Distances in Dubai are long: from the hotel to the desert and to the other emirates it is more convenient to drive yourself than to chain taxis together. The paperwork is simple. What takes getting used to is the other side of the road.
A Japanese licence and its English version
Japan is on the list of countries whose national licences are accepted in the UAE without an International Driving Permit (IDP). The list is approved by the Ministry of Interior and applies in every emirate. The condition is simple: the licence has to be in Latin script or carry a Latin-script duplicate. Japanese licences come with an English version, so bring the original together with it.
We hand over the car against those documents, and there is no separate permit to arrange. The rule is for visitors: if you receive a UAE residence visa, you cannot drive on a foreign licence and need a local one.
- Passport with a valid UAE visa or entry stamp.
- Japanese licence with its English version, valid for the whole rental.
- Age and experience: 21 or older with at least a year of driving. There is no young-driver fee. A few supercars have stricter terms, shown on the car page.
- A second driver: their licence and passport are needed at handover.
Left-hand traffic at home, right-hand here
In Japan you sit on the right and drive on the left. In the UAE the wheel is on the left and traffic keeps to the right. For the first half hour your brain will offer the familiar, so it helps to know where mistakes usually happen.
- Roundabouts. At home they run clockwise, here anti-clockwise, and you give way to traffic coming from the left. Take the first few slower than usual.
- Leaving car parks and petrol stations. On an empty road it is easy to drift into the old, left-hand lane. Repeat to yourself: "right".
- Indicator and wiper stalks. Depending on the car, they may be on the opposite side from a Japanese-market car. Turning on the wipers instead of the indicator on day one is normal.
- Judging the car's width. You now sit by the left edge, so your feel for the right side of the car is off. Leave extra room when parking and passing.
- Pace. Drivers on multi-lane highways change lanes often and sometimes abruptly. Check mirrors and blind spots more than you are used to, and feel free to keep your distance.
For the first drive, pick a wide, well-marked highway rather than tight streets. Speed is in km/h as at home: Sheikh Zayed Road is posted at 100 or 120 km/h depending on the stretch. Enforcement is mostly by camera, and in Dubai cameras typically record from about 21 km/h over the limit, while Abu Dhabi has no margin.
Japanese brands in our fleet
If you are used to Toyota, Mazda or Lexus, there is something for every budget. Prices are as of October 2026, and the current price is on each car page.
| Car | Day, AED | Week, AED | Month, AED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Raize 2024, 170 hp | 109 | 750 | 2,490 |
| Toyota C-HR 2024 | 160 | 1,040 | 3,500 |
| Mazda CX-5 2024, all-wheel drive | 170 | 1,100 | 3,750 |
| Mazda CX-60 2025, 285 hp | 280 | 1,680 | 5,600 |
| Toyota GR86 2024, 4 seats | 280 | 1,680 | 5,600 |
| Lexus RX 350 2024 | 450 | 2,700 | 9,000 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 300 VXR 2024, 7 seats | 600 | 3,600 | 12,000 |
| Nissan GT-R 2024, 565 hp | 1,000 | 5,800 | 19,000 |
For the city and a couple of outings, the Toyota Raize or C-HR is enough. A family with luggage will be more comfortable in a Mazda CX-5 or Lexus RX. For anyone who enjoys spirited driving there are the GR86 and the GT-R. The 2023 Mazda CX-30 is also in the fleet, with its own terms including a minimum rental of 2 days, shown on its page.
Payment and rental terms
We accept cash, bank cards and e-wallets. Before you travel, check with your bank that your card works abroad. When you pay by card, the rental amount may be held as a pre-authorisation and charged at the end. Most cars need no deposit. If one does, it is shown on its page: some cars come from a partner company with its own terms, a deposit of AED 1,000 and a minimum rental of 3 or 7 days. Insurance is included in the price, and 250 km per day is included.
Tolls, parking and the office
Salik toll gates have no barriers, and a tag is built into the car. A crossing costs AED 6.30 at peak times Monday to Saturday (6:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 20:00), AED 4.20 otherwise, a flat AED 4.20 on Sundays and is free from 1:00 to 6:00. Salik and fines are paid by the renter at actual cost with no markup. Parking in Dubai is paid almost everywhere and linked to the number plate through an app or meter.
On rentals of 7 days or more, delivery and return anywhere in Dubai are free, and for shorter ones they cost AED 210 together. Our office is in Princess Tower, Dubai Marina, open daily 10:00 to 19:00, with Russian-speaking support. Ask about driving to Oman when booking: it is not allowed on partner cars.
