# Driving in Dubai: licences, renting, buying a car and fines

> How driving in Dubai works for newcomers: getting a UAE licence, renting or buying a car, and checking fines and Salik tolls, with links to each guide.

Source: https://newdubai.life/topics/cars-and-driving/
Updated: 2026-10-21

Driving in Dubai starts with your licence. If your country is on the approved list, you swap your home licence for a UAE one. If it isn't, you learn at a driving school. After that you choose between renting and buying, and get into the habit of checking for fines.

## Guides

- [Getting a UAE driving licence: convert yours or learn at one of the driving schools in the UAE](https://newdubai.life/articles/driving-licence/): How to swap your foreign licence for a UAE one, or earn one through a Dubai driving school, step by step, plus what the road test is really like.
- [Dubai fines: how to check what you owe and pay it before it causes trouble](https://newdubai.life/articles/fines/): Where to check Dubai fines for traffic, parking and tolls, how to pay them, and what to do if a fine looks wrong.
- [Buying a car in Dubai: new or used, finance and registration](https://newdubai.life/articles/buying-a-car/): How buying a car in Dubai works for newcomers: new or used, the checks that matter, finance, insurance and RTA registration, step by step.
- [Car rental in Dubai: what to check before you drive away](https://newdubai.life/articles/renting-a-car/): Which licence you need to rent a car in Dubai, and what to check on deposits, insurance, mileage, Salik tolls and fines before you sign.