Having a driving license in the UAE allows you to freely roam around the country.
Those with a Dubai driving license realize how important it is as it not only saves time, it also saves money as it eliminates the need to take public transportation such as taxis, buses, and metro.
After passing the road test, the license you receive is considered a UAE license, regardless of whether it is obtained in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Sharjah. This license is valid throughout the UAE.
The following are the types and categories of driving licenses in the UAE:
Category 1 - Motorcycles
Category 3 - Light motor vehicle
Category 4 - Heavy trucks
Category 5 - Minibuses
Category 6 - Heavy buses
Category 7 - forklifts
Category 8 – shovels
A driving license can be obtained in the UAE if you meet the following requirements:
A license applicant must be:
1. Resident or citizen of the UAE
2. Must be physically fit
3. Older than the legal age of consent
According to driving rules, the minimum age to obtain a driving license depends on the type of vehicle:
1. Must be 17 years old to apply for a motorcycle license
2. For car and light vehicle licenses, you must be 18 years old
3. For heavy vehicles and tractors, at least 20 years old
4. For light and heavy buses, 21 years old.
Please provide the following documents for File opening:
1. Passport and copy of valid residence visa
2. The original Emirates ID with a copy.
3. 2 Photographs with white backgrounds
4. Report of the eye test
5. Sponsor/companies' no-objection certificate (NOC)
6. If you have your own visa, you will need a copy of the sponsor's visa
The following classes and tests will be conducted for Driving License:
1. An eye tests.
2. Eight theory classes.
3. Theoretical exam.
4. Training in practice (40 classes)
5. The parking test.
6. Evaluation.
7. 120 mph highway classes.
8. Final test on the road.
The cost and fee structure for a driving license is as follows:
A license for an LMV costs about 5000 AED on average:
1. File opening cost: 948 AED
2. The lecture fee is 840 AED
3. The regular classes cost 1260 AED (40 classes)
4. Preliminary evaluation cost: 105 AED
5. Signal test cost: 313 AED
6. Yard test: 335 AED
7. Assessment test: 157 AED
8. Road test: 335 AED
9. Administration charges: 210 AED
10. License Issue Fees: 330 AED
Note: Those holding a manual gear motor vehicle license can drive an automatic vehicle. However, automatic license holders cannot drive manual gear vehicles.
Here we are providing some of the top and registered driving institutes in the UAE (Click on the links given below for Location and Contact Details).
Abu Dhabi Driving License Institute:
Dubai Driving License Institute:
Belhasa Driving Center Port Saeed Dubai
Belhasa Driving Center Hor Al Anz Dubai
Belhasa Driving Center Al Quoz Industrial Area 3 Dubai
Emirates Driving Institute Al Souq Al Kabeer Dubai
Emirates Driving Institute Al Qusais 1 Dubai
Emirates Driving Institute Al Barsha 1 Dubai
Emirates Driving Institute Ajman
Galadari Motor Driving Centre, Al Quoz Main Office
Fujairah Driving License Institute:
Fujairah National Driving Institute
Sharjah Driving License Institute:
Sharjah Driving Institute
What are the best ways to save money and get a discount during registration?
How do I get a discount and save money at registration?
In order to save your hard-earned money in the UAE, you need to follow this:
If you have your home country's original driving license, which should be at least 2 - 5 years old, you will pay 40 AED for training classes instead of 30 AED, saving you 300 AED during practical classes.
Your country driving license must be older than 5 years in order to get a discount of 20 classes. This means that you only need to pay for 20 classes, which means you're saving 600 AED.
Is it possible to apply for a driving license without a NOC?
Driving licenses no longer require a NOC, you can open files without one. The following professions don't require a NOC or letter of no objection.
- Accountant
- Adviser
- Anchor
- Auctioneer
- Auditor
- Broker
- Businessman and Free businesses
- Captain
- Commentator
- Commercial agent
- Computer programmer
- Consultant
- Contractor
- Daiah
- Director
- Doctor
- Editor
- Engineer
- Expert
- Financial analyst/researcher
- General practitioner
- Geologist
- Guide
- Historian
- Hostess
- Imam
- Instructor
- Investor
- Journalist
- Judge
- Lawyer
- Lecturer
- Legalist
- Manager
- Marriage official
- Military personnel
- Muezzin who call for prayer
- Mufti
- Noukhaza
- Nurse
- Orator
- Owner of land or property
- Pharmacist
- Pilot
- Producer
- Professor
- Program planner
- Prosecutor
- Reciter
- Ship master
- Speaker
- Specialist
- Sports player
- Sports referee
- Storekeeper
- Surgeon
- Teacher
- Tour guide
- Trader
- Trainer
- Treasurer
- Writer
- Partner or owner of a business/research firm/establishment analyst.
- In addition, NOC for a driving license is not required for sponsors such as fathers, mothers, wives, sons, daughters, etc.
UAE accepts driving licenses from the following countries:
Those who hold a national driving license from the following countries may convert it into a UAE driving license without opening a new file or registering; no road test is required.
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Britain
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- China
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Greece
- Holland
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- USA
Documents needed to convert your home license:
1. A valid driving license of the home country with a copy of it.
2. A copy of the resident permit.
3. Form for replacing a license.
4. Request permission from the sponsor to replace the license.
5. Accredited optometry form in the UAE.
Eye tests for driving licenses:
A driver's license in the UAE requires passing the eye test as the first test to get the license. Applicants can take this exam at an eyesight testing center inside a driving institute or at authorized eye testing clinics.
Drivers of light motor vehicles must take the following eye test:
One eye 6/18 - Second eye 6/18
One eye 6/12 - Second 6/24
One eye 6/6 – Blind
Eye tests for heavy vehicles:
One eye 6/6 - Second eye 6/18 or 6/12 or 6/9
One eye 6/9 - Second eye 6/9
Motorcyclists must perform the following eye test:
One eye 6/18 - Second eye 6/18
One eye 6/12 - Second 6/24
One eye 6/6 – Blind
Sight test for light and heavy bus drivers:
Those driving mechanical machines, tractors, light or heavy buses must have 6/6 vision in both eyes with or without spectacles.
A colour-blind applicant may apply for an UAE driving license if he or she passes the required eye test.