How much does driving licence cost in the GCC? 2026 fees
Convert, renew, or earn a GCC driving licence with country-specific eligibility, tests, and fees mapped end to end.
Indicative fees, renewal cycles and the issuing authority for all six Gulf states, plus an honest view of whether this is worth filing yourself.
Driving Licence fees across the six GCC states
| Country | Known locally as | Issuing authority | Indicative fee | Renewal cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United Arab Emirates | UAE Driving Licence | RTA Dubai / Traffic Police in other emirates | AED 1,010-1,050 foreign-licence exchange; AED 320 renewal; AED 140-180 eye test | 5 years residents; 10 years citizens |
 Saudi Arabia | Rukhsat Qiyada | General Department of Traffic via Absher | SAR 400 for 10 years or SAR 200 for 5 years; SAR 690-2,760 training at Dallah or SDS | 5 or 10 years |
 Qatar | Qatar Driving Licence | Traffic Department, Ministry of Interior via the Metrash app | QAR 250 for 5 years (conversion or first issue) | 5 years for expats |
 Bahrain | GDT Driving Licence | General Directorate of Traffic via bahrain.bh | BHD 20 issuance; BHD 10 per road-test attempt; total first-time cost around BHD 284 with mandatory 22-hour learning | 5 years standard, up to 10 years on renewal |
 Oman | Rukhsat Siyaqa (ROP) | Royal Oman Police Directorate of Licensing | OMR 20 issuance; OMR 20-30 renewal for expats on a two-year cycle | 2 years for expat residents; up to 10 years for citizens |
 Kuwait | Rukhsat Siyaqa (MOI) | General Department of Traffic via Sahel and MOI e-services | KD 10 issuance and renewal; minimum salary KD 600 for private licence and KD 120 for motorbike | 5 to 10 years, capped at residence permit |
Compare the fee and the renewal cycle together
A headline fee on its own is misleading. A lower fee renewed every year can cost more across three years than a higher fee renewed every three. Both columns matter.
What you are paying for
A GCC driving licence is the legal permit to operate a private or commercial vehicle inside each member state, and the document every traffic patrol checks alongside the vehicle registration card. The UAE issues it through the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai and through police-led traffic departments in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah. Saudi Arabia issues it through the General Department of Traffic with Absher as the digital channel and Dallah, Saudi Driving School, and Jeeny-affiliated centres handling training. Qatar runs the Traffic Department under the Ministry of Interior, with Metrash2 as the day-to-day app. Bahrain uses the General Directorate of Traffic on bahrain.bh. Oman issues through the Royal Oman Police Directorate of Licensing. Kuwait issues through the General Department of Traffic, with Sahel and MOI e-services handling renewals and licence printing.
Local terminology matters when an officer asks for the document. The UAE card is the RTA driving licence, paired with the mulkiya vehicle card. Saudi Arabia issues the Rukhsat Qiyada, paired with the estimara registration. Qatar issues the Qatar driving licence, paired with the istimara. Bahrain calls it the GDT driving licence. Oman calls the licence a Rukhsat Siyaqa, paired with the Mulkiya. Kuwait issues the Rukhsat Siyaqa, paired with the Daftar Sayyara. Categories run from light vehicle and motorbike up to taxi, light truck, heavy truck, bus, and trailer, with each category requiring a separate theory and road test. A light-vehicle licence does not authorise a delivery scooter, a commercial passenger taxi, or a heavy rig.
Eligibility and conversion turn on the issuing country of the foreign licence. The UAE accepts direct exchange from 57 countries as of January 2026, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the five other GCC states. Recent additions include Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, the State of Texas, and Croatia. Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar maintain shorter lists weighted toward Western Europe, GCC, and select Commonwealth jurisdictions, often requiring embassy attestation of the source licence. Saudi Arabia accepts most GCC and Western licences after Absher upload and attestation. Kuwait requires a university degree, two years of residency, and a minimum salary of KD 600 for the private-vehicle category, and KD 120 for motorbikes. Anyone outside the conversion list must complete theory, parking, and road tests with an approved school.
Should you file it yourself, use a typing centre, or use a desk?
We run a paperwork desk, so treat this as coming from an interested party. It still contains the case for not paying us, because for a clean, simple filing that is the right answer.
Do it yourself
- Cost
- Government fee only
- Time
- Your own hours, plus any counter visit
- Best for
- Straightforward cases where every document is valid and the transaction is available in an app or portal.
- Watch out for
- A rejected submission costs you the resubmission and the wait, and the reason is often not explained.
Typing centre
- Cost
- Government fee plus a service fee per transaction
- Time
- One visit, usually same day if documents are complete
- Best for
- Transactions that still need a correctly formatted submission or original document sighting.
- Watch out for
- Service fees vary widely between centres and are rarely quoted separately from the government fee.
A desk like ours
- Cost
- Fixed fee quoted before we start, plus government fees at cost
- Time
- You send documents once and we handle the sequence
- Best for
- Cases already rejected once, sequences spanning several authorities, or deadlines where the fine exceeds the fee.
- Watch out for
- Not worth paying for a clean, simple filing you could complete in an app in ten minutes.
Decided you want it handled?
We file driving licence in all six GCC states
Fixed fee quoted before we start, government fees shown separately at cost. Tell us the country and where you are stuck.
Work out your own number
Indicative fees only take you so far. These calculators run your actual dates, salary and case against the published rates.
What the process looks like
- 1Confirm conversion eligibilityCheck the live exchange list on RTA, Absher, MOI Qatar, bahrain.bh, ROP, or Sahel against the issuing country of the foreign licence.
- 2Sit the eye testVisit an approved optician for a fresh vision certificate; previous prescriptions are not accepted.
- 3Gather supporting documentsCollate the passport, residence card or Iqama, photograph on a coloured background, foreign licence, and any embassy attestation Saudi Arabia or Oman requires.
- 4File the applicationUpload the file on the country portal or attend the traffic department counter for biometrics.
- 5Pay fees and clear finesSettle the issuance or renewal fee plus any open traffic fines that block the file.
- 6Sit the tests if requiredWhere no exchange exists, book theory, parking or yard, and road tests with an approved school and pass each one in order.
Traps that differ between countries
- GCC licence-conversion lists differ by country: a 57-country exchange in the UAE does not guarantee an exchange in Oman, Bahrain, or Qatar
- Saudi Arabia routes new female applicants through accredited women's branches at Princess Nourah, Dallah, and SDS, not mixed centres
- Oman, Saudi Arabia, and sometimes Bahrain require embassy attestation of the source licence before conversion is accepted
- Kuwait imposes salary and degree thresholds for a private licence that no other GCC state applies
- A GCC licence is honoured for short visits across the bloc but cannot be used by a new resident in another GCC country beyond their visa stamping window
- Unpaid traffic fines block licence renewal in every GCC country via Absher, ICP, Metrash, bahrain.bh, ROP, and Sahel
Who has to pay this
- Residents who will drive a private car, taxi, or motorbike on public roads
- Returning Gulf citizens whose old licence has lapsed past the one-year reactivation window
- Family dependants over 18 on a sponsor's residence visa
- Delivery riders for Talabat, Careem, Jahez, Snoonu, and Keeta who need a motorbike endorsement
- Taxi, limousine, and chauffeur drivers needing a commercial category
- Heavy-truck, trailer, and bus operators in logistics and construction
What pushes the cost above the headline fee
- Driving on an expired licence triggers immediate fines and a vehicle impound risk across all six countries
- Holding a foreign licence not on the conversion list and booking only the road test, skipping theory and parking phases that must come first
- Letting the foreign licence expire before applying for the exchange, which voids the no-test route in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
- Skipping the eye test or submitting an outdated optician certificate, which the portal rejects on upload
- Leaving Salik, Darb, Mawaqif, parking, or speed-camera fines unpaid before pressing renew
- Forgetting embassy attestation when converting in Saudi Arabia or Oman from a non-GCC source country
Driving Licence by country
United Arab EmiratesUAE Driving LicenceSaudi ArabiaRukhsat QiyadaQatarQatar Driving LicenceBahrainGDT Driving LicenceOmanRukhsat Siyaqa (ROP)KuwaitRukhsat Siyaqa (MOI)Costs you will hit at the same time
Guides that go deeper
Frequently asked questions
It varies substantially by country because each state sets its own schedule. United Arab Emirates: AED 1,010-1,050 foreign-licence exchange; AED 320 renewal; AED 140-180 eye test. Saudi Arabia: SAR 400 for 10 years or SAR 200 for 5 years; SAR 690-2,760 training at Dallah or SDS. Qatar: QAR 250 for 5 years (conversion or first issue). The table on this page lists all six. Treat every figure as indicative and confirm with the issuing authority before paying, since fees change.
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.
Want driving licence handled without the counter?
We quote a fixed fee before we start, with government fees shown separately at cost. If your case is simple enough to do yourself, we will tell you that instead.