# UAE Driving License on UK License but Asian Passport



## khurramali78 (Jan 8, 2009)

Hi All,

I am a UK Migrant on Highly skilled migrant visa and have valid UK driving license. I have been recently offered job in Dubai and would need to get UAE driving license obviously before i can buy or drive a car. Can you please tell me if I will be able to exchange my license based on the fact that I have a UK license but with Asian Passport and UK migrant visa. Some people say i can some say i will have to take lessons. Please tell me how i can get through without having to go through the lessons process.

Regards,
KK


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

khurramali78 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I am a UK Migrant on Highly skilled migrant visa and have valid UK driving license. I have been recently offered job in Dubai and would need to get UAE driving license obviously before i can buy or drive a car. Can you please tell me if I will be able to exchange my license based on the fact that I have a UK license but with Asian Passport and UK migrant visa. Some people say i can some say i will have to take lessons. Please tell me how i can get through without having to go through the lessons process.
> 
> ...


You will need to take lessons! I'm in the same situation - I lived in the UK for a couple of years and hence have a UK license but because I am not British, I have been unable to swap my license and have been told to take lessons! Your UK visa will not count for anything - my passport is full of UK visas!! It did not even help that I have never even held my own country's license and have never even driven there!!!

Unless you are extremely lucky when you try to swap your license, it will have to be lessons. 20 lessons if you've had the license for more than 2 years, else a minimum of 40 lessons will be required!


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## khurramali78 (Jan 8, 2009)

Maz25 said:


> You will need to take lessons! I'm in the same situation - I lived in the UK for a couple of years and hence have a UK license but because I am not British, I have been unable to swap my license and have been told to take lessons! Your UK visa will not count for anything - my passport is full of UK visas!! It did not even help that I have never even held my own country's license and have never even driven there!!!
> 
> Unless you are extremely lucky when you try to swap your license, it will have to be lessons. 20 lessons if you've had the license for more than 2 years, else a minimum of 40 lessons will be required!


Hi Maz25,

Could you tell me how long this process would take, 40 lessons and then the cost attached please?


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

It'll take you between 8 months and a year....


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## carlos carlos (Dec 29, 2008)

khurramali78 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I am a UK Migrant on Highly skilled migrant visa and have valid UK driving license. I have been recently offered job in Dubai and would need to get UAE driving license obviously before i can buy or drive a car. Can you please tell me if I will be able to exchange my license based on the fact that I have a UK license but with Asian Passport and UK migrant visa. Some people say i can some say i will have to take lessons. Please tell me how i can get through without having to go through the lessons process.
> 
> ...



I hold HKSAR passport and license, was not possible to simply swap my license, but I just did and passed a driving test, no lessons or whatsoever. Well, it was 2 and half years ago. Guess I was lucky!


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Andy Capp said:


> It'll take you between 8 months and a year....


Very true, unless you pay for VIP classes, which depending on the driving school you use, could cost upwards of 10k but would take about 3 months or so! 

I do believe that a year ago it would have been easy to simply swap but in June last year (I think, correct me if I'm wrong!), they introduced the 'passport has got to match the license' rule! I'm still trying to find the relationship between a passport and driving abilities - but very obviously failing, probably cause there is none! 

The other problem is that whilst in the UK you get a nice driving report telling you about every mistake ou made, as far I know, over here, passing your test is down to luck!! If the examiner wants to give you a license today, then you shall have one (no matter how bad your driving!) and if he decides that he doesn't like the look of you, then too bad!!

I signed up 3 months ago (and was told there is a 2 months wait!) and still haven't heard anything from the driving school - why are my not surprised! If I decide that my future is in the UAE and not end up following the masses out, I might have to dig deep in my pockets and just pay for VIP classes, just to get it over and done with!!! Dubai Driving Centre charges slightly less for the VIP classes, so they might be a better option!


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## becks (Nov 4, 2008)

i have a similar query. well im not driving yet and not sure if i will or not but its puzzling me. i have a uk license (im british) but as we moved here 10 days after i got married, my license is in my maiden name and my passport in my married name. would this be an issue?


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

Take your marriage certificate along, I wouldn't have thought it would matter...

But this is Dubai, smile sweetly and you just never know....


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## Xpat (Nov 12, 2008)

Andy Capp said:


> Take your marriage certificate along, I wouldn't have thought it would matter...
> 
> But this is Dubai, smile sweetly and you just never know....


.......never know a camel may peep out of dishdasha!


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## gforce23 (Aug 3, 2008)

Aren't the shaikhs going to change the rule that makes it mandatory for pretty much everyone to get a license the hard way? I thought I had read that in the GN (or was it KT).


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## mastertribute (Jan 9, 2009)

I am in a similar position to Khurramali78.
I am an Italian national now resident in Italy holding a UK (where I lived for many years) driver licence (the UK licence is valid in Italy being within the EU). 
I will relocate in Dubai next spring: does anyone know if I will be able to simply exchange my UK licence with one of the UAE? (I hope that the European Union means something in Dubai).
Many thanks


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## flossie (Jun 9, 2008)

Well, It seems to depend on who you get on the day. My husband has an Aussie driver's licence and a UK passport (bloody pom!) and he swapped, no problem. So sometimes, if your passport AND licence is on the list of 30 something countries, you can do a straight swap. If one or both is NOT on the list, you have no hope.


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## mastertribute (Jan 9, 2009)

Thanks for your time and advice Flossie. 
I seems I' better to convert the UK licence into an Italian one before relocating to Dubai.


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## manxegator (Oct 5, 2008)

mastertribute said:


> Thanks for your time and advice Flossie.
> I seems I' better to convert the UK licence into an Italian one before relocating to Dubai.


I will let you know tomorrow. I just got my residence permit. I hold a Luxembourg driving license, but I am Spanish. Both countries from the EU, and both on the swap lists. I cross my fingers. Will let you know if I was lucky.


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## gearhead (Jan 6, 2009)

I have a UK passport and a US licence and got it swapped for a UAE one over the counter. that was in 2007. i clearly remember the officer saying that swapping would not have been possible if either of my document (licence OR passport) was from a country which is outside the list of the 'elite' 33 countries 



mastertribute said:


> I am in a similar position to Khurramali78.
> I am an Italian national now resident in Italy holding a UK (where I lived for many years) driver licence (the UK licence is valid in Italy being within the EU).
> I will relocate in Dubai next spring: does anyone know if I will be able to simply exchange my UK licence with one of the UAE? (I hope that the European Union means something in Dubai).
> Many thanks


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## RabsyA (Jan 17, 2009)

Hi Guys 

I am new to all of this and my first post...I am awaiting my final visa so I can then get my UAE license. I hold a british passport and license and was under the impression I could do a straight exchange. However I have been informed I have to do something called a 'signal test' before I can get an UAE license. As far as I know no lessons involved just simply a test which shows I can drive correctly on the right hand side. Once I get down to the licensing office will post more info.


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## manxegator (Oct 5, 2008)

mastertribute said:


> Thanks for your time and advice Flossie.
> I seems I' better to convert the UK licence into an Italian one before relocating to Dubai.


no need to do that. I am in the same situation as you, and I got it swapped. They did not even asked me anything, or raised the subject, so if it does not work with one official, go to another RTA agency and it will work, don't worry. In bocca lupo.


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## RabsyA (Jan 17, 2009)

manxegator said:


> no need to do that. I am in the same situation as you, and I got it swapped. They did not even asked me anything, or raised the subject, so if it does not work with one official, go to another RTA agency and it will work, don't worry. In bocca lupo.


Hi...when did you do it?


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## manxegator (Oct 5, 2008)

RabsyA said:


> Hi...when did you do it?


sorry, i did not connect here for a while. I did it the day I wrote the post, around 6 weeks ago.


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## Sumair (Aug 16, 2008)

Dear members, 

If you have the Driving License and Passport from same country and the country is in list below , you will get the UAE driver's license from the counter without any exam/test. 

* Australia
* Austria
* Bahrain
* Belgium
* Canada*
* Cyprus*
* Czech Republic*
* Denmark
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece*
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Japan*
* South Korea*
* Kuwait
* Luxembourg
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Norway
* Oman
* Poland*
* Portugal*
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Slovakia*
* South Africa
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey*
* United Kingdom
* United States


If you are holding the passport of UK / USA but driving license of any of the above country , you will also get the UAE license on spot. 

But if you passport and driving license are from different countries but both are listed above then you will find some difficulty in exchanging of license. In this scenario try to convince the officer that you are holding both things from countries in list. If he refuses then try other RTA office. Chances are that you will succeed.


If you have passport and driving license from different country and any one or both are not listed above then your are not able to exchange your license. But you will get the exemption from internal test and will go directly to signal test and then 10 hours driving course and then Road test.

Usually to get the license, first you have to take classes from RTA approved institutes then Parking and Reverse test then Signal Test then classes and then Road test.

Please also note that Driving license can only be exchanged after stamping of UAE residency visa further there is no exemption of internal test if applicant is house wife.


Best of Luck!


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## NafisShaikh (Mar 6, 2009)

salam bro......inshallah you will get.....


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## ComS (Mar 23, 2009)

Sumair said:


> Dear members,
> 
> If you have the Driving License and Passport from same country and the country is in list below , you will get the UAE driver's license from the counter without any exam/test...


Sumair, you seem to know a bit about driving related matters here in the UAE judging by your previous posts - are you affiliated with any of the schools ? Just looking for a bit of advice as in a similiar boat as the OP although just waiting for my residency visa as thats not thru yet but figured I'd get started on this matter ASAP while on the long term visit visa.. is that possible without the residency but UK license without UK passport ? 

Alternatively anyone holding just a license and NOT a passport from the above list had to deal with this matter recently ? Called up a 'school' from a newspaper article couple days ago and they didnt seem to interested in helping.. trying the ones listed on Dubai.ae now but if anyone here has dealt with a school and happy with them please share the love


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## Sumair (Aug 16, 2008)

ComS said:


> Sumair, you seem to know a bit about driving related matters here in the UAE judging by your previous posts - are you affiliated with any of the schools ? Just looking for a bit of advice as in a similiar boat as the OP although just waiting for my residency visa as thats not thru yet but figured I'd get started on this matter ASAP while on the long term visit visa.. is that possible without the residency but UK license without UK passport ?
> 
> Alternatively anyone holding just a license and NOT a passport from the above list had to deal with this matter recently ? Called up a 'school' from a newspaper article couple days ago and they didnt seem to interested in helping.. trying the ones listed on Dubai.ae now but if anyone here has dealt with a school and happy with them please share the love


- No I am not attached with any schools/institutes.
-UK License without UK passport and also not having the passport of listed countries- Answer Not possible.
-Residency Visa under process- Only possible if your employer is Government Organization.

Hint: Go for VIP package in any Institute. Learn Fast get dates fast , get license fast.


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## ComS (Mar 23, 2009)

Many thanks for the prompt reply  appreciate it 



Sumair said:


> - No I am not attached with any schools/institutes.
> -UK License without UK passport and also not having the passport of listed countries- Answer Not possible.
> -Residency Visa under process- Only possible if your employer is Government Organization.
> 
> Hint: Go for VIP package in any Institute. Learn Fast get dates fast , get license fast.


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