Your driving licence in Qatar: swapping it, the test and the fees

Your first weeks: what each government says

Governments give different answers on how long you can drive on a home licence after you land. Follow your own, and carry an international driving permit with your licence until you hold a Qatari one.

• United Kingdom: carry a 1968 international driving permit with your UK licence until you have a Qatari one. You cannot buy the permit outside the UK. To drive for longer than 6 months you need a Qatari licence.
• United States: a US licence lets you drive for two weeks. An international driving licence is valid for six months from the day you arrive.
• Canada: up to 7 days on a Canadian licence, then an international driving permit. New residents may use the permit for up to six months and convert within that time. Only CAA issues the permit in Canada, and you can apply by mail from abroad.
• Australia: up to 15 days on your home licence from arrival. After that you need a temporary Qatari licence.
• Germany, Italy and Spain: 7 days on your home licence, and up to 6 months on an international licence. Italy says both only let you drive hire cars.
• Ireland: bring an international driving permit and check you have proper insurance.

Swap or test

Anyone with a residence permit needs a Qatari licence. The Ministry of Interior swaps licences from countries on its approved list without driving school. Everyone else goes through an authorised driving school and passes theory and practical tests.

Qatar Living says the current list is on the Ministry of Interior’s e services, which we could not read. It says the list covers most GCC states, many European countries, the US, Canada and Australia, and that since 2024 some GCC licence holders have been asked to sit a road test. Other websites print country lists with no official source, so treat them as a lead to check.

The rules have changed before, which is why forum answers disagree. In February 2017 the British Embassy told Gulf Times that UK licence holders had to pass theory, practical and eye tests, with no lessons needed. In October 2017 Gulf Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that licences from the UK, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, South Korea and Malaysia could again be swapped without tests.

At the Traffic Department in Madinat Khalifa we were told that a UK licence can be swapped without a test only if the holder is also a British citizen. We could not find this in writing, and a similar rule may apply to other countries.

France and Qatar signed an agreement to recognise and exchange each other’s licences in July 2018, and the French National Assembly approved it in April 2021. Italy and Spain tell their citizens to expect the tests.

What to bring

• Your Qatar ID. Residents need a valid residence permit to apply.
• Your original home licence, in date.
• An eye test certificate from an approved clinic. The Ministry’s medical check covers eyesight and general fitness.
• A certified translation if your licence is not in Arabic or English.
• A passport copy and photos.
• A no objection letter from your sponsor, if asked.
• You must be at least 18 for a car or motorcycle licence, and 21 for heavy vehicles.

What it costs

• Car licence for non Qataris: QAR 250 for 5 years. Motorcycle: QAR 150 for 5 years.
• Each driving test attempt: QAR 50.
• A temporary licence while you learn: QAR 150 for 3 months.
• Qatar Living puts the eye test at about QAR 25 to 50 and a translation at about QAR 100 to 150, so a swap costs about QAR 400 to 450 in all.
• Qatar Living puts the driving school route at about QAR 3,800 to 4,300, including the course, the tests and the licence.

If you go through a driving school

The Ministry of Interior lists nine authorised schools: Al Raya, Gulf, Doha Driving Academy, Qatar Modern, United, Al Khebra, Al Hasba, Karwa and Dalla.

You enrol, pass the theory and practical tests, then collect your licence at the school’s traffic office, or online through Metrash or the Ministry of Interior website. Qatar Living says that depending on your experience, the school may set a road test only, or a half or full course.

Until your licence is ready

• Driving without a valid licence can bring one month to three years in prison, a fine of QAR 10,000 to 50,000, or both, under Article 94 of Law No. 5 of 2015. Letting someone without a licence drive your car is also an offence.
• To hire a car you need your home licence as well as the international one. Hire firms rent for as long as your visa is valid.
• Ask your employer how you will get to work until your licence arrives. Our guide to getting around Doha covers the metro, buses and taxis.

Getting around Doha without a car: metro, buses and taxis

Your home licence after you move

• You cannot renew or replace a UK driving licence while you live in Qatar. If your photocard is due soon, renew it before you leave.
• For other countries, check with your licensing authority before you go.