UAE Driving License for Expats 2026: RTA Conversion Process, Exempted Countries and Fees

Moving to Dubai and need to drive? Once you hold a UAE residence visa and Emirates ID, you must hold a UAE-issued driving license.

Two paths:

• Direct conversion (no test) if your license was issued by one of roughly 57 exempted countries.
• Full test route through an approved institute (Emirates Driving Institute and others) if it wasn't.

Full 2026 guide covering both paths, the exempted-country list, and real RTA fees: UAE Driving License for Expats 2026