Rules and customs that catch visitors out

What is actually enforced, what is merely advised, and where the two get confused.

• Can you drive in Dubai on your home driving licence?On a visit visa, yes, if the licence was issued in a GCC country or a country on RTA's list, and only for cars and motorcycles. For any other licence, the route RTA names is an International Driving Licence issued abroad. The test is where the licence comes from, not your passport.checked 2026-09-26
• How long can you stay in Dubai on a tourist visa?On the multiple entry 5-year tourist visa, 90 days per visit, extendable by another 90. But the first question is whether you need a tourist visa at all — the UAE portal says it is for people who do not already get visa on arrival or visa-free entry, which is most visitors to Dubai.checked 2026-09-18
• How many phones can you take into Dubai, and what else does DXB limit?Fifteen mobile phones, and they have to be in the manufacturer's packaging. That is the one number Dubai Airports publishes for personal electronics, and it catches out people carrying devices as gifts or stock.checked 2026-09-15
• How much cash can you bring into Dubai without declaring it?There are two different thresholds, and the one for leaving is higher than the one for arriving. Most travel pages quote a single figure and apply it in both directions. Neither figure is a cap on how much you may carry — above the line you declare it.checked 2026-09-20
• How much is a Salik toll in Dubai?Two prices per gate, one for weekday peak and a lower one for off-peak and Sundays, and since June 2026 both carry 5% VAT on top. Salik says the tariffs themselves did not change, which is why older guides now quote too little. Crossing is free overnight.checked 2026-09-26
• How much VAT do you actually get back when you leave Dubai?Not the full VAT rate. The scheme refunds a fixed share of the VAT you paid and then deducts a flat fee from every tax-free tag, so what reaches you is meaningfully less than the advertised rate — and less again if your spending is split across several shops.checked 2026-09-16
• Is Global Village open right now?Not yet. Global Village is between seasons, but its own site now gives the next season a fixed opening day and an end month — until recently it gave only a month. Tickets are not on sale yet. Miracle Garden is also seasonal and still publishes no dates.checked 2026-09-24
• Is there any tax beyond VAT on what you buy in Dubai?Yes, on a short published list. A second tax called excise sits on tobacco, vaping devices and liquids, energy drinks, carbonated drinks and anything with added sugar — at rates far above the VAT rate. Everything else you buy carries VAT only.checked 2026-09-19
• What gets you fined on the Dubai Metro?RTA publishes a fixed fine for each offence. Visitors mostly run into four: riding without a valid fare, eating or drinking where it is not allowed, sitting in a cabin reserved for another group, and carrying alcohol — fined for carrying, not only for drinking.checked 2026-09-24

9 published in this cluster so far. It is built one page at a time, so that indexing can be measured before more pages are added.