How to transfer a car ownership and registration in Dubai

Selling a used car have different tasks, procedures, and paperwork, and this is the next step and the most important after you finally find a buyer really interested in acquiring your used vehicle, but after you have gone through the entire process of getting a buyer for your used car, one of the most important parts is the transfer of the vehicle's registration because, with this, the property of the car is transferred.

Let's see what you have to take into account in this process

Car ownership transfer steps

Transferring ownership of a vehicle in Dubai and the UAE requires a few steps, but there are some things to keep in mind that can hinder the process, so follow this checklist to successfully transfer your used car to a new owner.

Checklist for a successful car transfer

1 - Pay all traffic and Salik fines

You cannot transfer a car if it has pending fines, for the same reason, you must pay any fine that you have not paid so that you do not have problems in the process you are going to carry out.

You can clear your tickets easily at the nearest police station or you can also do it online

2 - Total payment of bank loan on the vehicle

Any bank loan that you have on the vehicle must be paid before selling it, the RTA will not approve the transfer of a car if it still has an active bank loan that has not been paid in full.

At CYCUAE we can buy your used car even if you have a bank loan

After paying the entire bank loan, you must obtain a final payment receipt from the bank and then you can carry out the transfer process.

The other thing you can do is check if the Bank can give you a NOC (No Objection Certificate) to be able to sell the car, but we can tell you that this is somewhat difficult.

3 - Car Tested

When you are going to sell a used car, you must carry out a verification process of the automobile in an authorized center in Dubai, that is, a technical car inspection, this is a requirement that must be carried out because, with this, it is verified that the car is in a condition and driven safely.

Cost of the test in Dubai: 150 Dirhams

4 – New number plate

If you want to sell the car with a new plate number, you must remove the old plate and turn it in at the registration counter to get a new one.

5 - Car buyer's insurance contract

The seller's auto insurance policy should be terminated or if possible transferred to the new buyer, this is something that should be checked with the insurance company in advance because some of them can't be transferred.

In the case the insurance policy has expired or cannot be transferred, the new owner will need to obtain a new auto insurance policy.

6 - Certificate that the vehicle has not been stolen or lost

A police certificate should be obtained at a police station to verify that the vehicle is not stolen or has not been lost, thus preventing any type of fraud

Documents needed to transfer ownership of a car

Car seller documents

Emirates ID
Driver's license
The car registration card
Original Passport (if there is a loan and for non-citizens of UAE)
Resident Visa (if there is a loan and for non-citizens of UAE)
NOC certificate
Number plate of the police report
Certificate of the car technical damage inspection of an authorized and verified center in Dubai
Insurance papers

Car buyer documents

Emirates ID original and copy
Buyer’s driver's license original and copy
The resident’s visa (if you are not a UAE citizen) original and copy
The passport (if you are not a UAE citizen) original and copy
A new vehicle insurance contract in the name of the new buyer
Police report on the number plate of the car to verify that it has not been stolen or is lost (to avoid fraud) if you need to report a crime with your car. Follow this official resource of the UAE authorities
Handling emergencies - report crimes to the UAE authorities (The United Arab Emirates Government Portal)

The car number plate in a transfer process

The buyer of the used car can request a new plate or can also keep the plate number of the car and the latter happens in many cases, for example, when it is considered that it is a plate that has been in use for a long time and is considered distinguished, but there are certain rules about the retention of registration in the case of a transfer of a vehicle between a seller and a new buyer, and this is something that the RTA determines.

The process of transferring the car in a registration center

The transfers of the registration of a car are carried out at the headquarters of the Dubai Transit Police or the Emirate and it is very important to take into account that the registration process has to be carried out with the presence of the buyer and the seller.

Let's look at the steps to achieve transfer

1 - Make a vehicle permit application for the buyer and new owner (Apply for changing a Vehicle ownership)

2 - Presentation of the required documents of both the seller and the buyer together with the permission application at the registration counter.

What happens after delivering everything to the registration center?

Dubai or Emirates Transit Authorities will be in charge of checking if there are no pending fines for the car. If there is no problem, the authorization will be issued and the new owner must pay the transfer rate.

Once the payment is made and it is verified that everything is correct, the traffic authorities will print the new registration card (Mulkiya - UAE Automobile Registry Card) in the name of the new owner.

Who pays for the car ownership transfer?

This procedure must be paid by the buyer of the vehicle, as we mentioned before.

New registration

Once the transfer process has been completed and the new registration is issued, the buyer, and now the new owner of the car, will receive the following documents in the UAE:

1 - The new registration card

2 - Vehicle ownership certificate

3 - Current license plate expiration sticker (to stick on the rear number plate of the car)

4 - New car plate

How long does it take to transfer the registration certificate?

The general response time of the RTA to obtain this certificate can take between 7 days and up to 30 days, but this depends on the RTA.

Car ownership transfer fees in Dubai

The costs of transferring a car in Dubai, besides the selling agreement which has a cost of 50 Dirhams, vary according to its different types. Below we will show you some and their costs.

Motorcycle – 200 Dirhams

Light vehicles like Sedans, Hatchbacks, or PickUp–350 Dirhams

Vehicles between 3 and 12 tonnes–400 Dirhams

Vehicles exceeding 12 tonnes–1000 Dirhams

You can see and consult the complete list of the official fees on the RTA page in Service fees

If you want to sell your car quickly with an excellent offer, without having to invest time and money or expose yourself to risks, then bring us your used vehicle, and we will buy it for you in cash, very quickly, in less than 30 minutes, and without hidden fees, it does not matter if you have fines or a bank loan.