Dubai Forums Dubai Discussions Dubai General Chat

Hey,

I have recently moved out here, and I have just received my residence visa. However I am being told that I cannot get an UAE drivers license as I have the old style 'paper' UK license and not the new style credit card sized type? I have asked the British DVLA if they can issue me one, but they have said hey won't as I am not longer a UK resident.

Kinda between a rock and a hard place.


Any ideas?

take the driving test here rather than switching over the lisence

Moxy1980 wrote:Hey,

I have recently moved out here, and I have just received my residence visa. However I am being told that I cannot get an UAE drivers license as I have the old style 'paper' UK license and not the new style credit card sized type? I have asked the British DVLA if they can issue me one, but they have said hey won't as I am not longer a UK resident.

Kinda between a rock and a hard place.


Any ideas?

Have you been to the Police to ask if your license is acceptable, because I would have thought they would only be looking at the validity.

I am just going by what my HR department are telling me. Mind you, I get a different answer depending on who I ask!

oh, well go and check at the dmv...


they should accept it

Moxy1980 wrote:I am just going by what my HR department are telling me. Mind you, I get a different answer depending on who I ask!

Take a trip to the traffic police and ask them yourself.

Moxy1980 wrote: I get a different answer depending on who I ask!

First off welcome to Dubai where no rules are set in stone.

I'm not British but had a similar situation where they didn't accept my Canadian license because Alberta licenses aren't stamped or some BS reason like that.....

Long story short I got a letter for the Canadian Embassy saying that my license was real/valid duly stamped and signed and presented both the letter and my license and I was done. You may wish to explore this avenue.

... it is also good advice that if someone says no, try a different line or a different licensing department all together rules in DXB seem to be open to interpretation.

Good luck.

I changed my license the other day and there a was women there who only had a paper version. She got her's changed no problem.

bushra21 wrote:oh, well go and check at the dmv...

Hehe, "DMV." Watching too many infidel movies. You mean "Muroor."

gtmash wrote:

bushra21 wrote:oh, well go and check at the dmv...

Hehe, "DMV." Watching too many infidel movies. You mean "Muroor."

i lived in the states for a long while...its kind of hard to forget some words



am i going to get stoned

Thanks for all the useful posts guys, much appreciated!

Moxy

bushra21 wrote:

gtmash wrote:

bushra21 wrote:oh, well go and check at the dmv...

Hehe, "DMV." Watching too many infidel movies. You mean "Muroor."

i lived in the states for a long while...its kind of hard to forget some words



am i going to get stoned

Only if your dealer has some pot at hand.

Is there no way that you can arrange (through the British Embassy) for a photocard licence to be issued?

Whether this be you keeping a photocopy of the paper licence along with a letter from the British Embassy explaining why there is a photocopy whilst they send your licence off to the UK etc. etc.

Just a thought.

Ross

bushra21 wrote:take the driving test here rather than switching over the lisence

the driving test inn dubai is a joke if you look at all the freaking idiots which are allowed to drive.

you've forget to say how much does it cost and how much time does it takes

175bpm wrote:

bushra21 wrote:take the driving test here rather than switching over the lisence

the driving test inn dubai is a joke if you look at all the f$#king idiots which are allowed to drive.

Hey 175, can you remember what a car looks like?

175bpm wrote:

bushra21 wrote:take the driving test here rather than switching over the lisence

the driving test inn dubai is a joke if you look at all the f$#king idiots which are allowed to drive.

On the contrary. It is much harder than the U.S. test. Just that the so-called infidels are more civilized than people here. That, and a certain section of the the population just get a licence thru wastaa.

gtmash wrote:

175bpm wrote:

bushra21 wrote:take the driving test here rather than switching over the lisence

the driving test inn dubai is a joke if you look at all the f$#king idiots which are allowed to drive.

On the contrary. It is much harder than the U.S. test. Just that the so-called infidels are more civilized than people here. That, and a certain section of the the population just get a licence thru wastaa.

Reallyyyyyyyyyyyyy

gtmash wrote:
On the contrary. It is much harder than the U.S. test. Just that the so-called infidels are more civilized than people here. That, and a certain section of the the population just get a licence thru wastaa.

those uncivilized arabs and their darn wastaas...

How much does it cost to change over the license and how long does it take?

Moxy1980 wrote:Hey,

I have recently moved out here, and I have just received my residence visa. However I am being told that I cannot get an UAE drivers license as I have the old style 'paper' UK license and not the new style credit card sized type? I have asked the British DVLA if they can issue me one, but they have said hey won't as I am not longer a UK resident.

Kinda between a rock and a hard place.


Any ideas?

Apply for a license form online and ask your family or friends (whose address you get it posted to) to mail it to you in Dubai.

Fill it out and then submit it with the required payment and send it back to the DVLA who will mail the new style card license

Trying to do that but you can't fill it in on-line, you have to ask for forms. then fill them in. Even then the woman said that they do residency checks as standard as a UK drivers license is worth so much overseas.

sage & onion wrote:

gtmash wrote:

175bpm wrote:

bushra21 wrote:take the driving test here rather than switching over the lisence

the driving test inn dubai is a joke if you look at all the f$#king idiots which are allowed to drive.

On the contrary. It is much harder than the U.S. test. Just that the so-called infidels are more civilized than people here. That, and a certain section of the the population just get a licence thru wastaa.

Reallyyyyyyyyyyyyy

I think you guys misunderstood me at least partially. There are more unedumacated people here, local or imported, than in USA (where schooling is free even for illegals). And, well, I actually came across people (I'll let you guess where they are from) who got a license directly due to wastaa, and learned to drive later somewhat. Before I came across this myself, I always thought these rumours were bullpoo.

Americans are truly clueless at driving, such as proper technique to use mirrors and how to shift gears and all that. but most of them do follow the rules of the road.

I know 1 or 2 Americans that may not agree with your statement

gtmash wrote:Americans are truly clueless at driving, such as proper technique to use mirrors and how to shift gears and all that. but most of them do follow the rules of the road.

true that ..

redmatrice wrote:you've forget to say how much does it cost and how much time does it takes

Expensive! You need to undergo driving lessons then take the test. As for the time - it depends on you. If you failed the test, you have to undergo another driving test until you pass, then that's the time they'll issue your driving license.

This driving thing drained my pocket and i failed the test.

You don't need a new style UK licence, the paper one is still recognised here. I got mine on a rather tatty and disheveled version! They transferred all the categories from my UK one as well...so I can drive motorbikes, trucks and buses and tanks and everything!

Costs 150Dhs. and takes about 1 hour to do at the Central Police Station Traffic Department. Really easy compared to some of the other official places such as Immigration Dept.



Knight

Dubai Knight wrote:You don't need a new style UK licence, the paper one is still recognised here. I got mine on a rather tatty and disheveled version! They transferred all the categories from my UK one as well...so I can drive motorbikes, trucks and buses and tanks and everything!

Costs 150Dhs. and takes about 1 hour to do at the Central Police Station Traffic Department. Really easy compared to some of the other official places such as Immigration Dept.



Knight

Should you be rehearsing

Sorry about last post but see above my avatar. Privileges. privileges...

Concord wrote:Sorry about last post but see above my avatar. Privileges. privileges...

Mine is the ability to play guitar in my sleep!



Knight