# UAE Driving licence



## Chris Palfreyman (Nov 4, 2009)

Hi, I'm enetring Dubai next week from the UK on an employment Visa. During the time it will take to finalize I need to drive. Car rental companies are telling me I need a UAE driving licence. Can I apply for that on my Employment Visa or do I need full residency? I have a full UK licence (plastic) and counterpart. Thanks!


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## marc (Mar 10, 2008)

Chris, 

to be honest you don't even need UAE Driving license any more..

if you do want one, you will need residency visa, passport, UK driving license copies e.t.c


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## Chris Palfreyman (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks Marc, 

Any advice to get around the issue with the car rental firms then? 

Seems if you are on a vsitor Visa with an international licence you are OK but an employment Visa with the same licence can't hire a car. Seems odd to me...?

Chris





marc said:


> Chris,
> 
> to be honest you don't even need UAE Driving license any more..
> 
> if you do want one, you will need residency visa, passport, UK driving license copies e.t.c


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## cautious_mover (Dec 9, 2009)

Chris Palfreyman said:


> Hi, I'm enetring Dubai next week from the UK on an employment Visa. During the time it will take to finalize I need to drive. Car rental companies are telling me I need a UAE driving licence. Can I apply for that on my Employment Visa or do I need full residency? I have a full UK licence (plastic) and counterpart. Thanks!


I have a rental car monthly from Sixt and just used my UK plastic driving licence, no paper counterpart.


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## Dannysigma (Feb 22, 2009)

It's pretty easy to get a UAE drivers licence - first get an eye test (25aed and 2 passport photos) which takes about 2 minutes. Take this certificate along with your UK drivers licence, your passport, a copy of your passport and residency permit, a filled in Licence Application Form (may need to be signed by your sponsor - if not you need a letter form your sponsor stating they have no opposition to you getting a licence), 2 passport photos and the fee (200aed at the moment I think) to any RTA centre and it'll be done in 10 minutes.

We used the RTA centre in the Union Co-op on Al Nahda road - there was an optician downstairs. Got the whole thing done in less than an hour.

Which is quick.

For Dubai.


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## vincetruong (May 10, 2009)

Chris Palfreyman said:


> Thanks Marc,
> 
> Any advice to get around the issue with the car rental firms then?
> 
> ...


won't be the last thing you consider odd. that's correct though from my experience. You can hire a car with an international license and a temp visa but once you have a resident visa you can no longer hire. The rental companies were willing to take my US license. Thrifty or Gargash had lower rates.


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## Dannysigma (Feb 22, 2009)

Or try booking Dollar rent a car online and typing 'SSP' into the promo code box for an instant 45% off (Also Dollar don't charge extra for extra drivers - providing licences are in order, of course) and offer the option of extra insurance, which many rent a car companies do not.


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

You most certainly can hire a car with UAE residency. Many companies however, will require sight of your home country licence as back up for the UAE one, as this will show how long you have actually been driving.

-


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## ccostello451 (May 27, 2009)

I am also mighty confused by these licencing laws, I had a car for three months before Christmas on a UK licence, getting my residency visa during those three months. I took it back while I was back in the UK. I now want to hire again as I only intend to be in the UAE another three months. Do I really have to go through all that crap of changing my licence or are there some rental companies that will take my UK licence still? I looked at Sixt and it seemed to imply that it might take my UK licence, but their prices are double those of other companies.

Finally, if I do have to change my licence where do I get this form that needs signing by my sponsor? And I'm assuming I get to keep my UK licence - I'm going to need it in April!


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## KiwiBobUAE (Dec 14, 2009)

DubaiFAQS is an authoritative site for Frequently Asked Questions about Dubai: check their "Car Rental Dubai" page at www dot DubaiFAQS dot com website.

In summary, officially as of Jan 2007 renters need an International Driving Permit or International Driving License) in addition to their national driving license.


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