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Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Converting Or Obtaining A UAE Driving License

Farah Makhlouf
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If you’ve just moved to the UAE, first of all, welcome to the land of opportunity, and secondly, if you’re wondering how you can get behind the wheel, there are a few things you must know!

There are a few ways you can obtain a driving license in the UAE:

  1. You either convert your existing license from your home country
  2. You go through the “Golden Chance” or
  3. You go through the regular system

Here’s everything you need to know about converting or obtaining a UAE driving license

Dubai residents who hold a valid driving license from any of these 43 approved countries, can obtain a UAE driving license

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) in the UAE announced that expats from 43 countries are not required to take a driving license test in the UAE, under the ‘Markhoos’ initiative. They are technically allowed to drive in the UAE using their national driving license but they can also exchange it if they hold a valid residency visa.

These countries are:

  1. Albania
  2. Australia
  3. Austria
  4. Belgium
  5. Bulgaria
  6. Canada
  7. China
  8. Cyprus
  9. Denmark
  10. Estonia
  11. Finland
  12. France
  13. Germany
  14. Greece
  15. Hong Kong
  16. Hungary
  17. Iceland
  18. Ireland
  19. Italy
  20. Japan
  21. United Kingdom
  22. United States of America
  23. Latvia
  24. Lithuania
  25. Luxembourg
  26. Malta
  27. Montenegro
  28. Netherlands
  29. New Zealand
  30. Norway
  31. Poland
  32. Portugal
  33. Romania
  34. Serbia
  35. Singapore
  36. Slovak
  37. Slovenia
  38. South Africa
  39. Spain
  40. Sweden
  41. Switzerland
  42. Turkey
  43. Ukraine

If you are not from the approved 43 countries, the next option is the ‘Golden Chance’

This one’s for any resident, from any country! It’s basically a one-way ticket to the license (well, an easier method). Here’s all you need:

  1. You must hold a valid license from your home country.
  2. You have to take and pass the RTA driving exams (theory and road test) in one go!
  3. You must pay approximately AED2,200 (the price depends on the school) to cover the costs of opening a file, taking the tests, license insurance etc.

You can visit any driving centre in Dubai and apply for the Golden Chance initiative. Just remember if you don’t pass the tests on your first try, you will have to enrol for regular classes.

Click here to find out more!

Lastly, if you don’t have a driving license from your home country, then you need to go through the regular steps of getting a local license.

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