A Portuguese citizen needs only a passport and a Portuguese driving licence to rent a car in Dubai: Portugal is in the EU, and licences from every EU country are accepted in the UAE without an International Driving Permit. The usual conditions apply: age 21 or older, at least one year of driving experience, and a refundable deposit from AED 1,000. You can pay by card, in cash or with an e-wallet.
Licence and documents
All 27 EU member states, Portugal included, are on the list approved by the UAE Ministry of Interior. With a Portuguese licence you get the car on one document, and the police will ask for nothing more at a stop. The licence is in Latin script, so translation is not an issue. At handover we need your passport with the entry stamp and the licence of everyone who will drive: a second driver is added to the contract.
If you are moving to Dubai for work, keep in mind that a foreign licence stops being valid once you hold a residence visa. Holders of EU licences exchange them for a UAE one at an RTA centre in a day without a test: an eye check, an Arabic translation and a fee of about AED 900.
The flight, the time difference and your first day
From Lisbon you fly direct or with a connection, and a direct flight takes about seven to eight hours. Dubai is four hours ahead of Portugal in winter and three in summer. Many flights land late in the evening or at night, and getting behind the wheel after a long journey and a time change is not ideal. It is often easier to take a taxi to the hotel and have the car delivered the next morning. Delivery and return anywhere in Dubai are free on rentals of 7 days or more; for shorter rentals they cost AED 210 for both directions together.
A typical trip from Portugal is a winter break of a week to ten days, often a couple or a family with children. From November to March Dubai is warm and dry, which is exactly when a convertible makes sense.
What will feel different behind the wheel
- Automatic instead of manual. Many Portuguese drivers use a manual at home, while rental cars in the UAE are as a rule automatic. A couple of minutes in the car park and you will be used to it.
- Salik works like Via Verde. The tag is already fitted to the car and the gates read it at driving speed with no barrier. A crossing costs AED 6.30 at peak hours (6:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 20:00 on weekdays and Saturday), AED 4.20 at other times and nothing from 1:00 to 6:00. You settle the actual crossings with us after the rental.
- The scale of the roads. Many sections of Sheikh Zayed Road have six or more lanes in each direction, and some exits are on the left. Set the navigation before you start and change lanes early.
- Cameras. Sheikh Zayed Road is posted at 100 or 120 km/h depending on the section. Dubai cameras typically record from about 21 km/h over the limit, while Abu Dhabi has no margin. Fines arrive electronically and are paid by the renter at actual cost.
Paying with a Portuguese bank card
Visa and Mastercard cards from Portuguese banks generally work in the UAE without issues. Check that international payments are enabled on the card and tell your bank about the trip, so the first transaction in dirhams is not flagged as suspicious. Domestic payment apps from home may not work abroad, so carry a regular card as well. When you pay by card, the rental amount may be held as a pre-authorisation and charged at the end. Cash in dirhams is accepted too.
Which cars suit a winter holiday
Prices are as of November 2026, and the current price is on each car page. All cars in the table include insurance and 250 km per day, and the deposit starts from AED 1,000.
| Car | Per day, AED | Per week, AED | Per month, AED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mazda 3 2025, 153 hp | 150 | 980 | 3,300 |
| Volkswagen Golf 2024, 150 hp | 160 | 1,040 | 3,500 |
| Peugeot 3008 2024, 5 seats | 200 | 1,200 | 4,000 |
| Renault Megane E-Tech 2024, electric | 200 | 1,200 | 4,000 |
| Toyota RAV4 2024, 203 hp | 220 | 1,320 | 4,400 |
| MINI Cooper Convertible 2024 | 300 | 1,800 | 6,000 |
| Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible 2024 | 300 | 1,800 | 6,000 |
| Mercedes-Benz C200 AMG Convertible 2022 | 349 | 2,390 | 6,990 |
The Golf, Peugeot 3008 and Megane will feel familiar from European roads, and the Mazda 3 is the most economical choice for a couple. A family with suitcases will find the RAV4 more practical. For a winter trip with the roof down, the MINI, Mustang or Mercedes C200 fit well: from November to March you can drive open during the day, while in summer it is simply too hot. Beyond 250 km a day, each extra kilometre costs AED 1 on the Mazda 3, Golf, 3008 and Megane and AED 2 on the RAV4 and the convertibles. The weekly rate beats the daily one: a Golf for seven days costs AED 1,040 instead of AED 1,120 paid day by day.
Day trips and how to book
From Dubai it is easy to spend a day in Abu Dhabi (about 140 km), in the Hatta mountains or in Al Ain with the road up Jebel Hafeet (both about 130 km). Abu Dhabi has its own Darb toll system, billed separately from Salik. A trip to Oman should be agreed when you book, and it is not allowed on partner cars.
Our office is in Princess Tower, Dubai Marina, open daily from 10:00 to 19:00; you can collect the car there or have it delivered. Send a request through the form on the car page with your dates, or write to info@rentalcars-dubai.ae. Agree any change of dates with us in writing.
