Car Rental in Dubai for Russian Visitors

The UAE lets tourists from a set list of countries drive on their national licence alone, but in practice most Dubai rental companies ask a Russian visitor for the national licence and an International Driving Permit (IDP) together. The IDP is an official translation of your licence, not a licence in its own right, so the two are only valid side by side.

Arrange the IDP at home before you fly — it is issued in your country of residence and cannot be obtained in the UAE. Bring the plastic Russian licence as well; an IDP on its own is not accepted.

• Your Russian national driving licence — the physical card.
• An International Driving Permit, obtained at home before you travel.
• Your passport with the entry stamp or visa.
• Minimum age is usually 21, and higher — often 23 or 25 — for larger or premium cars.

Requirements differ from one company to the next and the rules can change, so confirm exactly what the company needs from a Russian licence holder when you book, not at the counter.

This is the part that catches Russian visitors out. Since 2022, Visa and Mastercard cards issued by Russian banks generally do not work in the UAE — not for the rental, and not for the refundable security deposit that companies hold on a credit card. Cards on the Russian Mir network are not accepted in the UAE either.

So decide how you will pay before you land, rather than discovering the problem at the desk. The workable options are usually one of these:

• Use a credit card issued by a bank outside Russia, in the main driver's name — the simplest route if you have one.
• UnionPay: it is accepted at many UAE terminals, but ask the specific company whether it will take a UnionPay card for the deposit hold, not only for payment.
• Cash deposit, where the company allows it — some do, though the amount held is often higher than a card hold.
• No-deposit rental, which keeps the hold off a card altogether — useful here, but check what you give up first.

Get the accepted payment and deposit methods confirmed in writing before you book. Do not assume a home card will work, and do not rely on sorting it out with cash on arrival.

Beyond the daily rate, a few charges are worth knowing so the final bill holds no surprises. Salik road tolls are charged automatically as you pass the gates and passed on by the rental company; traffic fines reach the company and are billed to you, usually with an admin fee on top; and 5% VAT applies. Fuel is inexpensive by European standards.

• Salik Tolls in Dubai

Many companies deliver to a hotel or to the airport terminals, which saves the airport counter surcharge and is welcome after a long flight. Agree the pick-up point and the all-in price before the booking is taken. Popular places to rent from include the airport, Deira, Bur Dubai, Downtown and Dubai Marina.

With the car settled, the other early jobs for a Dubai trip are your entry visa and a local data connection for maps and ride-hailing. Both are quick, and whether you even need a car depends on your plans — for day trips out of the city it usually pays off, while for a central stay the Metro and taxis are often enough.

• Dubai Metro from the Airport