Driving Permit for United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates drives on the right and recognises the International Driving Permit (IDP) issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, to which it acceded in 2007. Whether you actually need an IDP depends on your nationality and the language of your licence. The UAE and its rental firms recognise national licences from a range of countries on their own, including the United States, United Kingdom, most EU states, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members. If you hold a licence from a recognised country, you may generally drive and rent a car on your national licence alone during your visit.

If your licence is from a country that is not recognised, or is not written in English or Arabic, an IDP (or a certified translation) is required. In every case the IDP is a supplement to, not a replacement for, your original national driving licence, so you must carry both documents together. Rental companies typically require the licence to have been held for at least 12 months and set a minimum driver age of around 21, with 25 common for luxury or high-performance vehicles. Carry the physical IDP booklet, as a digital-only copy may not be accepted for police checks.

On the ground, the reality is driven by the rental desk. Licensed rental firms will ask for your passport, visit or tourist visa, your national licence and, where applicable, your IDP, plus a credit card in the driver's name for the deposit. If a required document is missing, the car will not be released. During a traffic stop or after an accident, police and insurers use the IDP to read your credentials in a recognised format, which is exactly why carrying it matters. The UAE enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy on alcohol when driving, so plan around that when hiring a car.