International Driving Licence Dubai: Rules and How to Get It

Visitors can drive a rental car in Dubai on a visit visa, and which licence works depends on where it was issued. UAE residents who will drive abroad need an International Driving Permit from a UAE office. Both are below, from official sources. Rental companies can add their own conditions, so ask before you travel.

Which driving licence works for visitors, and when you need an International Driving Permit

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) says a visitor on a visit visa can drive a car or motorcycle with a licence from a GCC country or an “exception” country. The RTA page lists the countries whose licences can be exchanged for a Dubai licence:

GCC: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Others: Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uzbekistan.

The RTA does not say whether every country on that list counts as an “exception” country for visitors. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism gives a shorter list: visitors from GCC countries and from 25 other countries, including the UK, the US, Germany and Japan, can rent with their home licence. The lists can change, so check with the company and the RTA.

Everyone else needs an International Driving Permit issued in their home country, carried with their home licence. The RTA accepts it only on a visit visa, for a car or motorcycle, and a rental company may still refuse it. UAE offices issue permits only to holders of a UAE licence, so get yours before you travel. Driving on a foreign licence the UAE does not recognise can mean a fine of Dh 2,000 to Dh 10,000 for a first offence.

Once you live in the UAE on a residence visa, a foreign licence or an international permit no longer works: the RTA says you must exchange your licence, where your country is on its list, or get a UAE licence.

How UAE licence holders get an International Driving Permit

If you live in the UAE and will drive abroad, the UAE government portal says to get an International Driving Permit before you leave. Citizens and residents with a valid UAE licence can apply. The permit is valid for one year, only together with your UAE licence, and in every country except the UAE. Where to get it:

RTA website, RTA Dubai app or Dubai Now app, for Dubai licence holders: Dh 197, ready in 2 working days. Collect it at the Deira or Al Barsha centre, or pay Dh 20 to Dh 50 for delivery.
Emirates Post branches: Dh 178.50 including VAT, in about 15 minutes. Its website and app: Dh 199.50 including VAT and delivery.
Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) offices: Dh 170 plus VAT, within half an hour. Online through its website: 3 to 5 working days, plus shipping.
Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3 arrivals, Customer Happiness Centre, open 24 hours: within five minutes. The fee is not published.

Bring your UAE licence, Emirates ID, passport and a passport photo; each office lists its own set. The RTA also asks that your traffic fines are paid first.

The RTA no longer issues digital permits, only printed ones. Japan asks for a separate permit from the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, so ask for it if you are going there. Fees and times are the ones the official pages showed on 16 Oct 2026.

Is a UAE driving licence valid abroad?

Not on its own, as a rule. The UAE government portal tells citizens and residents who will drive abroad to get an International Driving Permit first. For UAE citizens, the Ministry of Interior’s Markhoos service lists the countries that accept the UAE licence itself; residents should check the rules of the country they visit.

Documents to bring

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you enter the UAE, and visa rules depend on your nationality. Carry your licence whenever you drive. By law, the rental company must check that your licence is valid and recognised in the UAE. No official page lists documents for a daily rental, so each company sets its own. As an example, the RTA’s rules for regulated hourly rental ask visitors for a passport, entry visa, licence, personal photo and credit card number.

Driving age and rental age

In our check on 10 Oct 2026, the UAE government portal, the Ministry of Interior and the RTA all gave 18 as the minimum age for a car licence. The federal traffic law in force since 29 March 2025 sets 17 as the general age, but leaves each licence type and age group to executive regulations, which we did not find published on the official sites we checked.

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism says the minimum age to rent a car is 21, and that some supercar companies ask you to be over 25. We found no law that sets a rental age, so each company sets its own.

Insurance and accidents

By law, a car must be insured to be licensed in the UAE. The standard third party policy covers injury to other people and damage to their property. It does not cover your own injuries as the driver, and it does not apply outside the UAE. Insurers also sell cover for loss of or damage to the car itself. Whether your rental includes it, and the excess you pay, depend on the company.

After an accident, report it to the police within 3 hours. The standard policy bars the insured, or anyone acting for them, from accepting blame or promising payment without the insurer’s written consent, so call the company before you agree to anything. The RTA said on 24 March 2026 that its unified contract applies to all rental offices in Dubai, records the car’s condition in photos at handover and return, and includes that renters are not charged costs arising from accidents or during the repair period. The RTA gave no further detail, so read the accident and excess terms in your contract.

Salik tolls

Salik toll gates are on main Dubai roads, including Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road. Each pass costs Dh 6 in peak hours and Dh 4 off peak, and Dh 4 all day on Sunday. Nothing is charged from 1am to 6am. On public holidays and events set by the RTA, the weekday rates apply, even on a Sunday. Since 1 June 2026, 5% VAT is added to each toll. The RTA sets peak hours, so check current times and holiday charges with the RTA or Salik.

Each Salik tag is tied to one car and is registered by the car’s owner. As we understand it, tolls on a rental go to the company’s account and the company passes them on to you. The RTA says its unified contract bans undisclosed fees, such as extra charges for passing toll gates.

Speed cameras and fines

The law lets cameras and other technology issue fines to vehicles and drivers. No official page we could read states a margin over the limit, so drive at the posted limit. Fines for a car in the federal schedule include:

Up to 20 km/h over the limit: Dh 300
21 to 50 km/h over: Dh 600 to Dh 1,000
51 to 60 km/h over: Dh 1,500, 6 black points and 15 days impound
61 to 80 km/h over: Dh 2,000, 12 black points and impound
More than 80 km/h over: Dh 3,000, 23 black points and 60 days impound
Red light: Dh 1,000, 12 black points and 30 days impound
Phone while driving: Dh 800 and 4 black points
Child under 10 or shorter than 145 cm in the front seat: Dh 400

Drink driving can mean prison, a fine of Dh 20,000 to Dh 100,000, or both. Amounts change, so check the official pages.

What to ask the company

Is this the RTA unified contract, signed by one-time password, with photos at handover and return?
Are all charges, including tolls, fines and admin fees, in the contract before I sign?
What is the excess, and does the cover apply outside the UAE, for example in Oman?
How much is the deposit, must it be on a card in my name, and when is it refunded?
What minimum age and years of driving do you ask, and do you want an International Driving Permit?
What is the daily km limit and fuel rule?

Compare daily prices on all cars, and read what a rental really costs.

Sources

Official pages checked 10 Oct 2026, licence and permit rules 16 Oct 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the official pages and your contract before you rent.

International driving licence in Dubai: who needs one and how to get it