E-Paper
Sign In
Dubai replaces over 58,000 foreign driving licences with UAE documents in 2025
The replacements covered driving licences issued in 57 countries recognised for exchange with a UAE driving licence
- PUBLISHED: Tue 20 Jan 2026, 5:23 PM
- By:
- Sahim Salim
- Share:
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) replaced 58,082 foreign driving documents with UAE driving licences in 2025, it was announced on Tuesday.
The replacements covered driving licences issued in 57 countries recognised for exchange with a UAE driving licence, in accordance with ministerial decisions and memoranda of understanding signed between the UAE and the relevant countries.
Recommended For You
According to Sultan Al Akraf, Director of Drivers Licensing at the Licensing Agency at RTA, the list of eligible countries includes five GCC countries, 38 European countries, 13 Asian and Latin American countries, and one African country.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels
He said the most recent additions during the current and previous year include Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Croatia, and the US state of Texas.
Al Akraf said the driving licence replacement service is available through the RTA's website or via Customer Happiness Centres across Dubai. Applicants are required to undergo an eye test at one of the approved vision testing centres, submit an application, present the original valid driving licence for replacement, and pay the prescribed fees. The applicant must attend in person.
By the end of December 2025, the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) ranked first among countries whose nationals replaced their domestic driving licences in Dubai, with 13,165 licences exchanged. It was followed by Türkiye with 6,838 licences, and China with 5,300 licences.
The full list of countries whose driving licences are recognised for replacement with a UAE driving licence is available on the RTA website.
As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does — and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.
