UAE licence allows citizens to drive vehicles in 25 countries without any conditions

Gulf Today Report

The UAE Ministry of the Interior has identified 25 countries around the world in which citizens can replace their UAE driving license when residing in them, compared to 24 countries that recognize the UAE driving license upon visit.

The list of countries includes Estonia, Albania, Portugal, Hungary, Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, Iceland, Montenegro, the United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and China, in addition to the Republic of South Korea, are limited to recognizing the UAE driver's license upon visit.

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In the same context, the data of the licensed service, provided on the Ministry of Interior's website, identified 43 nationalities around the world whose citizens can drive a vehicle with their national license without restrictions during their visit to the UAE.

The service also identified 44 nationalities whose citizens can replace their national license with an Emirati license in the event of residency, after fulfilling a number of conditions.

Recognition of a foreign driving license means the use of national driving licenses in the UAE for purposes other than residency, while replacement means exchanging the national driving license for a UAE driving license during residency, according to the licensed service page on the ministry's website.

The conditions for recognizing a foreign driving license and driving a vehicle on the country’s roads include:

The license must be valid.

The entry into the country is for a purpose other than residency.

The conditions for replacing a foreign driving license with an Emirati one include:

To be among the countries permitted to exchange a driver's license.

To have a valid residence permit.

The national license of its owner must be permanent and valid.

Passing a medical examination and complying with other requirements to exchange driving licenses.

Fulfilling the legal age in accordance with the laws and regulations of the UAE.