KSA Driving License- Requirements and Procedure in 2024

The affordable gasoline prices and the availability of cheap vehicles make it possible for everyone to fulfill their dream of driving on Saudi roads. However, it is impossible without a valid KSA driving license because driving without a Saudi permit may result in heavy fines and vehicle confiscation. Therefore, as a Saudi national or as an expat, it must be your prime responsibility to apply for a driving license. However, applying for a driver’s License in Saudi Arabia is hazardous if you do not know the types of driving licenses allowed in the Kingdom. Therefore, before delving deep into the driving license procedure, we have enlisted the types of driving licenses.

Types of KSA Driving License

An individual arriving for the first time in Saudi Arabia can apply for any driving license from the list:

The procedure for applying for any of the above 6 driving license types is almost the same, with different fees and requirements.

Eligibility Criteria for Saudi Driving License

To obtain a KSA driving license, an individual must fulfill the following criteria, failing which makes you ineligible for a driving license in Saudi Arabia.

• The applicant must have attained an age of 18 years.
• An active Absher account of the applicant is also among the eligibility criteria.
• A valid medical check-up report from an approved medical facility within the Kingdom. Remember, the medical examination report includes an eye test and blood tests.
• An Iqamah (residence permit) is also mandatory for non-Saudis.
• Payment receipt for the fee payment according to the license type

Documents Required for KSA Driving License

Applying for a Saudi Driving License becomes easy if the applicant gathers all the required documents promptly. Remember that the documents needed to apply for a Saudi Driving License may vary for different driving license categories. Here are the lists of documents required for various types of driving licenses.

General Requirements

Do you know that some documents are mandatory for all types of driving licenses in Saudi Arabia? These are:

Apart from these general requirements, there are different requirements for different types of driving licenses.

Public Driving License

• Proof of minimum 21 years of age
• The nature of the employment requiring a public driving license
• Certificate of not having any criminal record
• A reference letter in case the individual is a government employee
• A copy of the family record or a certificate from the civil department identifying the occupation

Private Driving License

• The applicant must be 18 years of age
• A copy of the civil affairs ID

Heavy Vehicle Driving License

• HTV driving license form duly filled
• Identification letter from an official authority in case of Saudis and sponsorship letter from a sponsor in case of non-Saudis
• Occupation requiring an HTV driving license

Motorcycle Driving License

• The minimum age requirement is 16 years
• Specified form filled carefully
• A copy of Civil ID for Saudis and copies of Iqama and Passport for non-Saudis
• Guardian letter
• An identification letter approved by the Authority
• Good conduct and behavior certificate

Diplomatic Driving License

• Filled in the specified form
• An approval letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• A copy of the Arabic version of the home country’s driving license with a stamp from the diplomatic Authority

How to Apply for Driving License in KSA?

If you want to know how to apply for a KSA Driving License, follow the KSA driving license procedure given below:

• Go to the Absher Plateform here
• Under the “Services Guide” tab, locate the “Driving License Issuance” tab
• The first step in obtaining a new driving license is to book an appointment with a driving school for theoretical testing.
• You will receive a verification message when your application is approved.
• On the appointed day, visit the driving school and pass the necessary tests.
• After passing the theory tests, visit any approved medical facility for a medical check-up.
• Remember that individuals with a valid foreign or international driving license recognized by the Kingdom are exempted from the theory tests.

Driving License Application Status

After applying for a driving license, an individual can follow up or check the driver’s license application status. The detailed procedure is as follows:

• Login to your Absher Account
• Navigate to the “Public Services” tab and locate “Public Query Driving License.”
• Now, enter your national ID or Iqama number and date of birth, and enter the image code in the box below.
• After you fill in all the details, click on the “View” button below to know the status of your KSA driving license application.

Saudi Driving Test Appointment

You cannot obtain a KSA driving license unless you pass the recommended tests. Therefore, booking an appointment for a Saudi driving license test is crucial to the application process. However, you can book your slot easily by following the below steps:

Step 1: Go to the official Absher website at https://absher.sa and choose “individuals” to access services specified for individuals. Now, log in using your registered username and password. If you have not registered earlier, sign up for the new account.

Step 2: After logging in to your account, navigate to the “Appointments” tab on the main screen and select “Traffic” under it to access traffic-related services. Click “Proceed to the Service” to initiate the process.

Step 3: Click “Book New Appointment” to start the process. Here, you will see various options related to the Saudi Driving Test. You will select the option according to your driving skills.

Step 4: Now, the applicants will choose their regions and select the nearest driving schools to book an appointment. After selecting the school from the drop-down menu, the system will highlight the available dates and times. You can choose the date and time that suits your schedule.

Don’t forget to print the appointment schedule or save a pdf on your mobile. Reach the driving school on the scheduled date and time for the Saudi driving license test.

Saudi Driving Test

After an individual passes the medical examination for a KSA driving license, he has to undergo a Saudi first-try test. The main objective of this test is to assess the applicants’ basic driving concepts. An examiner takes and grades the test between A and D. Obtaining an A grade means the candidate is ready for the final test. Any score below ‘A’ means the applicant has to attend the driving classes based on the examiner’s assessment.

After passing the KSA driving license test, the applicants are given separate dates for the reverse parking test and the Saudi driving license computer test. Remember that Saudi Arabia computer test for driving license consists of 20 questions. You have to attempt all these questions in 30 minutes. To be eligible for a driving license, the applicant must correctly answer at least 18 questions out of 20.

KSA Driving License Renewal

Like the Saudi National ID, a Saudi driving license is also issued for a specified period. It is binding upon all to renew their driving licenses promptly to avoid heavy violation fines. The Ministry of Interior has revolutionized the KSA driving license renewal process by launching the Absher platform.

Documents Required for KSA Driving License Renewal

If your driving license expiry date is near, you can initiate renewal by visiting the Absher application. Here are the requirements for driving license renewal:

Renewal Process

The KSA driving license renewal process is straightforward, like the new license application process. Follow the below steps to renew your driving license in Saudi Arabia through Absher Application:

• Login to your Absher account and locate “Services” under the “My Services” tab.
• Navigate to the “Traffic” tab and choose “Renew Driving License.”
• You will see the terms and conditions for renewing your KSA driving license. Click the “Next” button to proceed.
• Now, select your driving license type and renewal period as 2,5, or 10 years.
• Pay driving license renewal fees, and you are done.

You can collect your renewed driving license from the Traffic Police Office or Dallah Driving School. However, remember to confirm the timing of Dallah Driving School before visiting there. Take your Muroor appointment, original Iqama, and old driving license with you to receive your renewed License from the traffic police office.

 You can also opt for postal delivery of your KSA driving license. Therefore, carefully fill in the delivery details to avoid inconvenience.

Saudi Driving License Fees

The table below will illustrate the Saudi Driving License fees for different types of driving licenses.

Type of the Saudi Driving License	Fees (SAR)
Public Driving License	40
Private Driving License	40
Motorcycle Driving License	20
Heavy Vehicle Driving License	100
Temporary Driving License	100

The replacement fee for all types of KSA driving licenses is SAR 100. However, the renewal fees can differ for driving licenses with varying validity periods.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)