How to get a UAE driving licence when a direct exchange is not available
Can a Russian driving licence be exchanged for a UAE one without tests? Here is the full list of countries whose licences are accepted for exchange, and what citizens of Russia, Kazakhstan and Georgia should do.
One of the first practical questions after moving to the UAE: what to do about your driving licence? You may drive on a foreign licence, but only on a tourist visa. As soon as you have an Emirates ID, you are required to hold a UAE driving licence in order to drive. Let us look at who can exchange a licence without tests and who has to go through the training from scratch.
Who can exchange a licence without tests?
If you hold a UAE residence visa and a driving licence from one of the following countries, you can obtain a local licence without sitting the theory and practical tests — simply through the exchange procedure:
- Belarus
- Ukraine
- Kyrgyzstan
- Uzbekistan
- Azerbaijan
- Armenia
- Moldova
There is a firm condition: your citizenship and your licence must be from the same country. If, say, you hold an Azerbaijani licence but Russian citizenship, the standard exchange does not apply. The procedure will be somewhat shorter than the full one, but it will still take extra steps.
Citizens of the following countries cannot exchange a licence directly — the whole process has to be done from scratch (driving school and tests):
- Russia
- Kazakhstan
- Turkmenistan
- Tajikistan
- Georgia
For most people relocating, this comes as an unwelcome discovery — all the more so because living in Dubai without a car is inconvenient: there is a metro, but it covers far from every district.
How long does it take a Russian citizen to get a UAE licence?
The standard process for Russian citizens includes registering with a driving school, taking the theory course, having practical lessons and passing the tests. On average it all takes 2–3 months.
There is, however, a fast-track procedure that lets you skip the unnecessary stages of the training and cut the whole path down to two weeks and just two visits to the driving school.
What do you need for the fast-track procedure?
To start the process you will need:
- A valid residence visa and an Emirates ID
- Your passport
- A valid driving licence from your own country
- An eye test certificate (done at any optician, takes 15–20 minutes)
Need help getting a UAE licence quickly?
More than 200 clients have already obtained their UAE licence with Wesupport — quickly, without extra visits and without bureaucratic surprises. Write to us and we will send you a detailed guide with prices and timelines.