[glynyates]

Wonder if anyone can help please.

I've seen a few conflicting threads about driving in UAE...

I am relocating to Dubai with my family - the wife is on a resident visa and I will be on a tourist visa (until I get a job or start a company)

What are the rules or general acceptabilities - can I get car insurance on a tourist visa and hence buy a car, if so can I drive on a UK licence or do I need to swap this for a UAE licence.

If I can't get insurance, can my wife do it and then add me to it, even though I'm on tourist visa.

.....or is it rental car all the way.

Please advise - many thanks in advance

 

[Bigjimbo]

When you get here you'll be on a tourist visa, so can only rent a car, on your UK license. Once you have your residence visa, you can flip your british license to a UAE one. Then you can buy and insure a car. Your wife will not be able to drive this unless she has a UAE visa and UAE driving license. If she isn't getting a spouse visa from you then she would have to rent a car.

Hope this helps

 

[Confiture]

Yep, Jimbo has pretty much hit the nail on the head.

If you both enter as a tourist, with tourist stamp in the passport, you can both rent & drive on your UK licenses. The hire company will ask for a copy of your passport and visa page, plus your UK license.

If however you collect your employment visa at airport immigration (left by your employer) and therefore have a different stamp in the passport, you will not be able to hire or drive a car until you have completed the residency process (blood test / chest X-ray etc.) and then exchanged your UK license for a UAE one.

I had the second scenario, so my wife hired the car in her name until I had completed the process.

We now have the opposite problem as she has now completed her residency and hasn't yet exchanged her UK license for a UAE one.

Once you have gone through the process, you can freely rent & buy as Jimbo says...

 

[glynyates]

cheers folks

one last quickie - when the missus goes through the residency process and gets her uae licence do you know if she can add me to her insurance, even though I'll be on tourist visa with a UK licence?

 

[Bigjimbo]

cheers folks

one last quickie - when the missus goes through the residency process and gets her uae licence do you know if she can add me to her insurance, even though I'll be on tourist visa with a UK licence?

The insurance is for the car, not the individual, so yes, as long as you are both on the UAE license, happy driving!

 

[Confiture]

cheers folks

one last quickie - when the missus goes through the residency process and gets her uae licence do you know if she can add me to her insurance, even though I'll be on tourist visa with a UK licence?

Maybe not with all insurance companies. Some will insist on a UAE license, or at least have restrictions on which countries can be covered (UK should be ok for most though).

Best to check in advance before your wife gets insurance.