Swapping your Australian licence in Dubai

Good news first: Australia is on Dubai's exchange list, so you trade your licence for a local one without lessons, a theory test or a road test. Bad news: you'll be driving on the right, and Dubai's fines aren't shy.

The short version

Australia is one of the countries whose licences Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will exchange for residents. You need a valid Australian licence, your Emirates ID and an electronic eye test [1].
The RTA lists the exchange fees at AED 1,050 in total in 2026, including the eye test [1].
Visitors can drive on an exchangeable foreign licence, but residents need a UAE licence. Smartraveller still tells tourists to get an International Driving Permit before leaving Australia [1][3].
Your first UAE licence lasts two years if you're 21 or over. Renewals for expat residents run for five years [2].
Budget for Salik tolls (AED 4 to AED 6 a crossing in 2026), and expect zero tolerance on drink driving and phones at the wheel [3][5].

Can you drive on your Australian licence in Dubai?

It depends on your visa, not your passport.

On a visit visa. The RTA lets visitors drive light vehicles on a valid licence from one of its exception countries, and Australia is on that list [1]. Smartraveller's advice is more cautious: if you're on a tourist visa and want to drive, get an International Driving Permit before you leave Australia [3]. An IDP is cheap, it's issued by the state motoring clubs, and it saves an argument at the rental counter or with a traffic officer. Get one.

Once you're a resident. Smartraveller is clear that residents need a UAE driver's licence [3]. The federal government portal describes the same split: some visitors can drive on their national licence and then exchange it when they become residents [2]. We couldn't find an official grace period for residents still driving on a foreign licence, so treat the exchange as a first-month job, right after your Emirates ID arrives. If you're in an accident while you hold residency and no UAE licence, your insurer may be the first to point that out.

What you need for the RTA exchange

The list is short, which is the beauty of being on the exchange list.

What	Details	Notes for Australians
Valid Australian licence	The original card, current and not expired [1]	A digital licence on your phone won't do. Bring the plastic card
Emirates ID	Original and valid [1]	So you'll need your residence visa finished first
Electronic eye test	From an RTA-accredited optician, a Customer Happiness Centre or a driving institute [1]	Results go to the RTA electronically, so no paper to carry
Translation	Required only for certain countries and nationalities [1]	Australian licences are in English, so you shouldn't need one
Proof you live in Dubai	Only if your residence visa is from another emirate and you're adding a category [1]	Applies if your visa is from, say, Sharjah

If your licence doesn't have the security features the RTA expects, it can ask for a certificate from the issuing country's embassy or consulate verifying the details [1]. For Australians, that means the Australian Consulate-General in Dubai or the Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Most current state licences won't trigger this, but older paper-style ones might.

Your Australian licence must be valid at the time you apply [1]. If it's due to expire soon, renew it before you leave Australia. Renewing a state licence from overseas varies by state and is often painful.

The exchange, step by step

You can do most of it online, then finish at a centre if the RTA asks to see your original card.

Start the application on the RTA website or the RTA Dubai app. Log in with your Emirates ID, passport or UAE Pass, and confirm with the one-time code sent to your UAE mobile [1].
Upload your documents and enter your Australian licence details. You'll get a reference number [1].
Do the eye test at an accredited eye test centre. The RTA lists eye test fees of AED 140 to AED 180, depending on the centre [1].
Show your original licence at an RTA Customer Happiness Centre if the system asks for it [1].
Pay the fees using the link sent by SMS [1].
Get your licence. It arrives digitally in the RTA Dubai app (under My Docs) and you can add it to Apple or Samsung Wallet where available. You can also collect a card from a self-service machine or pay for delivery [1].

What it costs in 2026

Fee	AED
Traffic file	200
Driving licence	600
Handbook	50
Electronic eye test	180
Knowledge and Innovation fee	20
Total	1,050

Card delivery is extra, from AED 20 for standard delivery to AED 50 within two hours [1]. A 2023 Gulf News guide put the total at AED 870, which didn't include the eye test, so the core fees haven't moved much [4].

How long it lasts

A new UAE licence is valid for two years if you're 21 or over, and one year if you're younger. When you renew, expat residents over 21 get five years. You must clear any traffic fines before you can renew [2].

Do you keep your Australian licence?

The RTA's conditions only require GCC nationals to surrender their old licence [1]. In practice Australians keep their card. Keep it valid too: you'll want it on trips home, and some Australian states make it awkward to reinstate an expired licence after years away.

The road rules that catch Australians out

The exchange is easy. Driving is where the learning happens.

You're on the right now

This is the big one. Everything Australians do by instinct is mirrored: roundabouts run anticlockwise, you overtake on the left, and your first few U-turns will feel wrong. Dubai's highways, such as Sheikh Zayed Road and Emirates Road, are wide, fast and full of lane changes at the last second. Practise on a Friday morning before you commute in peak hour.

Phones, food and alcohol

Smartraveller warns that it's illegal to use a mobile phone, eat or drink while driving [3]. On alcohol, think zero, not 0.05. You can be jailed or fined if there's any alcohol in your blood while driving [3]. The Australian habit of one beer with lunch then driving home doesn't translate.

If you have an accident

Police must be called to all road accidents, including single-vehicle ones, and leaving the scene is illegal. Smartraveller also warns against photographing the other car without the driver's permission [3]. Minor crashes can often be reported through the Dubai Police app, but don't drive off until you know you're allowed to.

Black points and fines

Dubai Police runs a black points system alongside fines. Serious offences such as dangerous driving, running a red light or heavy speeding add points, and if you rack up too many within a year, your licence is suspended. You must settle unpaid fines before you can renew your licence [2]. Check your fines regularly in the RTA or Dubai Police app. Speed cameras are everywhere, and the fine arrives later.

Smartraveller also notes that UAE authorities can hold your passport and stop you leaving the country over unresolved cases [3]. Don't leave traffic matters or court cases hanging when you finish up in Dubai.

Running a car: insurance and Salik

Insurance

You can't register a car in Dubai without insurance, and third-party cover is the legal minimum. Most expats buy comprehensive cover. Two things matter for Australians:

Your claims history. Some insurers give a no-claims discount if you bring a letter from your Australian insurer. Ask yours for one before you cancel your policy at home.
Agency repair. Policies differ on whether repairs are done at the brand's dealer workshop. For newer cars, it's worth paying for.

Salik tolls

Salik is Dubai's toll system. A tag on your windscreen is scanned at each gate, and the charge comes out of your prepaid Salik balance. In 2026 there are 10 active gates, including Al Safa, Al Barsha, the Business Bay Crossing, Al Garhoud Bridge, Al Maktoum Bridge and Jebel Ali [5].

When	Fee per crossing
Monday to Saturday, 6am–10am and 4pm–8pm	AED 6
Monday to Saturday, 10am–4pm and 8pm–1am	AED 4
Sunday, all day	AED 4
Every day, 1am–6am	Free

During Ramadan, the peak and free windows shift [5]. Gulf News also reports that 5% VAT has applied to toll fees since June 2026 [5]. A Sheikh Zayed Road commuter can easily spend a few hundred dirhams a month, so price it in when you choose where to live.

If you rent a car, the rental company charges Salik and any fines to your card, often with an admin fee on top. Read that part of the contract.

What to do before you leave Australia

Renew your Australian licence if it expires within the next couple of years.
Get an International Driving Permit from your state motoring club for the first weeks [3].
Ask your insurer for a no-claims letter on letterhead.
Check your state's rules for renewing from overseas, and update your address with your state roads authority.
Save your licence details (number, card number, expiry) somewhere safe, in case the card goes missing.

Want to know which insurers locals rate, or which eye test centre is quickest near you? Ask in Cooee UAE, our Facebook group for Australians in the UAE.

Swapping your Australian licence in Dubai: the RTA exchange, step by step