Learn about the countries whose driving license is recognized within the UAE
The Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai has officially verified that Dubai recognises driving licences from a total of 43 countries situated across different continents globally.
Requests for replacements can be submitted at the customer happiness centres of the Authority, which are situated in Umm Ramool, Al Twar, Deira, Al Barsha, Al Manara, and Al Kifaf. Additionally, the Vehicle Registration Centre in Hatta also accepts such requests.
Dubai acknowledges driving licences from several countries, namely the United States of America, Canada, Australia, and five Gulf countries, which encompass the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, and Qatar.European nations whose driving licences are recognised include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, SloveniaThe roster of European nations with mutually recognised driving licences encompasses Lithuania, Iceland, Romania, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Estonia, Germany, Greece, France, Hungary, Cyprus, Italy, Sweden, Britain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Switzerland, Belgium, and Norway. Additionally, this list includes Latvia, Slovenia, Poland, Ireland, Montenegro, Albania, Spain, Denmark, Malta, Finland, Turkey, Serbia, Ukraine, and Luxembourg.
A driver's licence issued by the State of South Africa is acknowledged in the Emirate of Dubai, as per the regulations governing driver's licence recognition. Similarly, the list of East Asian countries that recognise driver's licences includes Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, the People's Republic of China, New Zealand, and Singapore.
As per the governing body, those who possess Dubai residency and hold a driving licence from eligible nations have the opportunity to replace their licences through a streamlined and expeditious process that guarantees the granting of a new licence.
Several mandatory documents need to be submitted, which include the original driving licence from the excluded countries and a photocopy of it. Additionally, a certified translation of the licence is required if it was issued in a language other than Arabic or English. Furthermore, the original valid Emirates ID and the outcome of an electronic eye examination must also be provided.The prerequisites for replacing a driver's licence granted by nations with recognised licences include the requirement for the customer to personally appear at the customer happiness centres, or for their legal representative to do so on their behalf.
The criteria for licence replacement.
According to the stipulated rules, individuals holding dual passports from countries that are not authorised to replace driver's licences are ineligible for a replacement if their residence is recorded in the passport issued by one of those countries.The requirements further stipulate that in the case of replacing a driving licence issued by GCC countries for individuals of GCC nationalities, the licence to be replaced must be currently valid, and as a result, the old licence would be revoked.
