Requirements of Obtaining a Driving License
Before buying that new car, you will need to consider the process of obtaining your drivers UAE license. To get your UAE drivers license, you need to be a resident of country, with a residence visa issued in any of the emirates. However, if you are a resident of an emirate but have a visa issued in another, then you need to obtain a transferal form allowing you to obtain your driver's license from the former. You must be at least 18 years old to apply for the driver's license. An International Driving License is valid for use ONLY up to the date on which you obtain your Residence Visa, after which you will need to apply for a UAE license.

Transferring An International License

If you already have a driver's license from the United States, the United Kingdom, or any of the GCC countries, most European countries, or any of the countries mentioned below, you can transfer to a UAE driver's license without having to take driving lessons or tests. It is only important to transfer to a UAE driving license if you are planning to reside in the UAE.
Drivers licenses from the following countries may transfer their licenses: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States
If you do have a drivers license that you wish to transfer and are at least 18 years of age,

you can make your way down to the Dubai Traffic Police with the following: A valid driver's license, a residence visa in the UAE, a completed driver's license form, one passport size photograph, a copy of your passport (a photocopy of the main page and the visa page), eye test report (which you can get at any hospital), Dhs. 100, A No objection letter from your sponsor/employer, as part of the documentation.

If you don't have a drivers license from one of the countries listed, you will have to obtain a UAE drivers license by taking driving classes and applying for the drivers test.

Criteria for Obtaining a UAE driving license

If you have never driven before or have a driving license that is not on the approved list of 36 countries, then you must go to a certified driving school, who will train you, so that you can pass the Dubai Traffic Police Driving Test and thus obtain your driving license. (If you are 18-21 year of age, you can apply for a probationary license). A reputed driving school will do most of the procedures for you, including internal tests.
Before you decide to get a driver's permit, you should first decide which driving institute you wish to take driving lessons with. Driving institutes in the UAE can be grouped into two types, which are described below.

Type A - These driving institutes are large institutes. Initially a driving student needs to sign up with the driving institute and pay for the number of classes he/she will take, before beginning training. The student will also have scheduled lesson timings that has to be followed, and if a student misses a certain number of classes, then the classes will be cancelled without a refund. Most of these institutes have a typing office and eye test facilities, which will facilitate obtaining your driver's permit. Students are also able to take road tests normally taken at the Traffic Department, inside the institute.

Type B - These smaller driving institutes are the most common in the UAE. The student can request lessons from the driving institute's instructor whenever he/she has available time. The instructor will come to the driving student's residence in order for him/her to take driving lessons.

So if you chosen to undergo driving classes with a Type B, then you must obtain the driving license application form from any driving institute near you. After obtaining the application form, you will then need to gather together 4 passport size photographs (4cm x 6cm), your original passport (which is only used for inspection) and a photocopy of it (main and visa pages),a 'No Objection Letter' from your sponsor (indicating that they don't object that you apply for a driver's license), and either a photocopy of your sponsor's passport or your company's trade license. When obtaining the 'No Objection Letter' from your sponsor, you should have him/her sign and stamp in the required place on the application form. Then take the application form and the other items down to any typing office in the UAE and have them fill out the form in Arabic using a typewriter, as the Traffic Department will not accept applications written by hand. The filled form should then be taken to any UAE government hospital, or any private hospital, clinic, or optical centre in the UAE for an eye examination. The eye examiner will fill out the necessary place on the back of the form and stamp it. The eye exam/test will cost around Dhs. 25-50. Finally, submit your application form and other items to the driving institute, so that they can take them down to the Traffic Department for the issuing of the permit. A fee of Dhs. 100 should be submitted with the filled application form. The driving permit is valid for one year and will cost Dhs. 40 for it to be renewed.

Taking Driving Lessons

Students can decide whether they wish to take driving classes using a manual or automatic vehicle. The cost for driving lessons will differ from institute to institute but normally it costs Dhs. 30 per class for manual lessons and Dhs. 35 per class for automatic lessons. Driving classes last for about 40 to 45 minutes. The number of lessons needed will depend on the student's experience with a car, but students who have no experience will need around 40 to 50 classes, while students with some experience may need 10 to 20 classes. Driving institutes working hours are between 8:30AM and 1:30PM and again from 3:00PM to 5:30PM.
5 authorized driving schools are:

1. Belhasa Driving School - 04-3440276
2. Dubai Driving Centre- 04-3455855
3. Emirates Driving Institute-04-2631100
4. Galadari Driving School-04-2676166
5. Al Ahli Driving School-04-2722595


Signal Test

On the date assigned by your school, go with your passport, driving file+ 2 photos to Dubai Traffic Police, Driving License. Fill up application form & submit AED 35 for signal test. When your name is called out, go to the computer booth and identify the traffic signals. (In case you are not computer literate, you can opt for the manual test). Collect the pass print-out with your road test date (if you fail, pay the test-fee & you will be given another new test time and date) and submit to your driving school.


Road Test

On the date assigned, go with your passport, driving file+ 2 photos to Dubai Traffic Police, Driving License Section. Fill up application form & submit AED 35 for road test. When your name is called out, go along with the other three candidates and the inspector to the designated car. You will be given just a few minutes to demonstrate your driving and anticipatory skills.

If you pass, collect the pass paper from your inspector and go to the Pass Counter. Submit along with suitable ID & AED 100. Collect your test file and submit to Control Counter. After processing, pay required fee and proceed to photo area. When your name is called out, have your photo taken. Congratulations. In a few minutes, you will receive your DL and be eligible to drive in Dubai and the UAE.

Important note:

Zero-tolerance on drinking and driving: Do keep in mind that Dubai has a zero-tolerance policy on drinking and driving. Plainclothesmen travel about in unmarked vehicles and can legally stop you at any time to check.
If you find yourself in a precarious situation, don't drive. There is a new private service called Safedriver, mainly available from major hotels, Safedriver can arrange to drive you and your car home for a small fee ranging from AED 80 to 120.

This, and other articles with useful tips and helpful information about living in Dubai can be found on ZOOZi by following the link to http://www.zoozi.com.