UAE driving licence renewal in Dubai costs AED 300 for drivers aged 21 or over and AED 100 for those under 21, plus an AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation fee and an eye test of AED 140 to AED 180, according to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). A renewed licence lasts five years for a resident aged 21 or over, ten years for a UAE or GCC citizen and one year under 21.
Guides disagree on late fines and renewal windows. We read RTA’s licence service page, updated on 8 October 2026, and this covers Dubai only. It is general information, not official advice.
| Item | Applies to | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Licence, aged 21 or over | Adult drivers | AED 300 |
| Licence, under 21 | Younger drivers | AED 100 |
| Knowledge and Innovation fee | Renewals | AED 20 |
| Electronic eye test | Eye Test Centres | AED 140 to AED 180 |
| Medical test | Professional drivers | Set by the hospital |
| Delivery of the original card | Optional | AED 20 standard, AED 35 same day, AED 50 within two hours or international |
| Mobile truck service | Optional | AED 500 for the eye test only, AED 1,000 for eye test, renewal and delivery |
UAE driving licence renewal in Dubai: fees and validity
RTA’s licence service page lists these fees for a licence that is valid or expired less than ten years ago. By our arithmetic a resident aged 21 or over pays AED 460 to AED 500 for the licence, the Knowledge and Innovation fee and the eye test, before delivery.
RTA does not print a total, and the medical test applies to professional drivers. The service time is listed as instant.
Renewing online: the order RTA gives
The eye test comes first, and the rest happens on RTA’s website or in its apps. Here is the order the service page gives.
- Take an eye test at an Eye Test Centre.
- Log in with a valid Emirates ID, a passport or UAE Pass, then enter the OTP sent to your phone.
- Choose Renewing a Driving Licence, confirm the licence details and pick a delivery method.
- Pay all fines and fees.
You receive a digital licence in the RTA Dubai app, which can be added to an Apple or Samsung wallet. The original card comes from a self-service machine or by delivery.
What a resident needs
RTA lists three requirements for residents. A valid Emirates ID, a valid eye test, and a medical fitness test at an RTA-accredited hospital if you drive professionally. Our Emirates ID renewal guide covers the first.
Citizens, diplomats and people of determination have their own lists, which we did not open.
If your licence expired more than ten years ago
A licence that lapsed more than ten years ago needs an evaluation test. The system flags it at login, you book an appointment, choose an institute, pay and pass.
RTA’s fee list for this route is longer: AED 200 for a training file, AED 100 for a learning application, AED 50 for a handbook, AED 200 for the evaluation test, the AED 140 to AED 180 eye test, AED 300 for the licence and AED 20 for Knowledge and Innovation. It also lists a renewal delay fine of AED 500, and that line appears only in this list.
What drivers report on Reddit
Drivers say that fines and black points issued in another emirate can block a Dubai renewal, and a June 2026 r/dubai poster described exactly that:
“I had a non-payable fine with black points in Abu Dhabi. Because of this, I couldn’t renew my driving license (Dubai).”
– r/dubai, June 2026 (5 upvotes)
In October 2026 a driver abroad asked about a text from RTA:
“I’m receiving SMS messages from RTA saying to renew my licence to avoid “traffic file suspension.””
– r/UAE, October 2026 (4 upvotes)
These are single accounts, and RTA’s page explains neither. Its renewal steps do say to pay all fines and fees, and to take the eye test first.
Where rival guides disagree with RTA
On late fines the guides split. One guide reported AED 10 for each month after expiry, capped at AED 500, while another reported AED 10 a day from day 31, with a 30-day grace period. RTA’s page lists a delay fine only for licences expired more than ten years.
They also differ on the renewal window. One guide said renewal is allowed up to a year before expiry, and another said six months before or after. The same first guide gives the eye test a validity of six months in one place and two years in another. A third detail is the courier fee, which one guide reported as AED 25 where RTA lists AED 20.
What we could not confirm
Several practical points are left open by RTA’s page, and we found no official answer to any of the five below.
- How early or how late a licence can be renewed.
- The fine for a licence expired less than ten years.
- How long an eye test stays valid.
- The rules in other emirates, because MOI’s renewal page did not load for us.
- What a “traffic file suspension” text means, and how black points are transferred.
For a case outside these rules, check with RTA before you pay a middleman.
Quick answers on UAE driving licence renewal
How much does it cost to renew a driving licence in Dubai?
AED 300 for drivers aged 21 or over and AED 100 for those under 21, plus AED 20 and an eye test of AED 140 to AED 180, per RTA.
How long is a renewed licence valid?
Five years for a resident aged 21 or over, ten for a UAE or GCC citizen, one year under 21.
Do I need an eye test?
Yes. RTA lists a valid eye test as a requirement, and the eye test is the first step.
What if my licence expired more than ten years ago?
An evaluation test is required, with its own fee list that includes a renewal delay fine of AED 500.
Last checked on 14 October 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with RTA before relying on any figure.
