How Do I Change My Driving License to Dubai?

In Dubai, you need to go into a driving school and take the driving test to get a driving license but if you have a driving license already from your country, you can convert it to UAE. This article is all about the process of converting your driving license to Dubai and gives you a complete insight into the procedure required. The areas that are going to be discussed are:

Driving License in UAE:

UAE has a very developed road infrastructure, and you can see some vehicles racing on the highways and some crawling on the backroads this variation of speed and congestions can make the experience of driving an exciting one. People in UAE mostly drive on the Right lanes and left lanes are for those who do overspeeding so when driving out in UAE keep that in mind if you are new with the experience. Furthermore, always keep with yourself your license and Emirates ID. The legal age to get a driving license is 18 and renting a car requires 21 years of age. 

Foreign Driving License in UAE:

If you have Emirates ID then it’s better to get a driving license although many people from some specific countries can drive with their own local driving license some of the rental companies need international permits to rent you a car. But it is good to have your emirates driving license to drive in a legal way and avoid inconvenience. Now you will learn the process to convert your local driving license to Dubai, UAE.

Converting Driving License to UAE:

If you are not a citizen in UAE and came here to study or work and do not hold the tourist status, it’s better to get a new license. If you do not fall in the list of countries exempted to exchange the license, then you better join a driving school. The whole process takes a few minutes, and you are free to drive in UAE.

Eligible Countries for Exchange:

At first, look for if you are from the list of 34 eligible countries to exchange the license the list is as:

•  Australia AustriaBahrain
• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan 
• Kuwait
• South Korea 
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Oman
• Poland 
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Romania
• KSA
• S. Africa
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey 
• UK
• USA

Required Documents:

If you have a driving license from the above-mentioned list, then you need to translate it into Arabic. Urban Translation Services help you in this task as we are the registered translation services provider in Dubai. So, the required documents to change your license are:

• Translated driving license and its copy
• Passport and its copy
• Residency visa and its copy
• Eyes examination report
• Recommendation letter from your sponsor 

You must need the above documents when going out to apply for an exchange.

Fee for Exchange:

The fee required for transfer and eye test are:

1. 360 – 400 AED for transfer
2. 150 – 200 AED for an eye test.

This fee may change with the passage of time and policies of the organization but we are giving you an approximate idea.

Special Cases

A confirmation letter is required from the Canadian license holder to make sure it is genuine. And UK license holders are required with fewer documents excluding the NOC.

Main Steps of Conversion:

Step # 1:

Go and get your eyes tested by any hospital or clinic. Tell them that you are there for an eye examination for the purpose of license transfer they will ask you for two passport-size photographs and give you a report after doing your examination. The standard test fee is discussed above in detail. 

Step # 2:

With your eye examination report along with all the other required documents listed above, go to the Driving License section of Dubai Traffic. The visiting time is between 7:30 am to 2:30 pm on working days. Fill the form of application that they give you and attach the required document with it. Submit the application to the officer and pay your due amount after that receive a receipt from the officer. 

Step # 3:

Go to the Data Entry Counter and provide them with the document they ask you for. After that, your photos will be taken by calling your name out in order. This whole process needs a maximum of 30 to 40 minutes, and you get your license transferred. UAE license has validity for one year for age 18 to 21 and two years for age 21 and above after that, you will renew it by giving a renewal application.        

Conclusion:

This article gives you an understanding of all the aspects to convert a driving license in Dubai.  We hope that this information will help you if you are headed to convert or exchange your license to UAE. Do let us know in the comments below if you like the article and if helped you.