Driving in Dubai, converting your Indian licence

Unlike licence-exchange countries (UK, Australia, Canada and ~30 others), an Indian licence cannot be directly converted to a UAE one. You'll go through the RTA process, shorter if you already drive well.

The RTA path for Indian licence holders

1. Open a driving file at an RTA-approved school (Belhasa, Galadari, Emirates Driving Institute…). You need your Emirates ID and an eye test (~AED 150 total, done at the school or an optician).
2. Classes: holding an Indian licence for 2+ years usually reduces required classes (commonly to ~15 hours, vs 20+ for fresh learners). Class rates run AED 50–120/hour depending on school, time slot and shift.
3. Tests: theory (RTA knowledge test), yard/parking test, then the final road test.

Realistic cost and time

• Total typical spend: AED 4,500–7,500 including file, classes, and tests (more if you fail the road test a couple of times, many do; retests add classes + fees).
• Timeline: 6–12 weeks alongside a full-time job.

Do you actually need a car?

Run the numbers before committing:

• A small used car: AED 25k–40k + insurance (~AED 1,500–3,000/yr) + petrol (cheap) + Salik tolls (AED 4–6/gate) + parking.
• Metro + occasional Careem often beats car ownership if you live and work near the Red/Green line (check your areas on our Dubai map, commute times are listed per area).
• Monthly car rentals (~AED 1,500–2,500) are a good middle option while you decide.

Tip: start the driving file after your Emirates ID arrives but before you desperately need to drive, the process is annoying to rush.