# Dubai driving licence renewal: fees and expiry (2026) > RTA Dubai renewal fees, eye-test validity, Emirates ID, online renewal from another emirate and the long-expiry evaluation route explained. Source: https://withlida.com/insights/dubai-driving-licence-renewal --- :::intro Dubai driving licence renewal costs **AED 320 for ordinary renewal from age 21**, covering licence and Knowledge and Innovation fees before any new eye test, fines or optional delivery. The [Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) renewal card](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618), verified 21 October 2026, requires a valid [Emirates ID](/insights/emirates-id-renewal) and eye test for citizens and residents. A licence expired more than ten years follows a separate evaluation route, subject to exceptions. ::: | Published component | Ordinary branch: valid, or expired less than 10 years ago | Long-expiry branch: expired more than 10 years ago | | --- | --- | --- | | Licence renewal | AED 100 if younger than 21; AED 300 if 21 or older | AED 300 | | Electronic eye test at an Eye Test Centre | AED 140 to AED 180 when a new test is needed | AED 140 to AED 180 listed | | Knowledge and Innovation | AED 20 | AED 20 | | Renewal delay charge | AED 10 per month from expiry, maximum AED 500 | AED 500 listed | | Training file | Not listed in this branch | AED 200 | | Learning application | Not listed in this branch | AED 100 | | Handbook manual | Not listed in this branch | AED 50 | | Evaluation Test | Not listed in this branch | AED 200 | | Medical test for a professional driver | According to the hospital | No separate medical-test amount listed in this fee branch | | Optional physical delivery | Standard AED 20; same-day AED 35; within 2 hours AED 50; international to GCC countries AED 50 | Same delivery options and amounts | Source: withlida.com, 21 October 2026, transcribed by branch from [RTA's renewal card](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618), as of October 2026. The ordinary delay calculation comes from its Important to Know section; delivery comes from its application steps. GCC means Gulf Cooperation Council. Delivery names describe optional services, not application-processing times. Professional-driver medical requirements are separate from the eye test. :::summary - For an existing Dubai licence holder with valid identity and eye-test records, the ordinary route fits a licence that is valid or expired less than ten years ago, subject to RTA's conditions. - A valid eye test is required. RTA gives the eye test a three-year validity period, so a fresh test is not automatically required at every renewal. - An ordinary adult resident's licence and Knowledge and Innovation subtotal is AED 320, or AED 460 to AED 500 with a newly purchased standard-centre eye test, before fines and optional delivery. - Residence issued by another emirate does not prevent online renewal of a Dubai-issued licence when the Traffic File details are updated. - More than ten years after expiry, RTA describes an Evaluation Test route and an exception-country exemption. Its fee labels do not expressly allocate the exact ten-year boundary. ::: **Last verified: 21 October 2026.** Rules, fees and validity periods below are attributed to [RTA service 618](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618), as of October 2026. The card displays **Updated on 20 October 2026**. That timestamp alone does not establish that a rule changed on that date. For a household coordinating a move, keeping the licence, identity card and residence records aligned belongs beside the school run and work commute in the [moving-to-Dubai plan](/insights/moving-to-dubai). This guide follows renewal of an existing Dubai licence; exchanging a foreign licence has its own [conversion requirements](/insights/dubai-driving-licence-conversion). ## Who can renew a Dubai driving licence, and which Emirates ID is required? Citizens and residents renewing through this service need a **valid Emirates ID and valid eye test**, according to [RTA's citizen and resident requirements](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618), as of October 2026. Emirates ID is the UAE identity card. A Traffic File is the authority's record of the driver's licensing details. The card describes eligible categories as citizens and residents with valid or expired UAE licences, but its FAQ specifically says a licence issued in another emirate cannot be renewed in Dubai. The issuing authority therefore matters even when the holder lives in Dubai. RTA's FAQ also says a visit-visa holder cannot renew an expired licence and must have a valid Emirates ID. A passport or UAE Pass appearing among the login choices does not replace that requirement. If the card itself is approaching expiry, the [Emirates ID renewal guide](/insights/emirates-id-renewal) covers that separate process. RTA requires the licence to be recorded as **“with owner”** in its system and excludes temporary or interim licences from renewal, as of October 2026. It retrieves the renewal photo from the Emirates ID scanner. The card has separate requirements for diplomats and People of Determination; the ordinary resident document list does not describe every applicant category. ## Is a new eye test needed at every renewal? A **valid eye test** is required, but RTA states that the eye test is valid for **three years** in this renewal service, as of October 2026. Those are different conditions from taking a new test each time an application is submitted. [Source: RTA requirements and Important to Know](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618). The practical distinction is the eye-test record used by the renewal journey. RTA's website and app steps start with an eye test; its Mahboub chatbot steps ask the applicant to confirm eye-test information. Where an existing result remains valid and is accepted in the application, the standard test charge is not a fresh automatic renewal fee. Where a new result is needed, the published Eye Test Centre price is **AED 140 to AED 180**, as of October 2026. **Professional drivers have an additional medical condition.** In the citizen and resident branches, RTA requires a comprehensive medical fitness test at one of its accredited hospitals if the applicant is a professional driver. The card gives the medical test an **11-month validity** and prices it according to the hospital, as of October 2026. This is a separate requirement from the driving eye test; it is not stated as a medical-test requirement for every private driver. ## How early can you renew, and what changes by age or nationality? RTA allows renewal **six months before expiry from age 21**, and **three months before expiry below age 21**, as of October 2026. The renewed duration then depends on age and citizenship, as the [card's output and timing conditions](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618) show. | Holder at renewal | Early renewal window | Renewed licence validity | | --- | --- | --- | | Younger than 21 | 3 months before expiry | 1 year | | UAE or GCC citizen aged 21 or older | 6 months before expiry | 10 years | | Other resident aged 21 or older | 6 months before expiry | 5 years | Source: withlida.com, 21 October 2026, from [RTA service 618](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618), as of October 2026. The ordinary fee threshold is also age 21: **AED 100 below it and AED 300 from it**, plus the separate Knowledge and Innovation fee. The ordinary schedule does not give different renewal fees by nationality. RTA says the renewal date is calculated from the **application submission date for all customer categories**, as of October 2026. Early renewal therefore should not be read as a statement that the new period is simply added after the old expiry date. ## Can it be renewed online or while residence is in another emirate? Yes. RTA lists online channels and explicitly permits **online renewal of a Dubai-issued licence when the residence visa is from another emirate**, provided all Traffic File details are updated according to the new residence visa, as of October 2026. Its separate FAQ says **no** to renewing another emirate's licence in Dubai. [Source: RTA renewal FAQ](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618). For example, a Dubai-issued licence retained after a move to Sharjah matches the first question. A Sharjah-issued licence held by someone now renting in Dubai matches the second. The location of the new home does not identify which licence-renewal service applies. The [RTA card](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618), as of October 2026, lists the website, RTA Dubai app, Mahboub chatbot, DubaiNow, self-service machines and participating Eye Test Centres. Its ordinary website sequence is: ::::steps :::step{title="Establish the valid identity and eye-test records"} The citizen or resident application requires a valid Emirates ID and eye test. Where a new test is needed, the card directs the applicant to an Eye Test Centre. A professional driver's additional medical requirement is separate. ::: :::step{title="Log in and select renewal"} Use the RTA website's login route with Emirates ID, passport or UAE Pass, the UAE digital identity login. Enter the one-time password sent to the registered phone, then select Renewing a Driving Licence. ::: :::step{title="Confirm details and review charges"} Confirm the licence details and choose the fulfilment method. RTA requires payment of all licence fines and service fees. A long-expired licence can instead produce an Evaluation Test notification and booking route. ::: :::step{title="Receive the issued licence through the selected channel"} The card describes a Digital Driving Licence, with the physical original available through self-service machines or optional delivery. It also lists the RTA Dubai app's My Docs and compatible digital wallets. ::: :::: The online channel does not remove the identity, valid-test or record-update conditions. The card's permission for residence in another emirate does not, by itself, establish that every required step can be completed from overseas. Its international physical-delivery option is restricted to GCC countries, as of October 2026. ## How much does an ordinary adult resident's renewal cost? The ordinary ledger for a resident aged 21 or older begins with **AED 300 + AED 20 = AED 320**, using [RTA's published components](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618), as of October 2026. The example below is a calculation for an ordinary private driver, not a service-centre package quote. | Ledger line | Amount | Treatment in this example | | --- | --- | --- | | Adult licence renewal | AED 300 | Included | | Knowledge and Innovation | AED 20 | Included once | | **Licence and fee subtotal** | **AED 320** | **Before eye test, fines and delivery** | | Standard-centre eye test | Add AED 140 to AED 180 if a new test is needed | Existing valid, accepted test record: no fresh test purchase assumed | | **Subtotal with a new standard-centre eye test** | **AED 460 to AED 500** | **AED 320 + AED 140, or AED 320 + AED 180** | | Renewal delay charge | Add the applicable charge | AED 10 per month from expiry, capped at AED 500 | | Other licence fines | Add the actual payable balance | No amount assumed | | Optional physical delivery | Add the selected published charge | Standard AED 20; same-day AED 35; within 2 hours AED 50; GCC international AED 50 | Source: withlida.com, 21 October 2026, calculations from [RTA service 618](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618), as of October 2026. These subtotals exclude fines and optional delivery. Professional-driver medical testing, if applicable, needs its own hospital price. The card separately lists an optional **AED 500 mobile-truck eye-test service** and an **AED 1,000 mobile-truck eye test, renewal and delivery package** for the ordinary branch, as of October 2026. Those are separate service choices. The standard-centre ledger above does not price a mobile-truck booking; its package inclusions need confirmation before assembling that booking's total. ## What happens after expiry, including more than ten years? RTA charges a renewal delay fine of **AED 10 per month from the licence's expiry date, up to AED 500**, and describes an **Evaluation Test when expiry is more than ten years ago**, as of October 2026. Paying the delay charge and meeting an evaluation requirement are separate parts of the renewal. [Source: RTA Important to Know and long-expiry fee branch](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618). The ordinary fee selector says **“Valid, or expired less than 10 years ago”**. The other says **“Expired more than 10 years ago”**. A separate ordinary condition says the licence must not have expired for more than ten years. Taken together, these statements do not expressly assign the **exact ten-year anniversary** to a fee branch. At that boundary, confirm the route and charges in the live RTA application or with RTA rather than treating “more than” as “ten years or more”. ### The Evaluation Test route RTA's website steps describe selecting renewal, receiving the evaluation notification, booking an appointment, selecting a driving institute, paying the fees and passing the Evaluation Test before licence issue. The workflow heading also covers a licence that was not issued after passing the Road Test, as of October 2026. The printed long-expiry components reconcile as follows: **AED 200 training file + AED 100 learning application + AED 50 handbook + AED 200 Evaluation Test + AED 500 renewal delay fine + AED 300 licence + AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation = AED 1,370.** Adding the listed standard-centre eye test gives **AED 1,370 + AED 140 = AED 1,510**, or **AED 1,370 + AED 180 = AED 1,550**. These are withlida.com calculations from [RTA's more-than-ten-years schedule](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618), as of October 2026. Other licence fines, any required medical test and optional delivery remain separate. The applicable charges also depend on the exceptions below; this is not an individual quotation. ### The published evaluation exceptions and category treatment RTA says a holder of a driving licence from an **exception country** is exempt from the Evaluation Test when renewing the Dubai licence, **regardless of nationality**, as of October 2026. That condition concerns the licence held, not nationality alone. The renewal condition does not enumerate those countries or give a recalculated fee total for the exemption; RTA must confirm the applicable record and charges. For a licence with multiple categories that expired more than ten years ago, RTA describes **one Evaluation Test in the light-vehicle category**. Passing it includes all categories in the renewed licence without taking every category test, as of October 2026. These are the renewal card's conditions, separate from the process of exchanging a foreign licence. ## Frequently asked questions, verified 21 October 2026 ::::faq :::faq-item{q="How much is the Dubai driving licence renewal fee?"} As of October 2026, [RTA](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618) lists AED 100 below age 21 or AED 300 from age 21 for ordinary renewal, plus AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation. A new standard-centre eye test, when needed, costs AED 140 to AED 180. Fines and optional delivery are separate; long expiry has its own schedule. ::: :::faq-item{q="Do I need an eye test to renew my driving licence in Dubai?"} [RTA](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618) requires a valid eye test and states a three-year eye-test validity in this renewal service, as of October 2026. Whether a fresh test is needed depends on the valid record accepted for the application. Professional drivers have a separate medical-fitness requirement. ::: :::faq-item{q="How many months before expiry can I renew?"} As of October 2026, [RTA](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618) allows six months before expiry for holders aged 21 or older and three months for those younger than 21. It calculates the renewal date from the application submission date. ::: :::faq-item{q="Can I renew my Dubai licence online with a residence visa from another emirate?"} Yes, according to [RTA's FAQ](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618), as of October 2026, if the licence was issued in Dubai and all Traffic File details are updated according to the new residence visa. The same FAQ excludes renewal in Dubai of a licence issued by another emirate. ::: :::faq-item{q="What are the new Dubai driving licence renewal rules?"} The [RTA card](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618) displays Updated on 20 October 2026, as read on 21 October 2026. That is a service-card timestamp, not evidence that a new rule took effect. The requirements explained here are the published conditions verified on that reading date. ::: :::: **Change log:** 2026-10-21 · first published · RTA renewal branches, eye-test validity, residence scope and published fee components checked; ordinary and long-expiry ledgers recomputed. **Checked by the publication's independent check, 21 October 2026.** :::callout{variant="info" title="Before you renew"} This guide is general information, not legal advice. Verify your identity and test records, expiry boundary, any evaluation exemption and current charges with the live [RTA renewal service](https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/rta-services/service-details?serviceId=618) before submitting the application. ::: For sourced Dubai relocation and housing updates, subscribe to the withlida newsletter using the signup below.