Before you start

A valid Iqama — nothing can start without one
Your original, unexpired foreign licence
Confirmation that the issuing country is on Muroor's approved list
An active Absher account with the app installed

Step-by-step

1
Check the approved-country list first
Muroor's list — commonly described as around 47 countries, including the US, UK, EU states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the GCC — determines whether you skip the road test. It is bilateral and has changed over time, so verify the current position through Absher or Muroor rather than trusting a forum post.
OnlineWho: YouSame dayFree
2
Get the certified Arabic translation
A licensed translation office must produce it; the traffic office will not accept your original licence alone. Dammam and Khobar both have accredited offices, several near the traffic departments. Carry the original and the translation together.
In personWho: YouSame day to a few daysRoughly SAR 100 and up
3
Complete the Efada medical
An Efada-approved centre tests eyesight and colour vision and draws blood to record your blood group, which is printed on the licence. Results transmit electronically into the Absher system — there is no paper report to carry. No exemption exists for experienced drivers.
In personWho: YouAbout an hourCommonly SAR 115–250
4
Book the replacement appointment on Absher
Appointments, then Traffic, then the foreign-licence replacement service. Choose an Eastern Province centre and upload both sides of the licence plus the translation. Booking is instant; the slot may be weeks out, so book before the translation is even done.
Mobile appWho: YouInstant to book; days or weeks to attendBooking fee around SAR 50
5
Attend, pay through SADAD, collect the card
Bring the Iqama, the original licence, the translation and photographs. Approved-country holders are processed without a road test and usually receive the card the same day. Others take an assessment and, if they pass, a shortened course before testing.
In personWho: YouOften same-day issuanceRoughly SAR 80 for 2 years, 200 for 5, 400 for 10
6
Sort insurance and the Istimara before you plan a causeway trip
If you buy a car, the registration document — the Istimara — must be current and in your name, or you need a certified authorisation from the owner. Standard Saudi motor insurance does not automatically extend to Bahrain, so a separate short-term cover is bought for the crossing. Work all of this out before the Thursday you intend to leave.
OnlineWho: YouBefore any cross-border tripShort-term Bahrain cover is inexpensive; verify at purchase

Documents you’ll need

Valid Iqama, original
Original foreign licence plus certified Arabic translation
Efada medical result, transmitted electronically
Passport and photographs as requested
Vehicle Istimara and valid insurance, if you own a car

Things most newcomers don’t know

Whether your country is on the approved list is the whole timeline, not a detail.

On the list, conversion is a morning's admin. Off it, you sit an assessment and then a shortened course before testing, which turns the process into weeks of school bookings. The list is managed bilaterally and has changed, so check it now rather than relying on what a colleague from a different country experienced. This is the one question to answer before you plan anything else about driving here.

Source: General Department of Traffic (Muroor) via Absher

Your blood group is printed on the licence, which is why the medical is compulsory.

The Efada check bundles vision, colour vision and a blood draw, and the group goes onto the card so emergency responders have it at a crash scene. That is why a driver with thirty years' clean history still attends a clinic. Do it before the Absher appointment — the traffic office reads the result from the system and will not proceed without it on file.

Source: Efada / Absher licence service

Without a licence you are not immobile here, but you are expensive.

The Eastern Province has no metro and a thin bus network, and the three cities sit twenty to thirty minutes apart. Uber and Careem cover the metro area cheaply and many people never buy a car. But if you commute Khobar to Dhahran daily and add a school run, ride-hailing quietly becomes a four-figure monthly cost. Price both properly before assuming you can skip the conversion.

Source: Regional transport provision; community-reported

Taking your own car to Bahrain needs paperwork your Saudi licence alone does not cover.

Crossing the causeway with your own vehicle means a valid Istimara in your name or a certified owner's authorisation, plus insurance that is actually valid in Bahrain — standard Saudi cover generally is not, and short-term cover is bought for the crossing. Add the exit and re-entry permit and the Bahraini entry requirements for your nationality. People discover the insurance gap in the queue at Passport Island.

Source: King Fahd Causeway Authority requirements; Saudi motor insurance practice

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming your country is on the approved list because a colleague converted easily.
Arriving at the traffic office with an untranslated licence.
Starting the process before the Iqama exists, or letting it lapse mid-process.
Forgetting to re-link the licence to a new Iqama number after a residency renewal or employer change.
Driving to the causeway on Saudi-only insurance and discovering the gap at the border.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.