Licence renewal in Dubai is so easy, it’ll make you cry

Updated April 11, 2025, 5:50 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast / Skyye Ndlovu

A viral video shows a woman renewing her license in under two minutes in Dubai. South Africans (and the rest of the world) are not okay.

Drivers license Dubai — @tetianaskoryna / Instagram

These days, driving isn’t just a convenience. It’s a survival skill.

Need to get to work? Drive. Need to buy bread? Drive. Need to escape load shedding and find a WiFi signal? Drive fast.

However, let’s talk about the real horror movie behind the wheel: renewing your driver’s licence.

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In South Africa, this process is like running a bureaucratic obstacle course designed by someone who really doesn’t like you.

You wake up at 5 am, stand in a queue that stretches to the next province, fill out a form that looks like it was written in ancient code, and pray to the admin gods that you’ve brought all the right documents. (Spoiler: you haven’t.)

Meanwhile, in places like Dubai, the game is being played on another level entirely.

A video by Tetiana Skoryna recently went viral for exposing just how absurdly easy it is to renew your licence in Dubai – and when we say easy, we mean “blink and it’s done” easy.

In the video, she walks up to a Smart Kiosk, taps in a few details, taps her card, and boom – her brand new licence card is printed and in her hand.

No paper. No human contact. No blood sacrifice. Just pure efficiency.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tetiana Skoryna || Dubai (@tetianaskoryna)

Naturally, the internet couldn’t believe it. The comments section was pure gold, with people comparing this easy process to how it’s done in their country.

It was global frustration, beautifully united in disbelief:

@piyushjoshi.9: “In India we have human kiosks and they only take cash. The card is delivered after 30 months.”

@muhammadua402: “Bro come to Nigeria, your car will become old while still waiting.”

@king_aymo: “If this happened in SA, you’d have to bribe the machine first before you pay the renewal fee.”

@robertaeatswell: “In Romania it takes three trips to the office, 20 missing documents you never knew you needed, a priest’s blessing and a 200 lei bribe.”

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Honestly, it’s comforting to know we’re not alone in the struggle. Misery loves global company.

Seriously, though, can someone please forward this video to whoever’s in charge of the traffic department?

We’re not asking for flying cars or teleportation, just a queue-free existence.

Until then, fellow South Africans, keep your documents ready and that camping chair in your car.