Even though the country boasts an efficient public transport network, a vast majority of Dubai’s population owns personal vehicles. To have a driving licence is a mandatory and legal requirement to drive a vehicle in Dubai. A driving licence not only permits you but also ensures a safe driving experience for everyone on the road. That said, if you have just bought a used car in Dubai, here is how you can get a driving licence.
Legal Age To Drive in Dubai
Any individual who is applying for a driving licence must be medically fit and meet the minimum age requirement. The minimum age requirement to get a driving licence in Dubai varies as per the vehicle you have. For instance:
- Anyone aged above 18 years can apply for a driving licence for cars and light vehicles.
- The minimum required age to get a motorcycle licence in Dubai is 17 years.
- Heavy vehicle owners can get a driving licence if they are aged 20 years or above.
- For buses, the minimum age requirement is 21 years.
Driving Training Requirements for People With Special Needs
- Vehicle owners with any mental and physical disability are required to open a file as per the recommendations of their medical report.
- The training sessions are conducted by the driving institute in coordination with the Drivers Affairs Department as per the type of disability mentioned in the medical report.
Required Documents
Here is a list of documents for a driving licence in Dubai that you need to open a file:
- Emirates ID (Original and Copy)
- A copy of the residence visa and passport
- Two passport-size photographs
- The eye-test report
- NOC from the sponsor (If needed)
Procedure To Get the RTA Dubai Driving Licence
Once you get all the documents and fall within the legal age requirement, you simply need to follow the below-mentioned procedure to get a driving licence in Dubai.
- Open a file from any registered driving centres in Dubai
- Pass an eye test from any optician approved by your driving institute and Dubai Health Authority (DHA)
- Get yourself registered from an RTA-approved driving school
- You can get a temporary driving licence to start the training
- Complete all the required driving classes and pass theory tests, to begin with, the practical training
- Complete both practical and internal assessments to begin with the road classes
- Upon the completion of the internal test, you can apply for the RTA test
- Pass all the tests along with the final RTA road test
- Once you clear all the tests, then you can obtain a licence from the traffic authority
In case you fail to clear the test, you need to finish the additional training before attempting the road test again. Here is a complete guide that can help you to pass the RTA test for a Dubai driving licence.
Besides, if you have other questions related to the Dubai driving licence, here is the list.
Golden Chance (Direct Test) Driving Licence
RTA has recently announced the Golden Chance to obtain a driving licence in Dubai. As per the initiative, citizens holding driving licences from non-exempted countries can now directly apply for the driving licence test.
Prior to the initiative, citizens were obligated to attend driving school classes before applying for a licence. Now, citizens from non-exempted countries holding a valid driving licence only have to attend a knowledge test and a one-time road service test. However, if the citizen fails to pass the road test, they will be directed to the normal driving licence test and have to cater to the whole process as mentioned above.
List of Dubai Driving Licence School
There are five institutes in the list of driving schools in Dubai that are authorised by the RTA:
Dubai Driving Centre
- Location: Jumeirah Road (Head Office)
- Contact: +971-4-345-5855
Belhasa Driving Centre
- Location: Multiple including Al Wasl
- Contact: +971-4-324-3535
Emirates Driving Institute
- Location: Multiple including Al Quoz
- Contact: +971-4-340-0449
Al Ahli Driving School
- Location: Multiple including Al Nahda
- Contact: 800-252454
Galadari Driving School
- Location: Multiple including Al Qusais
- Contact: +971-4-267-6166
If you want to dig into more details, check out the cost of a Dubai driving licence per school.
Cost of Dubai Driving Licence
The total driving licence in Dubai cost varies from institute to institute and also depends on factors such as the school you choose, type of shift, vehicle and training schedule. The Dubai driving licence fees start at AED 4,500 only if you manage to pass all the tests on the first attempt.
However, if you failed the test, you need to attend seven classes before giving the actual test and this procedure requires additional fees.
Tips To Pass Dubai Driving Licence Test
Don’t be disheartened if you fail your first attempt as you will learn from your mistakes to perform better next time. To improve your success rate, there are a few pointers you can take into consideration:
- Always follow the speed limit as you can fail for driving too slow or too fast
- Make use of side mirrors and indicators before changing lane
- Don’t forget to do a head check before making a turn
- Practice parking techniques, especially parallel parking
- Use your judgement while driving
- Follow the instruction of the examine
For more, follow the RTA driving checklist to understand what you need to do to clear the driving test in Dubai. Also, you must understand why drivers fail the Dubai road test so that you won’t make or repeat those mistakes.
Driving Licence Renewal in Dubai
The first driving licence in Dubai validity is 2 years for those who are 21 years of age and above; however, it is valid for 15 years after renewal.
For the renewal of a car driving licence, you can either go to the nearest RTA customer happiness centre or apply for the process online via the official RTA website or RTA App. Download the RTA app from Apple Store and Google Play.
If you are older than 21 years, get your eyes retested as you will need to submit your eye report along with your original Emirates ID to renew your licence.
The Dubai driving licence renewal charges are around AED 320 whereas people under 21 years old have to pay around AED 120.
If your licence is expired, it is wise not to delay the renewal process as you will be fined AED 10 per month. This can accumulate to a maximum of AED 500 over four years. If you haven’t renewed the licence for over ten years, you will be required to give a road test again.
If you have found success with the car driving licence, check out some used cars for sale in Dubai to put your skills into practice before opting for a new one.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s leading auto blog, if you find this guide helpful.
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