildings, giant shopping malls, amazing architectural work, beautiful deserts, and beaches attract the visitors and they love to spend their vacations in this incredible city.
No wonder a city with such a large number of tourists and visitors has busy traffic and roads. Tourists in Dubai are allowed to drive their cars by getting them on rent from different car rental companies in the city. But if you are an expat you can also buy a car and then sell it out whenever you are going to leave the country. For driving in Dubai, the most important thing is your driving license or IDP. Dubai Police is very strict in terms of following the rules and regulations, and it is against the rules to drive a car without a license in Dubai.
Whenever you are in a new country there are a lot of questions and queries in your mind. In this blog, we will try to resolve them and give you a list of countries whose driving licenses are valid for driving in Dubai. So Rent a car in Dubai and enjoy a memorable trip.
Can you Drive a Car in Dubai with the Driving License of your Own Country?
According to the rules and regulations of the UAE, for driving a car in Dubai you must have a driving license that is valid in the UAE. But the major mistake that is done by most of the tourists and visitors is they are trying to get a rental car on the driving license of their country. You may think of your friend or a colleague who is using a leased car in Dubai with his country’s driving license. Yes! There are some countries whose driving licenses are valid for driving in Dubai.
Which Country’s License is Valid in Dubai or UAE?
The very first thing you should do whenever you are renting a car in Dubai is whether your driving license is valid for Dubai or not. You may also have an IDP (international driving permit) along with you for availing of all the opportunities of renting an automobile. Moreover, having an IDP also eliminates the hassle of checking the validity of your driving license.
But in case you do not have an IDP, then you have to confirm whether your country name is present in the list which is approved by RTA for the driving license or not. If it is, then feel free to get a rental car and drive it on the roads of Dubai and visit the beautiful spots.
Following are the countries whose residents can drive in Dubai with the driving license of their own country.
America
Feel free to drive a rental car in Dubai if you are from the United States of America. In addition, tourists or visitors who are permanent residents of Canada can also drive in the UAE with a Canadian Driving License.
Africa
Visitors in the UAE from South Africa can drive in the UAE with the driving license of their country. On the contrary, North Africa residents either need an IDP or a driving license from the UAE. Because the driving license of their native country is not valid for driving in Dubai.
Europe
European tourists and visitors often get confused about how their country’s license could be valid in an Arab country, UAE. But it is true and amazing indeed that you can drive in Dubai while having a driving license in these European countries including France, Belgium, Sweden, United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Italy, Norway, Poland, Germany, Finland, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Romania, Switzerland, and Denmark.
Asia
In Asia, there are only a few countries whose driving license is valid in the UAE. These countries may include Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Oman, Turkey, Bahrain, and Kuwait. If you are a resident of these countries and planning your trip to the UAE, then you should feel free to enjoy driving in your dream car on the amazing roads of Dubai without any barriers.
Oceania
Along with all the above-mentioned countries, Australia and New Zealand are the two other countries whose driving licenses are acceptable for driving in the UAE. If you are from these countries, all you need to show is a driving license of your country, and feel free to move around Dubai.
Transferring your Country’s Driving License into UAE’s One
In case you do not have a valid driving license and IDP, transferring your country’s driving license into Dubai’s one is another way for you. But for this task, you would need some important documents.
Following documents are needed for the conversion of your license into Dubai’s one.
- A valid visa
- The original license of your country
- Original passport
- Optometry form
- Residence visa copy
- Passport size photos
- No objection letter format from sponsor
- Form for the conversion of the license
- Eye test certificate from any RTA Approved Center
So just contact any car rental Dubai company and book the car of your choice after getting an international driving license.
Summing Up
Here we give you detailed information about driving in Dubai with a valid driving license and IDP. In case you do not find your country in that valid license list then you must convert your country’s driving license into the driving license of the UAE. So that you can enjoy a drive in your dreamed rental car and make it easy for you to get around the city.
A Content Writer and A Reviewer at The Strategy Watch