If you want to rent a car in the UAE, in some cases you’ll need an International Driving Permit (IDP) along with your regular driver’s license. For example, people from Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and some other countries need an IDP. You can find a list of the most common countries and their IDP requirements here.
You don’t need an International Driving Permit if you are:
- A UAE resident. Just show your Emirates ID and a valid UAE driver’s license that’s been issued at least 3 months ago. If your UAE license is newer than that, you’ll also need to show your original national driver’s license proving you’ve been driving for more than 3 months.
- A citizen of the EU, GCC, USA, UK, Canada, Belarus, or Ukraine. For renting a car, your national driver’s license and passport are enough.
In any case, you must have a valid driver’s license.