Do you need an International Driving Permit in Dubai? It depends on one thing: your nationality. Visitors from a list of more than 50 countries can rent and drive on their home licence. Everyone else needs an IDP as well, issued in their home country before they travel.
Visitors and residents follow different rules
These rules are for visitors. If you are in the UAE on a visit visa or an entry stamp, an accepted home licence lets you drive a rental car. Once you become a resident and receive an Emirates ID, a foreign licence is no longer enough, and you need to convert it or get a UAE licence.
Countries whose licence is accepted without an IDP
- The UK, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
- Turkey, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
- China, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, plus South Africa and Israel.
- The GCC states: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Holding a passport from one country and a licence from another? Then carry an IDP too. We check documents before delivery, so send us photos on WhatsApp and we will tell you straight away if anything else is needed.
Who needs an IDP
Visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Russia, Egypt and most countries not listed above need an IDP together with their original licence. Two points cause most of the problems we see:
- The IDP has to be issued in the country that issued your licence, before you fly. It cannot be arranged in Dubai.
- It is a translation, not a licence. Carry it with your original licence card every time you drive.
Age
The legal driving age in the UAE dropped to 17 in March 2025, but rental companies set their own minimums. Ours is 21 for most cars. The sports and luxury categories, and every car priced at AED 1,000 a day or above, are for drivers aged 25 and over, whatever licence you hold. You can see which category a car is in on our sedan and sports car pages.
Picking up the car
We deliver to hotels, homes and all DXB terminals, with no deposit and comprehensive insurance included. At handover we record a walkaround video of the car and send it to you on WhatsApp. Prices for every car are on our price list.
