UAE Driving License on UK License but Asian Passport

[khurramali78]

Hi All,

I am a UK Migrant on Highly skilled migrant visa and have valid UK driving license. I have been recently offered job in Dubai and would need to get UAE driving license obviously before i can buy or drive a car. Can you please tell me if I will be able to exchange my license based on the fact that I have a UK license but with Asian Passport and UK migrant visa. Some people say i can some say i will have to take lessons. Please tell me how i can get through without having to go through the lessons process.

Regards,
KK

[Maz25]

Originally Posted by khurramali78

Hi All,

I am a UK Migrant on Highly skilled migrant visa and have valid UK driving license. I have been recently offered job in Dubai and would need to get UAE driving license obviously before i can buy or drive a car. Can you please tell me if I will be able to exchange my license based on the fact that I have a UK license but with Asian Passport and UK migrant visa. Some people say i can some say i will have to take lessons. Please tell me how i can get through without having to go through the lessons process.

Regards,
KK

You will need to take lessons! I'm in the same situation - I lived in the UK for a couple of years and hence have a UK license but because I am not British, I have been unable to swap my license and have been told to take lessons! Your UK visa will not count for anything - my passport is full of UK visas!! It did not even help that I have never even held my own country's license and have never even driven there!!!

Unless you are extremely lucky when you try to swap your license, it will have to be lessons. 20 lessons if you've had the license for more than 2 years, else a minimum of 40 lessons will be required!

[khurramali78]

Originally Posted by Maz25

You will need to take lessons! I'm in the same situation - I lived in the UK for a couple of years and hence have a UK license but because I am not British, I have been unable to swap my license and have been told to take lessons! Your UK visa will not count for anything - my passport is full of UK visas!! It did not even help that I have never even held my own country's license and have never even driven there!!!

Unless you are extremely lucky when you try to swap your license, it will have to be lessons. 20 lessons if you've had the license for more than 2 years, else a minimum of 40 lessons will be required!

Hi Maz25,

Could you tell me how long this process would take, 40 lessons and then the cost attached please?

[Andy Capp]

It'll take you between 8 months and a year....

[carlos carlos]

Originally Posted by khurramali78

Hi All,

I am a UK Migrant on Highly skilled migrant visa and have valid UK driving license. I have been recently offered job in Dubai and would need to get UAE driving license obviously before i can buy or drive a car. Can you please tell me if I will be able to exchange my license based on the fact that I have a UK license but with Asian Passport and UK migrant visa. Some people say i can some say i will have to take lessons. Please tell me how i can get through without having to go through the lessons process.

Regards,
KK

I hold HKSAR passport and license, was not possible to simply swap my license, but I just did and passed a driving test, no lessons or whatsoever. Well, it was 2 and half years ago. Guess I was lucky!

[Maz25]

Originally Posted by Andy Capp

It'll take you between 8 months and a year....

Very true, unless you pay for VIP classes, which depending on the driving school you use, could cost upwards of 10k but would take about 3 months or so!

I do believe that a year ago it would have been easy to simply swap but in June last year (I think, correct me if I'm wrong!), they introduced the 'passport has got to match the license' rule! I'm still trying to find the relationship between a passport and driving abilities - but very obviously failing, probably cause there is none!

The other problem is that whilst in the UK you get a nice driving report telling you about every mistake ou made, as far I know, over here, passing your test is down to luck!! If the examiner wants to give you a license today, then you shall have one (no matter how bad your driving!) and if he decides that he doesn't like the look of you, then too bad!!

I signed up 3 months ago (and was told there is a 2 months wait!) and still haven't heard anything from the driving school - why are my not surprised! If I decide that my future is in the UAE and not end up following the masses out, I might have to dig deep in my pockets and just pay for VIP classes, just to get it over and done with!!! Dubai Driving Centre charges slightly less for the VIP classes, so they might be a better option!

[becks]

i have a similar query. well im not driving yet and not sure if i will or not but its puzzling me. i have a uk license (im british) but as we moved here 10 days after i got married, my license is in my maiden name and my passport in my married name. would this be an issue?

[Andy Capp]

Take your marriage certificate along, I wouldn't have thought it would matter...

But this is Dubai, smile sweetly and you just never know....

[Xpat]

Originally Posted by Andy Capp

Take your marriage certificate along, I wouldn't have thought it would matter...

But this is Dubai, smile sweetly and you just never know....

.......never know a camel may peep out of dishdasha!

[gforce23]

Aren't the shaikhs going to change the rule that makes it mandatory for pretty much everyone to get a license the hard way? I thought I had read that in the GN (or was it KT).