Can an Italian Drive in the UAE? — IDP Required, Zero-Alcohol Limit

An Italian driving in the UAE needs two documents, not one: the Italian licence and an International Driving Permit. Rental agencies ask for the permit before they release keys, and our records allow visitors up to six months on that pairing. The side of the road is the same as in Italy, and so is little else. The alcohol limit is absolute zero, the fines are written in dirhams with black points attached, and the emergency numbers are different.

Licence and permit

The Italian licence on its own does not satisfy the rental counter. Carry the licence, the IDP and your passport together. Italy itself demands an IDP or a certified translation from non-EU visitors under article 135 of its Highway Code, so you know the logic from the other side; the UAE applies it to you. Our records note an exception in Dubai for some home licences, but that exception is described for Canadian licences, not Italian ones, so plan on the IDP.

Get the IDP in Italy before you fly. It must come from the authority that issued your licence.

Same side, different pace

Both countries drive on the right, so no side switch. The pace is different, and the limits are not the ones you know:

So the UAE is a little faster in towns and on rural roads, and slower on motorways. Cameras, fixed and mobile, cover the network, including average-speed zones, and lower limits can appear suddenly near interchanges.

Alcohol: no margin

The UAE’s limit is 0.0, a complete prohibition, against Italy’s 0.05. There is no allowance for a glass of wine with dinner, and the consequences are severe for a foreign driver. If you are driving, do not drink at all, including the night before an early start.

The fine scale, in dirhams

• Speeding up to 10 km/h over: AED 300 (about EUR 75)
• Speeding 20 km/h over: AED 600-700 (about EUR 150-175) plus 6 black points
• Speeding 30 km/h over: AED 1,000-2,000 (about EUR 250-500), 12 black points and vehicle impoundment
• No seatbelt: AED 400 plus 4 black points
• Handheld phone: AED 800 plus 4 black points
• Red light: AED 1,000, 12 black points and 30 days of impoundment

Compare Italy, where speeding up to 10 km/h over costs EUR 42-173, a phone EUR 250-1,000 with a suspension, and a red light EUR 167-665 plus 6 points. The UAE amounts look moderate at the bottom but carry impoundment at the top, which is a bigger problem for a hire car. Use the Speeding Fine Calculator for other cases.

What the car must carry

In Italy a reflective vest and a warning triangle are required. In the UAE the list is a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit and a warning triangle, with a reflective vest only recommended. Hire cars will have the required set; if you drive in a vehicle registered elsewhere, check it.

Emergency numbers

Italy answers on 112 and separate lines (113, 115, 118). In the UAE, 999 reaches police and is also the general number, 998 is the ambulance and 997 is the fire service. Italy’s 112 may not connect, so save the Emirati set before you collect the car.

Before you collect the car

• Carry your Italian licence, an IDP and passport together.
• Treat 0.0 as absolute and assume a camera on every road.
• Note that the minimum driving age is 17 in both countries, though rental firms set higher ones.
• Confirm the paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker and read the UAE driving guide.

Sources

• United Arab Emirates and Italy national driving data (licence rules, limits, fines, equipment, emergency numbers; checked 2026-10-20): UAE driving guide