Tourists and Driving
Mar 13th 2016, 7:58 am
#1
Bothered
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 53
Tourists and Driving
Can a British tourist with a UK driver's license legally drive my car in Dubai? They cannot be added to the policy without a local license but RSA is assuring me they will be covered should anything happen. Not really filling me with confidence and I'm getting lots of conflicting advice elsewhere.
Mar 13th 2016, 9:02 am
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,520
Re: Tourists and Driving
No.
A tourist can rent a car with a UK license but cannot drive a locally owned private car.
Interestingly enough, someone with a residency visa cannot drive in the UAE without a local license, even if the person holds a UK driver's license. As you can imagine this exposes a grey area for most expats as there's always an overlap between obtaining their visa and local license whilst still driving a rental car with a rental agreement based on their home country license. It's technically illegal
A tourist can rent a car with a UK license but cannot drive a locally owned private car.
Interestingly enough, someone with a residency visa cannot drive in the UAE without a local license, even if the person holds a UK driver's license. As you can imagine this exposes a grey area for most expats as there's always an overlap between obtaining their visa and local license whilst still driving a rental car with a rental agreement based on their home country license. It's technically illegal
Can a British tourist with a UK driver's license legally drive my car in Dubai? They cannot be added to the policy without a local license but RSA is assuring me they will be covered should anything happen. Not really filling me with confidence and I'm getting lots of conflicting advice elsewhere.
Mar 13th 2016, 9:33 am
#3
Bothered
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 53
Re: Tourists and Driving
Thanks for responding. I'm now being told if my visitor applies for an International Driving Permit in the UK then they can drive a privately owned car here with permission. Again, I cannot find a single source to verify this. I cant really see why such an easily attainable permit would make a difference.
Mar 13th 2016, 12:41 pm
#4
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 483
Re: Tourists and Driving
Call your insurance and ask them to e-mail you that it's ok.
get it in writing and then you are covered
Mar 13th 2016, 2:30 pm
#7
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 547
Re: Tourists and Driving
Axa told me, in writing (email), that a Brit with a full British licence may drive my car while visiting on a tourist visa. This was approx 5 years ago, so might have changed. The rule about needing a UAE licence as soon as you have a residency visa has always been the case, which was why I was advised to go down the licencing office the same afternoon that my first UAE visa was issued (and to take a taxi).
That being said, I have also been led to believe that just because the insurer says you are covered does not automatically mean that the police will agree, but I have no idea how you get them to answer this question... It does come up, year after year, and I've never seen that bit answered.
That being said, I have also been led to believe that just because the insurer says you are covered does not automatically mean that the police will agree, but I have no idea how you get them to answer this question... It does come up, year after year, and I've never seen that bit answered.
Mar 14th 2016, 4:03 am
#8
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Abu Dhabi by body and Sydney by soul
Posts: 1,841
Re: Tourists and Driving
It is down to your insurance company. Ask them.
