Can you drive on your licence?
The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism sets out who can rent with what. Visitors from GCC countries can drive on their home licence. So can visitors from 25 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Everyone else needs an International Driving Permit. The minimum rental age is 21, and some supercar companies ask for 25.
Rental companies add their own conditions. Hertz UAE wants a licence issued at least six months before pickup and a credit card for the security deposit. Thrifty UAE asks for 21 and over. The traffic fine for "driving with a licence issued by a foreign country except in permitted cases" is AED 400 under the federal fines schedule.
How much does Salik cost in a Dubai rental car?
Salik is Dubai's free-flow toll. A tag on the windscreen is read as you pass under a gate, and there are no booths. The Dubai government portal's Salik page lists the variable rates below, in force since 31 January 2025. The National reported Salik's announcement that 5% VAT applies from 1 June 2026, taking the tolls to AED 6.30 and AED 4.20:
| Time (Monday–Saturday) | Before VAT | With VAT (from 1 June 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Peak: 6–10 am and 4–8 pm | AED 6 | AED 6.30 |
| Off-peak: 10 am–4 pm and 8 pm–1 am | AED 4 | AED 4.20 |
| 1–6 am | Free | Free |
| Sundays, outside 1–6 am | AED 4 | AED 4.20 |
The portal notes that peak hours change during Ramadan, so check Salik's announcement if you are driving then. Public holidays and special events can follow different rules. The two newest gates, Business Bay Crossing and Al Safa South, opened on 24 November 2024, according to the Roads and Transport Authority. The RTA and the Dubai Media Office say a trip between the Al Safa North and Al Safa South gates within one hour is charged once, not twice.
What do Dubai rental companies charge on top of Salik?
The toll is only part of what you pay. Rental companies bill Salik after the car comes back, and their terms differ widely:
| Company (terms checked September 2026) | How Salik is charged | Traffic fines |
|---|---|---|
| Europcar | Gate charge only; says it adds no hidden admin fee | Not stated on its Salik page |
| Hertz UAE | Terms quote AED 5–7 per crossing | Fine plus a 12% service fee, including the "knowledge fee" |
| Thrifty UAE | Actual price plus a 25% administration fee, plus VAT | Passed on with a service fee and VAT |
The Hertz range was written before the June 2026 VAT change, so ask whether it has been updated. Darb crossings in Abu Dhabi are billed the same way. Thrifty applies its 25% mark-up to Darb as well.
Worked example: five days based in Dubai Marina
Suppose a visitor makes 12 peak and 8 off-peak Salik crossings in five days, commuting and sightseeing along Sheikh Zayed Road.
| Europcar-style (no mark-up) | Thrifty-style (plus 25% plus VAT on the fee) | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 peak crossings at AED 6.30 | AED 75.60 | AED 75.60 |
| 8 off-peak crossings at AED 4.20 | AED 33.60 | AED 33.60 |
| Administration fee | AED 0 | AED 27.30 |
| VAT on the fee | AED 0 | AED 1.37 |
| Total | AED 109.20 | AED 137.87 |
Timing matters as much as the company. Moving the same 12 peak crossings to off-peak hours saves AED 25.20 before any mark-up. A late return through a gate after 1 am costs nothing.
How much are Darb tolls when driving to Abu Dhabi?
Abu Dhabi's toll is called Darb, and Abu Dhabi Mobility runs it. Unlike Salik, Darb has no windscreen tag: the UAE government portal explains that vehicles are identified by their number plate. The standard charge is AED 4 per crossing at peak times: 7–9 am and 3–7 pm, not on Sundays or official holidays. There are no daily or monthly caps. On 4 May 2026 two new gates opened that charge AED 4 at all hours, every day:
- Ghantoot, on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ghantoot. Abu Dhabi Mobility names Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Street as the alternative route.
- Al Qurm, on Wahat Al Karama Street at the entrance and exit of Sheikh Zayed Street.
If your day trip from Dubai to Abu Dhabi uses Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street through the Ghantoot gate, allow AED 8 in Darb tolls for the two crossings, whatever time you travel. City-bridge gates in peak hours come on top. Hertz and Thrifty bill Darb crossings to renters after return, in the same way as Salik. Abu Dhabi fines vehicles that are not registered for Darb AED 100 to 400, so check with the company before driving a rental there.
Speed cameras, fines and black points
The federal fines schedule (Ministerial Resolution 178 of 2017, published on the UAE government portal) sets these speeding penalties for cars:
| Over the posted limit | Fine | Black points | Car impounded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 20 km/h | AED 300 | — | — |
| Up to 30 km/h | AED 600 | — | — |
| Up to 40 km/h | AED 700 | — | — |
| Up to 50 km/h | AED 1,000 | — | — |
| Up to 60 km/h | AED 1,500 | 6 | 15 days |
| More than 60 km/h | AED 2,000 | 12 | 30 days |
| More than 80 km/h | AED 3,000 | 23 | 60 days |
Running a red light costs AED 1,000, 12 black points and 30 days' impoundment. For a visitor in a rental car, the impoundment is the serious part: ask how your contract treats a car that is held by the police, because it is off the road for the whole period.
How long do UAE rental companies hold your deposit?
UAE rental deposits are held for a long time because of Salik bills and camera fines that arrive after the car is back. Hertz UAE blocks a deposit on a credit card and says it can take up to 29 days to release. It is only charged if Salik, fines or other costs are added after return. Thrifty UAE says a credit-card pre-authorisation can take up to 21 working days to release. A deposit taken by debit card is refunded 30 calendar days after return, and the bank takes a 2% service fee plus VAT.