UAE to link health data to driver licensing under rules taking effect in 2027
UAE health authorities will be required to provide licensing officials with data on people whose medical conditions may affect their ability to drive safely under traffic regulations taking effect January 1, 2027. The rules also specify 12 grounds for suspending, canceling or refusing to renew driving licenses and permits.
Mariam Al Mansoori
Medical fitness and vision requirements
The health-data requirement covers conditions that could impair safe driving across vehicle categories, including cars and buses, Emirates247 reported. It is part of Cabinet Decision No. 174 of 2026, which implements Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on the Regulation of Traffic and is intended to improve road safety.
Applicants who fail a medical-fitness assessment can be examined again within a period determined by the licensing authority. They may undergo no more than three examinations during the year following the first assessment. If the third examination still finds them medically unfit, they must wait at least one year before another assessment.
People of determination are exempt from the standard medical-fitness provision for obtaining or renewing a license. Separate regulations apply to their circumstances.
Article 62 establishes vision standards by vehicle category. For light vehicles, drivers must have visual acuity of at least 6/18 in each eye, assessed separately. In cases of unequal vision or loss of one eye, the healthy eye must meet a 6/6 standard. Bus drivers and drivers of heavy and light equipment must have at least 6/6 vision in both eyes.
Licensing authorities may accept eye examination reports from outside the UAE when processing renewals of expired licenses.
When a license can be suspended, canceled or denied renewal
Article 75 separates the 12 grounds into three measures: suspension, cancellation and refusal to renew. Loss of the eligibility or medical fitness needed to drive is a ground for each measure, as is reaching the cumulative traffic-point limit.
Suspension has three grounds in total: a court-ordered suspension, reaching the black-point limit, or a finding that the driver no longer has the necessary eligibility or medical fitness.
Cancellation has five grounds. Alongside the traffic-point limit and loss of eligibility or medical fitness, they include a court order to cancel the license, a cancellation request from the applicant and the license holder's death.
Renewal can be refused on four grounds: loss of eligibility or medical fitness, a court ruling against renewal, outstanding traffic violations recorded against the driver's traffic code, or reaching the cumulative traffic-point limit.
Renewal deadlines, retesting and license terms
Under Article 73, drivers must submit renewal requests within 30 days of their license's expiration date. Renewal requires payment of the prescribed fees and compliance with the licensing authority's procedures. Drivers must also settle any applicable traffic fines or show proof that they have paid them.
A license left expired for more than 10 years triggers additional requirements. Article 76 requires its holder to take the theoretical and practical tests specified by the licensing authority and meet the other renewal conditions. The Federal Traffic Council is authorized to determine the minimum tests required.
License terms depend on age and residency. Holders younger than 21 receive temporary licenses lasting one year, renewable for the same period. First-time applicants aged 21 or older receive an initial two-year license.
The regulations provide for 10-year licenses for UAE nationals and Gulf Cooperation Council citizens, and five-year licenses for expatriate residents, renewable for equivalent periods.
Two-year permits for professional drivers
The rules also establish a separate professional driving permit category with a two-year validity period. It covers taxi and school bus drivers, heavy goods vehicle operators, bicycle delivery riders, and drivers carrying dangerous goods, hazardous materials or exceptional loads.
Applicants must already hold a valid UAE driving license. They must also have a clean driving record without serious or moderate accidents and satisfy character and conduct requirements.
