# Canadian Driving License Exchange to Dubai



## whiterose232 (Nov 4, 2012)

Hi,

I'm Canadian Permanent Resident and possess Canadian Driving License but I do not carry Canadian Passport yet. I went to Dubai License Department and they refused to exchange my license saying that I should present my passport or else I have to go through the whole driving process.

Has anyone been in this situation? I don't want to spend money and time to go through a painful driving process. So please let me know if there is a way out to this. 

I would greatly appreciate your advice.

Thanks,
White Rose


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

As far as I know, your passport must match the country of your driving license. Being a permanent resident isn't the same as being a citizen so RTA will go by your passport itself. Unfortunately in this case what you heard is correct and you may have to go through the full process.

But perhaps I'm wrong and someone can come along and correct me.

Good luck.


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## tootall (Aug 5, 2010)

One of my employees had a similar problem, he has some sort of long term visa for the UK and had a UK drivers license but holds an Indian Passport but when he moved here he had to go through all the driver training. I'm going to bet you will have to do the lessons.


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

It's gotten tougher recently, but I would say try and give it shot.. try and get the attention of someone important at the office and he might just let it slide.. I did the same thing with my American license and had it converted to the U.A.E license, I hold an Indian passport. Initially they said no, but after a bit of asking around, I ended up at this guy's office, who heard me out signed this piece of paper and voila! I have my license.. It surely beats jumping through the hoops of getting one the regular way out here...


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## whiterose232 (Nov 4, 2012)

tootall said:


> One of my employees had a similar problem, he has some sort of long term visa for the UK and had a UK drivers license but holds an Indian Passport but when he moved here he had to go through all the driver training. I'm going to bet you will have to do the lessons.


This is really weird. What role a passport plays in transferring the license. The license itself is the proof that I have been driving in Canada for past 5 years. I wish I could somehow avoid this unnecessary hustle.


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## whiterose232 (Nov 4, 2012)

saraswat said:


> It's gotten tougher recently, but I would say try and give it shot.. try and get the attention of someone important at the office and he might just let it slide.. I did the same thing with my American license and had it converted to the U.A.E license, I hold an Indian passport. Initially they said no, but after a bit of asking around, I ended up at this guy's office, who heard me out signed this piece of paper and voila! I have my license.. It surely beats jumping through the hoops of getting one the regular way out here...


That's encouraging and worth a try. Would you mind me asking which Licensing Office did you go? I believe there are more than one.


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

whiterose232 said:


> That's encouraging and worth a try. Would you mind me asking which Licensing Office did you go? I believe there are more than one.


Bur Dubai Traffic Police Office - Dubai

Bear in mind I did this a while back, two and some change years ago, it might still work but might not either ..

p.s: take your company P.R.O with you if at all possible, or a friend fluent in arabic, that helps...


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## whiterose232 (Nov 4, 2012)

saraswat said:


> Bur Dubai Traffic Police Office - Dubai
> 
> Bear in mind I did this a while back, two and some change years ago, it might still work but might not either ..
> 
> p.s: take your company P.R.O with you if at all possible, or a friend fluent in arabic, that helps...


Thank you so much


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

Also keep in mind, unlike American driver license exchange, the Canadian driver license switch requires you to get a letter from the Canadian consulate confirming that the license is indeed a valid Canadian license. 

You then have to take the piece of paper from the Canadian consulate along with your drivers license, pictures and the application to RTA for the switch. I am not sure if the Canadian consulate will provide this document if you're not a Canadian citizen but might be worth checking. FYI - Canadian consulate is now in the Emirates Tower.

PS: Also need NOC from your employer if I'm not wrong. Might as well get all the documents in place before trying with RTA - might help.


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## whiterose232 (Nov 4, 2012)

w_man said:


> Also keep in mind, unlike American driver license exchange, the Canadian driver license switch requires you to get a letter from the Canadian consulate confirming that the license is indeed a valid Canadian license.
> 
> You then have to take the piece of paper from the Canadian consulate along with your drivers license, pictures and the application to RTA for the switch. I am not sure if the Canadian consulate will provide this document if you're not a Canadian citizen but might be worth checking. FYI - Canadian consulate is now in the Emirates Tower.
> 
> PS: Also need NOC from your employer if I'm not wrong. Might as well get all the documents in place before trying with RTA - might help.


Thanks, it does make sense to have all documents completed before trying to convert the license at RTA. I appreciate your guidance.


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## tootall (Aug 5, 2010)

w_man said:


> Also keep in mind, unlike American driver license exchange, the Canadian driver license switch requires you to get a letter from the Canadian consulate confirming that the license is indeed a valid Canadian license.
> 
> You then have to take the piece of paper from the Canadian consulate along with your drivers license, pictures and the application to RTA for the switch. I am not sure if the Canadian consulate will provide this document if you're not a Canadian citizen but might be worth checking. FYI - Canadian consulate is now in the Emirates Tower.
> 
> PS: Also need NOC from your employer if I'm not wrong. Might as well get all the documents in place before trying with RTA - might help.


Ah it moved? No longer on bank street in Bur Dubai? Good to know!


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## tootall (Aug 5, 2010)

whiterose232 said:


> Thanks, it does make sense to have all documents completed before trying to convert the license at RTA. I appreciate your guidance.


I did mine in Abu Dhabi so it might be a bit different but in addition to what w_ said about the letter from the consulate - I had to take the original license and the certified Arabic translation.


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## Sunil0099 (Jun 28, 2016)

*Drivers Licence*



saraswat said:


> It's gotten tougher recently, but I would say try and give it shot.. try and get the attention of someone important at the office and he might just let it slide.. I did the same thing with my American license and had it converted to the U.A.E license, I hold an Indian passport. Initially they said no, but after a bit of asking around, I ended up at this guy's office, who heard me out signed this piece of paper and voila! I have my license.. It surely beats jumping through the hoops of getting one the regular way out here...



Hi, 
I have Canadian Drivers Licence and it is still valid, but I live in India now and hold an Indian passport so can I drive a rented car in Dubai? If not then who is the right person to contact to?
Waiting for the right answer.
Thanks.
Sunil


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## Great White North (Jul 3, 2016)

Sunil0099 said:


> Hi,
> I have Canadian Drivers Licence and it is still valid, but I live in India now and hold an Indian passport so can I drive a rented car in Dubai? If not then who is the right person to contact to?
> Waiting for the right answer.
> Thanks.
> Sunil


I myself is going through the residency process and I have been told that I will not be able to drive a rent a car till my residency is done. In regards to your question of holding Canadian license and Indian passport, you need to give a shot as I know of person who had a German license but a African passport and he was made to go through the whole driving test process. Good luck !!!


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

I converted my Canadian license to a UAE license (with Indian passport) in Ras Al Khaimah without any issues - just AED 200, NOC from sponsor and a certified translation of the Canadian license. 

However, this is very much a Ras Al Khaimah policy rather than a UAE policy - a friend in a similar situation in Dubai was not permitted to do so. Each Emirate has different policies on this and Dubai has the strictest one.


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## Great White North (Jul 3, 2016)

sm105 said:


> I converted my Canadian license to a UAE license (with Indian passport) in Ras Al Khaimah without any issues - just AED 200, NOC from sponsor and a certified translation of the Canadian license.
> 
> However, this is very much a Ras Al Khaimah policy rather than a UAE policy - a friend in a similar situation in Dubai was not permitted to do so. Each Emirate has different policies on this and Dubai has the strictest one.


Probably a noob question, but can a person apply for driving license in any state of UAE regardless of its residence ?


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Just resurrecting an oldish thread, the following Q&A appeared in the National online version today;

Q: I was a resident of Dubai for a few years before returning home to the UK. I have now returned to the UAE, this time to live and work in Abu Dhabi. My new residency visa will soon be approved and, at that time, I will not be permitted to drive while using my UK licence. I still have my Dubai driving licence from the first time I was resident here. I wondered, do I need to get a new licence from Abu Dhabi or is the original Dubai licence still acceptable? People have been giving me conflicting answers.




A: It makes no difference whether your licence was issued by Abu Dhabi, Dubai or any other emirate, it is a UAE licence to be used to drive in the entire country and you can certainly use it on your return here, as long as it is still valid. If it is expired, you can still easily submit an application to issue a new one.


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