Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into United Arab Emirates: 9 legal requirements + 7 other things worth knowing.
Required
Recommended
Good to know
Tick before you go
9 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
UK/EU licence plus 1968 IDP for short visits
Tourists can drive a rental on a UK/EU licence for up to 6 months, but a 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit is strongly expected by rental firms and police: the UAE does not recognise the 1949 version.
Passport with UAE entry stamp
Carry your passport (or a clear copy) and proof of legal entry; police checkpoints can demand it alongside your licence.
Mulkiya (vehicle registration) and insurance card
The rental company supplies the Mulkiya card and a valid third-party insurance certificate: both must be in the car at all times, not left at the hotel.
Drive on the RIGHT
Traffic drives on the right, opposite to the UK and Ireland. Take particular care at roundabouts and when pulling out of fuel stations.
Speed limits 60–80 urban, 100–120 rural, 140 km/h motorway
Sheikh Zayed Road and Abu Dhabi–Dubai E11 are posted at 120–140 km/h with a 20 km/h buffer in Abu Dhabi but ZERO buffer in Dubai: radar fines start at AED 300 and escalate sharply.
Zero-tolerance alcohol limit (0.00 g/L)
Any detectable alcohol means immediate arrest, jail time and licence loss: do not drive the morning after drinks.
Seatbelts front and rear, no phone in hand
All occupants must wear seatbelts, children under 4 need a child seat, and handheld phone use carries an AED 800 fine plus 4 black points.
Salik (Dubai) and Darb (Abu Dhabi) free-flow tolls
Gantries auto-charge the rental's Salik/Darb tag at AED 4–6 per pass; rentals pass the cost plus an admin fee back to your card: budget roughly AED 20–40 (EUR 5–10) per day of city driving.
Aggressive-driving and gesture laws
Rude hand gestures, swearing at other drivers or posting dashcam footage of incidents online can lead to arrest and deportation: stay calm and do not engage with tailgaters.
Tourists can drive a rental on a UK/EU licence for up to 6 months, but a 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit is strongly expected by rental firms and police: the UAE does not recognise the 1949 version.
Carry your passport (or a clear copy) and proof of legal entry; police checkpoints can demand it alongside your licence.
The rental company supplies the Mulkiya card and a valid third-party insurance certificate: both must be in the car at all times, not left at the hotel.
Traffic drives on the right, opposite to the UK and Ireland. Take particular care at roundabouts and when pulling out of fuel stations.
Sheikh Zayed Road and Abu Dhabi–Dubai E11 are posted at 120–140 km/h with a 20 km/h buffer in Abu Dhabi but ZERO buffer in Dubai: radar fines start at AED 300 and escalate sharply.
Any detectable alcohol means immediate arrest, jail time and licence loss: do not drive the morning after drinks.
All occupants must wear seatbelts, children under 4 need a child seat, and handheld phone use carries an AED 800 fine plus 4 black points.
Dial 999 for police and accidents. You must wait at the scene for a police report (green = not at fault, pink = at fault) before any insurance claim can be made.
Rude hand gestures, swearing at other drivers or posting dashcam footage of incidents online can lead to arrest and deportation: stay calm and do not engage with tailgaters.
Gantries auto-charge the rental's Salik/Darb tag at AED 4–6 per pass; rentals pass the cost plus an admin fee back to your card: budget roughly AED 20–40 (EUR 5–10) per day of city driving.
There is no sticker or e-vignette system: inter-emirate motorways (E11, E311) are free; only the Dubai/Abu Dhabi urban gantries charge.
Not strictly mandated for private cars but rental fleets are usually equipped; a reflective vest is sensible given desert hard-shoulder breakdowns in 45 C heat.
Winter shamal winds and dawn fog routinely cause 100-car pile-ups on the E11: pull off the motorway rather than slow to a crawl, and avoid wadis after rain.
Dune-bashing on a standard saloon is uninsured and dangerous; hire a guided 4x4 trip rather than venturing off-tarmac alone, and lower tyre pressures before any sand driving.
Special 95 petrol is roughly AED 2.90–3.10 per litre: cheap by EU standards; cards are accepted everywhere and attendants pump for you (small AED 2–5 tip optional).
Amounts above AED 60,000 in cash or equivalents must be declared on arrival and departure to UAE Customs.
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Don't get caught out
Traffic drives on the right, opposite to the UK and Ireland. Take particular care at roundabouts and when pulling out of fuel stations.
Sheikh Zayed Road and Abu Dhabi–Dubai E11 are posted at 120–140 km/h with a 20 km/h buffer in Abu Dhabi but ZERO buffer in Dubai: radar fines start at AED 300 and escalate sharply.
Any detectable alcohol means immediate arrest, jail time and licence loss: do not drive the morning after drinks.
All occupants must wear seatbelts, children under 4 need a child seat, and handheld phone use carries an AED 800 fine plus 4 black points.
Rude hand gestures, swearing at other drivers or posting dashcam footage of incidents online can lead to arrest and deportation: stay calm and do not engage with tailgaters.