Over 50 nationalities can drive in UAE with home country licenses
The exchange applies to various categories, including motorcycles and light vehicles
The UAE Ministry of Interior has announced that residents of over 50 nationalities are permitted to drive vehicles in the country using their national driving licenses during their visit, without the need for theoretical or practical testing — provided they are not residing in the UAE.
In its latest update on social media platforms, the ministry outlined six conditions for allowing individuals of these nationalities to exchange their national driving licenses for a UAE driving license in the case of residency.
The ministry clarified that license recognition refers to the use of national driving licenses within the UAE when the person is a non-resident, while license exchange refers to replacing a national driving license with a UAE-issued license during legal residency.
The new federal traffic and road law, which recently came into force, exempts certain categories from obtaining a UAE driving license. These include:
Drivers of vehicles registered and licensed in foreign countries that are exempt from the provisions of registration and licensing under the law, provided they hold valid driving licenses issued by the relevant authorities in those countries, and such licenses are recognized by the UAE.
Holders of valid international driving licenses, allowing them to drive during their stay in the UAE for the purposes of transit or visit.
Holders of valid international or foreign temporary driving permits.
Individuals permitted to remain in the UAE without residency, in accordance with the regulations outlined in the law and its executive regulations.
The law grants the licensing authority the ability to exchange valid foreign licenses in the following cases:
If the license is issued by a country exempted under a Cabinet decision, and in accordance with the conditions specified in that decision.
If the exchange is based on an agreement or memorandum of understanding (MoU) to which the ministry is a party, and in accordance with agreed-upon terms.
Six conditions for exchanging a foreign driving license
The ministry specified six conditions for exchanging a foreign driving license for a UAE license:
The license must be issued by a country eligible for exchange.
The applicant must meet the legal age requirement for driving.
The license must be valid.
The applicant must hold a residency visa issued by the relevant emirate or have a verified residential, work, or study address in that emirate.
The applicant must pass an eye test.
For some countries, the original license must be surrendered based on memorandums of understanding.
Required documents for license exchange
A legal translation of the original foreign driving license.
A copy of the original license.
The exchange fee is Dh600.
The Ministry of Interior offers this service through its digital platform under the “MuroorKhous” initiative, which enables:
Visitors to drive in the UAE using their national licenses and exchange them for UAE licenses upon obtaining residency.
UAE citizens to drive abroad using their national licenses and exchange them for local licenses when residing in other countries.
The license exchange process can be completed by logging into the smart services platform, submitting the required information, and receiving the license either electronically or via courier.
Conditions for recognizing foreign driving licenses
To drive in the UAE using a foreign license, the following conditions must be met:
The foreign driving license must be valid.
Entry into the country must be for non-residency purposes.
Conditions for exchanging a foreign driving license with a UAE license include:
The license must be from a country eligible for exchange.
The applicant must hold valid UAE residency.
The foreign license must be valid.
The applicant must meet the legal driving age as per UAE laws and regulations.
The applicant must pass the required medical examination.
The applicant must meet other procedural requirements related to the exchange.
The exchange applies to various vehicle categories, including motorcycles and light vehicles.
List of nationalities
The list of 52 nationalities whose holders are allowed to use their driving licenses issued by their countries while visiting the UAE, or exchange them for a UAE license when residing in the UAE, includes: Estonia, Albania, Portugal, China, Hungary, Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, Iceland, Montenegro, Israel, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, the United States of America, France, Japan, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Spain, Norway, New Zealand, Romania, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Finland, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Canada, Poland, South Africa, Australia, Croatia, Texas, the Republic of North Macedonia, the Republic of Kosovo, the Kyrgyz Republic, in addition to citizens of South Korea, who can only exchange their driving licenses issued by their countries for a UAE license when residing in the UAE.
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