UAE Driver's License

This post is mainly for ADEC Hopefuls.

Before we got here we talked about getting a car and even though we were able to get a car without a UAE drivers license we were told I had to get one since I now had a Residency Visa and Emirates ID.

So here goes...

Per usual, I always research all of the processes before I undertake them. All the research I did said I needed the following:

• No Objection Letter from your Employe
• Eye Test
• Emirates ID
• VISA
• Passport
• Translation of your license

I began this journey early in the morning trying to avoid any lines that may come my way. My first stop was ADEC to get a no objection letter. The previous day I emailed EMT Support asking about a no objection letter but did not receive a response so I decided to just go and ask face to face. I get to ADEC, go to the 2nd floor where EMT Support is and the office is empty. There is one woman there and I let her know what I'm looking for and she says everyone is out of the office at the Orientation for the teachers that just arrived. I was slightly let down but said thanks and went to the car. As I walked back to the car I had a mental discussion with myself. Do I just abort today's mission or try to get the license without the letter. I listed out all of the pros and cons and decided to go on to the Drivers License Department. If I wasn't able to get the license then at least I knew where I needed to go.

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This Drivers License Department is right by Mushrif Mall and it's huge! I walk up the steps with all of my documents hand and hope for the best. I follow the road on the floor and go to the Customer Service Desk. I let her know I'm trying to get my license transferred and she asks for my Emirates ID and Passport. I give her both, she looks at them, and gives me a ticket to go to the Eye Test Line. I was not looking forward to this part because I'm prescribed glasses, however, my right eye is too far gone. I can barely see anything out of it with or without glasses. My number flashed on the screen and I sat in the chair. He told me to cover my right eye and I did so with pleasure. He scrolled through some letters and I said them all. He then told me to cover my left eye. Oh boy! I covered it and I struggled I couldn't see anything. I told him I had glasses and he told me to put them on. I put them on but that wasn't any better. I tried to make some letters out. He then said cover the other one and again I did so happily and I called out all of the letters. He told me I was finished, wrote my score on a triplicate form, asked me for 30 dirhams and I was on my way back to the customer service desk.

I got back to the desk and her response was done already. She then gave me another ticket and I sat in the Ladies Only section to wait for my number to flash on the screen. I waited for about 5 minutes and then my number was on the screen. I went to the appropriate desk. She asked for my translated license, US Drivers License, Passport with VISA, Emirates ID, and the papers from the Eye Test I had just completed. She typed some things in the computer and right after she told me to sit back and take a picture for my license. Once the picture was taken she said I could then apply for my license on the iPads. I was clueless. I thought she was helping me apply. Nevertheless...

I walked over to the iPads and started clicking to figure out what to do. I had to put in where I lived and ultimately pay 213 dirhams which included a delivery fee. They did not accept cash at the iPads so I used my card. After I received my receipt I looked at what my Drivers License would look like and I was done. That was it. I now had a UAE Drivers License on the way.

I didn't even need the No Objection Letter! 😀👏

My license was delivered to our front door 2 days later.

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