People from all over the world are moving to the United Arab Emirates more and more. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are two of the most expat-friendly cities in the world because they have a high standard of living, high salaries, and lots of jobs. No matter where you live in the world, being able to drive is a skill that can take you places. But sometimes it’s hard to get a licence for many different reasons. To get a new licence, a citizen or resident must apply to a registered driving institute in the relevant emirate, take driving classes, and pass all tests (if required). After taking all of the classes and passing all of the tests, the applicant can get a new driver’s licence that is valid for 2 years for citizens, GCC nationals, and other nationalities. Applicants can start the initial process at any of the approved driving schools in UAE.
Eligibility to Drive
Customers, citizens, and residents who are over the legal age and in good health can get a permit to learn how to drive and apply for a new licence. How old you have to be to get a driver’s licence depends on what kind of vehicle you want to drive. The minimum age requirement is as follows:
17 years for motorcycles and for vehicles for people with special needs
18 years for cars and light vehicles
20 years for heavy vehicles
21 years for buses.
Who can I get a Driving Licence in UAE ?
Anyone over the age of 18 can get a driver’s licence in UAE. A probationary licence is for people who are between the ages of 18 and 21. The RTA should receive an application for a licence in Arabic (Road and Traffic Authority). That will be taken care of by the official driving schools in Dubai. The RTA issues a temporary licence based on this application, which must be carried at all times during the training.
Procedure to apply for a Driving Licence in UAE
If you are the right age to drive, just follow this step-by-step guide to getting a Dubai driving licence. The process for getting a driver’s licence in the UAE is easy but strict.If you fail the road test the first time, you have to take seven more classes of training before you can try again. Listed below are the process to apply for a UAE driving Licence
Get your eye test done. This can be done at your driving school or an optician
Register at a driving school in UAE that is approved by the RTA and bring all the necessary documents.
Get a temporary or learner’s permit to drive in the UAE and start training.
Finish all theory classes, which you can do online or at a driving school.
To move on to the practical training, you must pass the theory test.
Finish the practical classes and go to your internal evaluation.
After you finish the internal assessment, you have to take classes in highway and city road.
Pass the school’s own parking test so the school can apply for the RTA test.
Pass the test and then the last road test from the RTA.
Finally you can Obtain UAE driving licence
Required Documents
Emiratis can sign up for a driving course in the UAE with just their valid Emirates ID. Different rules apply to expats in the UAE when it comes to getting a driver’s licence. If you live in UAE as a foreigner, you need to send in:
Emirates ID (both copy and original)
Passport with visa page (copy)
2 Passport size photo
Eye test results
A no objection letter from your sponsor (if asked by the relevant department)
Driving Licence Test includes the following
Getting a driver’s licence in UAE can’t be done quickly. To get a valid driver’s licence in UAE, you have to pass a few tests. You sign up for the theory test through your driving school. You can move on to the RTA tests once you have passed all of the internal tests, especially the yard parking test. You can take the RTA road test only if you pass the RTA theory test.
With our guide to getting a driving licence in UAE, you’ll know what to expect from these tests. Prepare well before you take these tests to save yourself a lot of time, money, and stress. Your theory test will be given at one of the approved driving schools, usually the one you’re registered at. When the test day came, The test used to have 35 questions that checks how much you know about driving and road dangers, signals and signs, and safe driving rules.
To pass this segment, you need to get at least 11 questions right. In the second part, there are 18 questions that are all about the driver’s licence. To be able to take the final road test, you need to get 12 of these questions right. The third part, the Risks Recognition Test, is a series of videos that show different environmental conditions. The questions in this section are about how you plan to deal with these conditions and the risks that come with them. This test is done on a computer with a touch screen. It can be done in either English or Arabic. Those who don’t know these languages can choose to take an oral exam instead.
Can I swap my Licence for a UAE Driving Licence?
The RTA puts expats who want to get a UAE driving licence into two groups: those from countries that are exempted and those from countries that are not. People with a valid driver’s licence from an exempted country can swap it in for a UAE licence. The following countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Spain, South Korean, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, USA & all GCC Countries