Exchanging Driving Licences

[velocitas]

My latest project on my move to the UAE is to procure a local driving licence. However, as usual my situation is not quite straight forward.

I'm an Irish Citizen who for the past few years has been living in the Netherlands and thus hold a Dutch Drivers Licence. According to the RTA website you can only exchange your licence if it belongs to the same country as your passport.

It appears my options are return to Ireland, exchange my valid Dutch licence for an Irish one and then fly to Dubai to exchange it for a local Emirati Licence or fly to Dubai and pass my test locally.

Does anyone know of a 3rd option?

[ezah]

I am from the UK but was on a Belgium licence (previously held an NL one too), but I only showed them the licence and they gave me a UAE one, no drama. I was able to retain the BE one too. This was in 2007. Maybe its changed since?

Just make sure they correctly transfer over all your entitlements, they missed the Motorcycles from mine and I still didnt get around to adding it.

[Fats25]

I had a UK licence and UK passport so not the same. The headache for me was that the NOC from my employer was not accepted when I went to do it. They said it needed to be from my sponsor (DIFC). So after paying for 3 x NOC letters (they wanted to do 1 for bike, and 1 for car, and 1 for both!) I returned to be met by a different bloke, who said I could have used it from my employer!

I would get your other paperwork in order, and chance it with the Nationality of licence.

Also - I recommend RTA in JBR for this as no-one seems to know it is there, and there are no queues.

[XB70]

I had an Irish passport but Australian licence and was worried about the same thing. However, there is a converter that shows if you can swap:

http://www.dubai.ae/en/Lists/HowToGuide/DispForm.a...

and

https://www.rta.ae/wpsv5/wps/portal/driving_licens...

[velocitas]

Thanks all for your responses, it seems like everything else over in the UAE the policies aren't uniformly applied.

@XB70 - what was your outcome, if you don't mind me asking? I found that converter form previously but it came back with an error and asked me to call a local number.

Response from the Embassy in Dublin:

Embassy said:

Good Morning,

First of all, the Irish driving licence is no longer valid for exchange in UAE. Even if it was valid, as your nationality is Irish, Dutch licence will not be accepted as it has to be of the same country as the Nationality. Once you are the holder of UAE residence permit, you will have to apply for a fresh driving licence from the UAE authorities.


Thank you

Embassy of The United Arab Emirates
In Dublin

[Fats25]

Velocitas - I hear the driving test is pretty easy here anyway. Is just the 200 hours of lessons that get expensive!!

Seriously a colleague has just arrived from Kazakhstan, and I believe she said she has to do a minimum of 30 hours lessons before she can sit the test. I do find it strange that a LH driver has to redo a test, but a RH driver like me does not! Not complaining though.

As Irish licence are not recognized here, it sounds like it may be easier to transfer your passport, and become Belgian

[XB70]

velocitas said:

Worked out fine for me. Maybe it was the Australian licence that helped?

[velocitas]

Just to close this one out if it helps anyone in similar situation. I went to the RTA in Abu Dhabi with:
- Arabic translation of the Dutch license
- Emirates ID
- Passport with Residence Visa

Queued up for 10-15mins, handed over the above, paid the money and 5 minutes later left with a new license. Absolutely no conversation or issues - probably the most efficient service I've had here.