Now, 52 Countries Get Driving Privilege in UAE, But South Asians Miss Out

19/07/2025

Now, 52 Countries Get Driving Privilege in UAE, But South Asians Miss Out

DUBAI, July 19: The United Arab Emirates has expanded its driving license privileges for tourists and residents, allowing nationals from over 50 countries to legally drive on UAE roads using their home-country licenses — without undergoing any theoretical or practical tests, as long as they are not UAE residents.

The announcement, made by the UAE Ministry of Interior via its official social media channels, also outlines six key conditions under which residents can exchange their foreign licenses for a UAE-issued one.

The ministry clarified the distinction between "license recognition" — allowing non-residents to drive in the UAE using their national license — and "license exchange," which permits legal residents to swap their foreign license for a UAE one without further testing.

Who Is Exempt Under the New Law?

The updated federal traffic and road law, now in effect, exempts specific groups from obtaining a UAE driving license, including:

Tourists or transit visitors holding valid international driving licenses.
Individuals possessing foreign temporary driving permits.
Drivers of vehicles registered in countries exempt from UAE registration laws — provided their license is valid and recognized in the UAE.
Non-residents permitted to stay in the country temporarily under UAE immigration rules.

In addition, licensing authorities have been granted the right to exchange foreign licenses if:

The license was issued by a country covered under a UAE Cabinet decision.
The exchange is governed by a bilateral agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Interior.

Six Conditions to Exchange a Foreign Driving License in the UAE

Expats who wish to convert their foreign licenses to UAE ones must meet the following conditions:

The license must be issued by a country approved for exchange.
The applicant must meet the legal age requirement.
The license must be valid.
The applicant must hold a UAE residency visa or have a verified residential, work, or study address in the issuing emirate.
The applicant must pass an eye test.
In some cases, the original license must be surrendered in line with existing MoUs.

Documents and Fees

To process the exchange, applicants must submit:

A legally translated version of the original foreign license.
A copy of the original license.
A license exchange fee of AED 600.

The service is available via the Ministry's digital portal under the “Muroor Khous” initiative, which also allows:

Visitors to drive in the UAE using national licenses and convert them upon gaining residency.
Emiratis to drive abroad and convert their UAE license in countries with reciprocal agreements.

Applications can be submitted online through the ministry’s smart services platform, and the new license will be issued either electronically or delivered via courier.

Who Can Drive Without a UAE License?

To drive in the UAE using a foreign license, two primary conditions must be met:

The license must be valid.
The driver must be in the country on a non-residency basis.

If an expat wishes to convert their license, the following must apply:

The foreign license must be from an eligible country.
The applicant must have valid UAE residency.
The license must be valid.
The applicant must meet the legal driving age.
A medical exam (usually an eye test) must be passed.
Other procedural requirements as outlined by UAE authorities must be fulfilled.

The exchange applies to various vehicle categories, including motorcycles and light vehicles.

The 52 Nationalities Eligible for License Recognition or Exchange

Citizens from the following 52 countries can drive in the UAE using their national licenses during visits, or exchange them for a UAE license if they become residents:

Estonia, Albania, Portugal, China, Hungary, Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, Iceland, Montenegro, Israel, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, USA, France, Japan, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Spain, Norway, New Zealand, Romania, Singapore, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Finland, UK, Turkey, Canada, Poland, South Africa, Australia, Croatia, Texas (USA), North Macedonia, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic.

Note: South Korean citizens may only exchange their licenses after becoming UAE residents.