Yes. If you are visiting Dubai on a British passport, your full UK photocard licence is all you need to rent and drive here, whether that is a Toyota Corolla or a Rolls-Royce. You do not need an International Driving Permit. The paperwork is short; the differences on the road are what take some getting used to.
What to bring
- Your UK photocard driving licence. If you still have an old paper licence without a photo, get an IDP before you travel as well.
- Your passport with the UAE entry stamp you receive on arrival.
- Your age matters for some cars: 21 is our minimum, and sports cars, luxury cars and anything from AED 1,000 a day need a driver aged 25 or over.
The licence rule follows your nationality. If your passport and your licence come from different countries, bring an IDP to be safe. And it only applies while you are a visitor: once you hold a UAE residence visa, you need a UAE driving licence.
Driving on the right
The obvious change is also the one that causes the most trouble. Cars are left-hand drive, traffic keeps to the right, and roundabouts run anticlockwise. On Sheikh Zayed Road the exits come up fast and the lane you need is often decided well before the sign, so set the navigation before you leave the hotel rather than reading signs at 100 km/h.
Speed cameras
British drivers are used to a little tolerance above the limit. Do not count on one here. Dubai Police do not publish a tolerance, and Abu Dhabi removed its tolerance in 2018, so treat the number on the sign as the limit. Fines start at AED 300 and rise with speed, with black points at the higher bands. Each one is logged against the plate and charged to you at the official amount, sometimes days after the rental ends.
The drink-drive limit is zero. Not one glass.
Tolls
Salik is Dubai's toll system, and there are no booths. A tag on the windscreen is read as you pass under a gantry: AED 6.30 at peak times (Monday to Saturday, 6 to 10 am and 4 to 8 pm), AED 4.20 off-peak and on Sundays, and nothing between 1 and 6 am. We add the exact amount to your final bill with no markup.
Paying, and the deposit question
Many rental companies in Dubai put a security hold on a credit card. We do not: there is no deposit and nothing is blocked on your card. You can pay by Visa, Mastercard, cash or crypto (USDT and Bitcoin). Comprehensive insurance is included, and if a car has an at-fault excess we confirm the figure in writing before you book.
Picking the car up at DXB
Emirates flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester land at Terminal 3, and British Airways uses Terminal 1. Send us your flight number and we bring the car to arrivals at Dubai International, timed to your landing.
To choose a car before you fly, browse the luxury fleet or our Rolls-Royce range.
