A Swiss citizen needs a passport and a Swiss driving licence to rent a car in Dubai: Switzerland is named on the list of countries whose licences the UAE accepts without an International Driving Permit. Our conditions are the same for everyone: age 21 or older and at least one year of experience. Every car has a refundable deposit from AED 1,000, and you can pay for the rental by card, in cash or with an e-wallet.
Licence and documents
The list of recognised countries is approved by the UAE Ministry of Interior, and Switzerland sits on it alongside the EU, the UK, Norway and Iceland. With a Swiss licence you collect the car on one document, and the police need nothing more at a stop. At handover we photograph your passport and licence. If a second person will drive, their licence and passport are needed too, and they are added to the contract.
If you move to Dubai and receive a residence visa, your Swiss licence stops being valid for driving. Holders of licences from recognised countries exchange them for a UAE licence at an RTA centre in a day without a test, for a fee of about AED 900.
The flight and a typical trip
There are direct flights from Zurich and Geneva, taking about six hours. Dubai is three hours ahead of Switzerland in winter and two in summer, so jet lag is mild and you can collect the car on the day you land. Most Swiss trips are a dose of sun in the middle of winter: a week, a school holiday, or a break instead of a ski week. Delivery and return anywhere in Dubai are free on rentals of 7 days or more, so a weekly rental delivered to the hotel is usually the most convenient option.
Cameras, speed and Salik from a Swiss driver's view
At home you are used to strict fines for small speeding margins. Dubai works on a similar principle, with enforcement mostly through cameras rather than patrols, but a few differences are worth knowing in advance.
- Camera threshold. Dubai cameras typically record from about 21 km/h over the limit. Abu Dhabi has no margin at all, so stick exactly to the limit there.
- Higher limits. Sheikh Zayed Road is posted at 100 or 120 km/h depending on the section. Signs change often, so watch them rather than the flow of traffic.
- Salik instead of a vignette. There is no annual sticker; you pay per gate crossing: 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, free from 1:00 to 6:00. The tag is already in the car, and you settle actual crossings with us after the rental.
- Darb in Abu Dhabi is a separate system with its own rules and its own bill.
Fines and Salik are paid by the renter at actual cost. The UAE has mountain roads too: the climb up Jebel Hafeet near Al Ain (about 130 km from Dubai) and up Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah. After Alpine passes they will feel easy, with wide, well-surfaced roads that do not need four-wheel drive.
Payment: francs, cards and pre-authorisation
Visa and Mastercard cards from Swiss banks work in the UAE without problems. A debit card that runs only on a domestic network may not work abroad, so bring a regular international card. When you pay by card, the rental amount may be held as a pre-authorisation and charged at the end. For a premium car over a week that is a noticeable sum, so check your credit limit before you travel.
Unlike the dirham, which is pegged to the US dollar, the franc floats. If a card terminal asks which currency to pay in, choose dirhams and let your own bank do the conversion, usually at a fairer rate. Francs can be changed at exchange houses in malls, where rates beat the airport.
Which cars Swiss visitors choose
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW X3 xDrive30i 2024, 252 hp | 400 | 2,400 | 8,000 |
| Audi Q5 45 TFSI 2024, 265 hp | 400 | 2,400 | 8,000 |
| Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 2024, 258 hp | 450 | 2,700 | 9,000 |
| Mercedes-Benz E200 2024, 204 hp | 500 | 3,000 | 10,000 |
| Range Rover Velar 2023, 250 hp | 500 | 3,000 | 10,000 |
| Land Rover Defender 110 2024, 400 hp | 598 | 3,790 | 12,900 |
| Porsche Macan 2025, 265 hp | 650 | 3,770 | 12,350 |
| BMW X5 xDrive40i 2024, 381 hp | 650 | 3,770 | 12,350 |
| Range Rover Sport 2024, 400 hp | 900 | 5,220 | 17,100 |
The X3, Q5 and GLC are the familiar European class at a sensible price. The E200 suits a business trip. For a family holiday with mountain and desert drives, look at the Defender 110 or the Range Rover Sport. Mind the mileage: beyond 250 km a day, each extra kilometre costs AED 2 on the cars up to and including the Velar, but AED 5 on the Macan, X5, Defender and Range Rover Sport. A week beats paying by the day: the Macan costs AED 3,770 for seven days against AED 4,550 at the daily rate. If you want something simpler, our fleet of about 360 cars starts from AED 109 a day.
How to book
Send a request through the form on the car page with your dates, or write to info@rentalcars-dubai.ae. Our office is in Princess Tower, Dubai Marina, open daily from 10:00 to 19:00. The minimum rental is one or two days on premium cars and seven days on more affordable ones, and for rentals under 7 days delivery and return cost AED 210 together. A trip to Oman has to be agreed when you book, and it is not allowed on partner cars. Agree any change of dates with us in writing.
