The UAE is one of the most happening places today. Not just modern infrastructure but plenty of scenic landscapes, rich history and culture, delicious cuisine, plenty of sunshine and friendly locals, the UAE is maintaining a reputation for a must-visit destination.
The UAE public transportation scene is robust and quite affordable. But one can also rent a car for a greater sense of freedom and to explore the Emirates at one’s ideal pace. There is a great update for all the tourists seeking to rent a car in the UAE.
The Ministry of Interior has just announced the easing of UAE driving licence rules. This is part of the ‘Markhoos’ system, facilitating the recognition and exchange of licences for both foreign nationals entering the UAE and Emirati citizens residing abroad.
UAE driving licence rules get more liberal: What it means for tourists
Let me take you through one of the most common situations tourists in the UAE face. It is the uncertainty one experiences at the time of renting a car in the UAE. Does your native driving licence permit you to rent a car and explore the UAE at ease?
Because of the update to licence regulations, people from 52 countries across the globe can use their national driving licences to legally drive in the UAE.
Furthermore, if one chooses to shift to the UAE, the person can exchange their existing native licence for a UAE one, considering they meet a set of conditions.
The UAE Ministry of Interior has detailed the updates to licensing regulations. There are a couple of terms to pay attention to: licence recognition and licence exchange. Let us get right into the details for better understanding.
1. Licence Recognition
Licence Recognition applies to tourists and non-residents in the UAE. You can use your national driving licence during your stay period, considering you are not here for residency purposes. You don’t need to take additional tests or local licences.
2. Licence Exchange
Upon meeting a set of official requirements, you can exchange a foreign licence for a UAE one, plus no need for theory or road tests. You also need to submit a legal Arabic translation of the foreign licence, a copy of the original licence and make a payment of Dh600.
Conditions for licence exchange for a UAE one:
- must hold citizenship of a country eligible for exchange
- must hold a valid foreign licence
- meet the legal driving age requirement in UAE
- must hold a UAE residency visa or submit proof of residential, employment or study address in the Emirates
- must pass an eye test
- for some countries, the applicant is required to surrender the original driving licence under existing agreements to get a UAE licence.
Renting a car in UAE becomes easy peasy for citizens of these 52 countries
Estonia, Albania, Portugal, China, Hungary, Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, Iceland, Montenegro, Israel, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, the US, France, Japan, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Spain, Norway, New Zealand, Romania, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Finland, the UK, Turkey, Canada, Poland, South Africa, Australia, Croatia, Texas, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Kyrgyzstan.
For people of South Korea, things could be a little bit different. Citizens of these countries are only permitted to exchange their national licences for a UAE one after becoming legal residents in the Gulf state. Here are the conditions for Licence Exchange:
- UAE nationality
- valid residence permit
- valid and permanent UAE driving licence
- meet the minimum age requirement specified by national legislation of South Korea
- categories to be exchanged: light vehicles (second class ordinary driving licence)
- pass medical examination
- meet other necessary requirements (if any)
The UAE Ministry of Interior document does not carry any conditions of Licence Recognition for citizens of both South Korea and Austria. This means people from both these countries are not permitted to use their national licence for driving in the UAE at the time of visiting.
For almost all other countries, the conditions for Licence Recognition are: hold a valid licence and enter the country not for the purpose of residency. Furthermore, all GCC countries recognise and exchange UAE driving licence.
It is important to emphasize here that UAE citizens should use their international driving licence in the countries that are not mentioned in this article. The ‘Markhoos’ system has made the UAE licence rules incredibly liberal and easy to understand, no doubt about it.
UAE driving licence rules for GCC nationals explained
Just like I had mention before, all GCC countries recognise and exchange UAE driving licence. Citizens of GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait) enjoy broad flexibility. Let us understand the scene of using a GCC-issued licence for driving in the UAE.
In simple terms, if a GCC national is in the UAE, the person is legally permitted to drive in the Gulf state using their existing national licence. But once a GCC national becomes a UAE resident, things could become a little bit different.
GCC nationals obtaining a UAE residency are required to apply for a UAE licence. This means the person needs to go through the official licence exchange process to convert their home country’s licence into an Emirati one.
UAE driving licence rules ease for tourists: Final Thoughts
The UAE Ministry of Interior has done a fabulous job at announcing the latest update to UAE driving licence rules for citizens from more than 50 countries across the globe. This change is going to bring a lot of ease for tourists coming to the UAE.
The UAE has a burgeoning tourism landscape, luring people from different continents year-round. Many of these tourists prefer renting a car in the UAE because of the sense of freedom. By easing the licensing regulations, the UAE is updating its tourism offerings yet again.
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