As of 1 October 2026: a Dubai international driving licence from Dubai’s RTA costs AED 197 and is valid for one year, but it will not get you legally behind the wheel in every country that requires one. Japan is the clearest exception, read directly from RTA’s own service page rather than a travel forum’s second-hand advice.
How much does it actually cost?
RTA’s fee structure runs:
- Licence fee: AED 177
- Knowledge and Innovation fee: AED 20
- Total: AED 197
That covers a licence valid for one year from issuance. Delivery is extra if you want the physical card sent rather than collected: AED 20 for standard delivery, AED 35 for same-day, AED 50 for delivery within two hours, and AED 50 for international delivery.
Who can actually apply?
This makes the international licence a genuine add-on rather than a fresh application process, which is exactly why the turnaround time is short compared to getting a driving licence from scratch.
The service is open to citizens and residents who already hold a valid Dubai-issued driving licence. There is no separate test or additional qualification required, the international licence is derived directly from the categories already on your existing Dubai licence, covering motorcycles, light vehicles, heavy vehicles, buses and combinations of these depending on what your underlying licence already permits.
What is the Japan exception, specifically?
Most travel guides gloss over this detail entirely, treating an international driving licence as a single universal document, which is precisely why it catches travellers out.
RTA states this directly in its own terms: anyone planning to drive in Japan must first obtain the standard international driving licence from RTA, then take that document to the Emirates Automobile and Touring Club separately to receive an older-format international driving licence that Japan actually recognises. Japan still operates under an earlier international driving permit convention than most other countries, so RTA’s standard-issue licence alone does not satisfy Japanese requirements. Skipping this second step is exactly the kind of gap that leaves travellers unable to legally rent or drive a car once they land.
How fast does this actually move?
This is faster than many RTA licensing services, and the entire sequence is designed to avoid a physical visit for most applicants, provided they are reusing an existing photo already on file with RTA.
RTA states a service time of 2 working days. The process itself runs through an Emirates ID number and expiry date to pull up your profile, an OTP sent to your registered phone, settling any outstanding fines, selecting or uploading a photo, and choosing how to collect the finished licence. One detail worth knowing: if you upload a new photo rather than using one already on file, you can only collect the physical licence in person at the Deira or Al Barsha Customer Happiness Centres, the delivery option is not available in that case.
How does this fit with your underlying Dubai licence?
Anyone who converted a foreign licence to a Dubai one should already be familiar with the eligible-countries list covered in our UAE driving licence guide, since the international licence is only ever as valid as the Dubai licence it is derived from. If your underlying licence lapses or needs renewal, the international version tied to it stops being meaningful too.
Travellers planning a trip that involves renting a car abroad should also budget the full cost properly, our UAE cost of living breakdown is a useful starting point for anyone weighing travel costs against everyday UAE expenses, and Dubai’s own vehicle registration rules are worth knowing too if you are registering a car locally at the same time as sorting out international driving documents.
What is the short version?
Dubai’s international driving licence costs AED 197 total, is valid for one year, and processes in 2 working days for anyone who already holds a valid Dubai driving licence. It is accepted broadly across countries that recognise the standard international convention, with the notable exception of Japan, which requires an additional, separate document from the Emirates Automobile and Touring Club on top of RTA’s own licence.
Last updated: 1 October 2026. Primary source: RTA, Apply for an International Driving Licence.
