How much does driving licence cost in the GCC? 2026 fees

Not always, and we would rather say so. If your documents are valid and the transaction is available in an app, file it yourself. Paying a service fee makes sense when a submission has already been rejected without explanation, when several authorities are involved in sequence, or when a deadline fine would exceed the fee.

Comparing headline fees alone is misleading, because renewal cycles differ between states. A lower fee renewed annually can cost more over three years than a higher fee renewed every three. Compare the fee and the renewal cycle together, both of which are in the table on this page.

Because the government fee is only one line. Typing or service centre fees, urgent processing surcharges, delivery, medical tests, insurance and translation are charged separately, and providers bundle them differently. Ask for the government fee and the service fee split out before agreeing to anything.

They are indicative planning figures drawn from the issuing authorities and consistent public sources, and they are dated. Government fees change without much notice and free zone schedules are set independently. Always confirm the current amount with the issuing authority before you pay.

Each authority allows multiple retests but with a waiting period and an extra fee per attempt. In Dubai, the RTA charges around AED 200 per practical retake and requires a minimum number of follow-up lessons with the same school before rebooking, with a typical wait of one to two weeks. Bahrain expects six to eight additional lessons before a rebooked GDT test. Saudi Arabia routes a failed candidate back through Dallah, SDS, or another accredited school for top-up hours before Absher reopens the test slot. Three consecutive failures usually force a fresh theory exam.

The RTA list stands at 57 countries as of January 2026. It includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, Greece, Portugal, Poland, Romania, the State of Texas, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, Turkey, Serbia, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Croatia, and the five other GCC states. Recent additions are confirmed on the RTA portal. Holders of a licence not on the list must sit theory and road tests.

No. An Indian licence is not on the RTA exchange list in 2026, so a holder must register with an approved school in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, or another emirate, sit the theory test, complete the parking and yard tests, and pass the road test. Most schools quote a complete package of AED 4,500 to AED 8,000 depending on the number of classes purchased and prior driving experience. The same outcome applies to Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Sri Lankan, Filipino, and Egyptian licences.

In the UAE, the school books the theory slot on RTA after the trainee finishes their classes. In Saudi Arabia, Absher releases theory slots once Dallah or SDS marks the trainee ready. In Qatar, Metrash2 opens slots after the MOI driving school confirms attendance. In Bahrain, bahrain.bh schedules theory and practical at GDT centres. Oman ROP and Kuwait MOI use their portals to release the next available date. The test is in English and Arabic, lasts 30 to 45 minutes, and uses 30 to 35 multiple-choice questions per the local syllabus.

UAE Driving Licence covers both direct foreign-licence conversion for nationals of 57 eligible countries and the full driving-institute route for everyone else, with same-day to two-week turnaround on a clean conversion or six to eight weeks for the Golden Chance Direct Test cycle. RTA Dubai and the federal ICP portal handle issuance; total cost for a conversion typically runs AED 870 to 1,500 once file opening (AED 200), licence fee (AED 600), eye test (AED 140-180) and knowledge fees are added. The licence is linked to the Emirates ID at issuance and propagates to the federal vehicle registry the same day. Common rejection: assuming your country is on the eligible list without checking - the list expanded to 57 in 2026 but Taiwan, Brazil and most of the Levant remain off-list and require the full driving-institute programme instead.

The Saudi Driving Licence - Rukhsat Qiyada - is issued by the General Directorate of Traffic (Muroor) under the Ministry of Interior. Expat residents convert an eligible foreign licence by booking a Muroor branch appointment through Absher: bring an approved Arabic translation, a valid Iqama and CCHI policy, the home licence, and pay the SAR 200 fee for a 5-year standard licence. Conversion takes 2-4 weeks end-to-end when Absher slots are available; the full driving-school path for fresh applicants runs 6-8 weeks of training plus 2-4 weeks waiting for theory and practical test slots. The digital licence sits in Tawakkalna and is accepted at police checkpoints in place of the plastic card. Two common pitfalls: assuming the 3-month new-resident conversion window starts on arrival (it starts on Iqama issuance), and getting the Arabic translation from a non-approved office only to have Muroor reject it at the appointment.

A Qatar driving licence is the MOI-issued permit every resident driver needs, obtained either by converting a foreign licence directly or by completing a Karwa (or similar) driving-school course and road test. The standard fee is QAR 250 for five years, whether by conversion or full test. Direct conversion for eligible nationalities finishes in 1-3 working days; the full school-and-test track realistically takes 4-8 weeks, since first-attempt pass rates run below 50%. The single biggest blocker is the sponsor NOC on Metrash, without which nothing can be filed. Wathim's desk manages the NOC, eye test and paperwork end to end.

In Bahrain, the driving licence is issued by the General Directorate of Traffic (GDT) under the Ministry of Interior, with all applications routed through the bahrain.bh national portal and fees settled via BenefitPay. Standard issuance for up to ten years costs 20 BHD. GCC conversions close in 1 to 2 working days if no fines block the file; conversions from other approved countries take 3 to 5 working days once the eye test and theory steps are confirmed. The GDT cross-checks active employment in the LMRA file before issuing. Two pitfalls repeat: assuming your country is still on the GDT conversion list when GDT quietly updates that list, and booking the eye test months in advance only to find the certificate has expired by the time the file moves. Renewals follow the same portal path with the LMRA validity check intact.

The Omani Driving Licence is issued by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and managed through the ROP eServices portal. New residents must either convert a recognised foreign licence directly - most GCC, North American, European, and selected Asian licences qualify - or complete a full course at a ROP-approved driving school and pass the ROP-supervised theory and road tests. The standard first-time issuance fee is 20 OMR for a light-vehicle licence; renewal fees are similar. Processing time is same-day for routine renewals at ROP eServices, 1–3 working days for direct conversions at the counter, and 4–12 weeks for full driving-school training including the supervised tests. Common pitfalls include arriving for the test without the required attested documents from the home licence-issuing authority (which forces a return trip), and assuming a tourist or GCC-resident licence allows long-term driving in Oman - only the Omani licence does, beyond the short conversion window for new arrivals.

Kuwait Driving Licence (Rukhsat Siyaqa) is issued by the MOI General Traffic Department, with most transactions now run through Sahel, the unified MOI Kuwait and PACI digital platform. The practical-test fee starts at KD 10, paid at the Traffic Department or via the driving school, and PACI Civil ID plus Kuwait Mobile ID gate every Traffic Department service. Renewal on Sahel is typically same-day when fines and residence are clean. New issuance for a non-converting applicant runs 4 to 8 weeks end to end including the mandatory school course; conversion cases take 1 to 3 visits over 2 to 4 weeks. Two common pitfalls: assuming an International Driving Permit covers long-term residence after Kuwait residence is granted, which risks driving-without-a-licence classification, and applying without the 2-year residency or attested degree, losing the file-open and eye-test costs when the Department rejects.