禁漫天堂

Unfortunately, the UAE is practically the only GCC country that doesn't allow you to do a straight transfer from another GCC country license (if you are an expat and not part of the exempted list of nationalities for this).

The rules and regulations keep on changing but basically how it works is that you go to the driving school with your documents (UAE residency, Passport, Emirates ID and sponsor NOC in some cases), fees (for opening traffic file and other procedures), eye test and original driving license.聽 They will have you do theory test and refer you for a road test (maybe an assessment as well by the institute themselves).聽 If you pass it, you get a driving license.聽 If not, then you end up taking 20 or 30 classes before you try again.聽 Sometimes, they just refer you straight to a road test without theory.聽 But a road test is done in every case.

This is how it was until a year ago.聽 Suggest to call the RTA or drop them an email for clarity; they are pretty responsive.

Finally got a reply from RTA on this matter:
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卮賰乇丕賸 賱鬲賵丕氐賱賰 賲毓賳丕. 賷乇噩賶 丕賱毓賱賲 丕賳賴 賷賲賰賳賰 丕爻鬲亘丿丕賱 乇禺氐丞 丕賱賯賷丕丿丞 亘毓丿 丕噩鬲賷丕夭 丕禺鬲亘丕乇 丕賱賳馗乇賷 賵丕禺鬲亘丕乇 丕賱胤乇賷賯 丕賱賳賴丕卅賷. 賱賱賲夭賷丿 賲賳 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱貙 賷乇噩賶 夭賷丕乇丞 丕賱乇丕亘胤 丕賱鬲丕賱賷:

Translation:
Thank you for contacting us, kindly note that you can switch your driving license after passing the optical test & the final road test. For more info, please visit:

Yep.聽 Optical is no issue, just do an eye test at any participating outlet.

On the plus side, they dropped the theory test.聽 Unfortunately, the road test is a pain.聽 Read up on all the rules before taking it.聽 This is not like Saudi; they will actually have you drive a bit and observe all rules like stopping at a stop line, indicators, changing lanes etc.聽 Any issue and you end up going through the whole process of classes.