I have an Indian Driving License, issued years ago, and valid up to 2030. I plan to travel to the UAE by the end of this month, and stay there for three months on a tourist visa.
I intend to drive rental cars mostly, and if necessary, friends' cars also, for personal use.
Can I use an International Driving Permit issued in India to drive in the UAE?
I saw a similar question for Pakistan, and I couldn't find a reliable answer for India.
Can I use an International Driving Permit issued in India to drive in the UAE?
As an Indian national you can drive in UAE with International drivers licence or UAE licence. From the official UAE Embassy New Delhi website:
Q32. I have an Indian Driving License; Can I drive in UAE?
No, you should apply for International Driving License or UAE License.
Q33. Can I drive a private vehicle on my Indian driving License in UAE?
No, but you can obtain a temporary UAE driving license for 6 months even if you are not a resident. This can be arranged at the Traffic Police Department in each Emirate.
Normally IDP (International Driving Permit) acts as a language translation of your driving licence, but still it would be acceptable as I just completed my conversation with Thrifty Car Rental UAE and they accept IDP issued from India, therefore IDP would be acceptable to rent a car in UAE. Below is the copy of chat:
Therefore you can use you IDP if you are planning to rent a car in UAE, or should obtain the temporary Dubai driving license from the Traffic Police Office if you wanna use friends car for personal use. Further a foreign driver cannot drive a privately registered car with his International driver license if that car is insured for a United Arab Emirates license holder only. For obtaining the temporary driving license, foreign drivers must go to the Dubai Traffic Department and have following documents:
application form;
passport and its copy;
copy of the visa;
foreign driving license (the foreign driving license and passport have to be from the same country) and International driver license and their copies;
2 passport photographs.
Fee is required. The temporary Dubai driving permit is valid for as long as foreigner’s visa is valid. The Traffic Police keep the driving permits before visitors leaving the country.
Source: Auto Drivers Club
