Vehicle Possession Certificate
- Question 1: In which cases a possession certificate is issued?
Answer 1:
- If the vehicle is damaged and should be transferred under the bank name, insurance name or as scrap.
- If the customer is not renewing the vehicle ownership and wants to avoid a delay penalty.
- If the customer wants to transfer the vehicle to another person without registering it.
- If the vehicle is not operational but the owner wants to keep it for maintenance.
- Question 2: Should both the buyer and seller pay all the traffic file fines when applying for issuing a vehicle possession certificate in the name of third party?
Answer 2: No, only the seller pays all the fines issued in Dubai.
- Question 3: What can the customer do if the Vehicle Possession Centre cancelled his vehicle?
Answer 3:
- If the vehicle is impounded in other emirates, the customer must contact the impounding authority.
- If the vehicle is impounded in the Emirate of Dubai, the customer must contact Dubai Police.
- If the customer doesn't know which was the impounding authority or didn’t know that his vehicle was impounded, he must call 8009090.
- Question 4: What if a company has a transfer certificate from Dubai to another emirate but wants to issue a possession certificate under an individual's name in Dubai?
Answer 4: The company must first transfer the vehicle back under its name in the other emirate. Then, it can apply for a non-registered vehicle certificate under the individual’s name in Dubai.
Certificate of Vehicle Transfer from Dubai to Another Emirate
- Question 1: Can the customer apply for a vehicle transfer from Dubai to another emirate (for example: Abu Dhabi) in the other emirate?
Answer 1: Yes, the customer can apply for a vehicle transfer at one of the federal centres and hand over the plates, provided that the vehicle is not mortgaged and its registration is valid.
- Question 2: What is the procedure if the customer imports a vehicle from abroad and decides to sell it before registering it or even decides to register it in another emirate?
Answer 2: If the company imports a vehicle, it may transfer its ownership. If an individual imports a vehicle, he can request a Vehicle Clearance Certificate to register it in any emirate.
- Question 3: If the vehicle is registered in Dubai and is in Qatar, can the owner transfer its ownership to a person living in Dubai?
Answer 3: The customer can't transfer the ownership of a vehicle if it's located outside Dubai.
- Question 4: What if the customer applies for a transfer certificate and then changes his mind?
Answer 4: In case the vehicle is transferred from Dubai to another emirate and the customer wishes to register it in Dubai, he must carry out the vehicle technical inspection using the transfer certificate and complete the registration in Dubai.
If the vehicle is transferred from another emirate to Dubai and the customer wishes to register it in the emirate from which it was transferred, he must apply for a transfer certificate from Dubai to the other emirate.
- Question 5: If a buyer has fines on his Dubai traffic file, must he pay them before obtaining a transfer certificate?
Answer 5: No.
- Question 6: What's the procedure if the transfer certificate from Dubai to another emirate doesn't appear in the system of the other emirate?
Answer 6:
- The customer must wait for 24 hours after the issuance of the transfer certificate.
- If the certificate is still not showing after 24 hours, the customer must visit the Unified Traffic System (UTS) centre of the other emirate and update the Emirates ID in the traffic file. The customer must also check if there are multiple UTS files associated with him and merge them into one traffic file to be linked with the Dubai traffic file.
- If the issue remains unresolved, the customer must call 8009090.
- Question 7: Can the customer transfer a vehicle which is still under a bank loan (mortgage) from Dubai to another emirate in the same owner’s name?
Answer 7: Yes. The customer must first obtain an electronic NOC from the financing bank to proceed with the transfer. The transfer certificate must remain under the same owner’s name. However, if the service involves changing the vehicle ownership, the mortgage must be fully cleared before proceeding.
Vehicle Export Certificate
- Question 1: What is the procedure if the customer applies for the export certificate from Dubai and then changes his mind and decides to register the vehicle in another emirate?
Answer 1: The customer must visit the service centre to get a possession certificate to register the vehicle in another emirate.
- Question 2: What is the procedure if the customer loses the export certificate and the certificate is expired and the vehicle is outside the UAE?
Answer 2: The customer must apply for a new export certificate.
- Question 3: How can the customer check the chassis number if he doesn’t have the original export certificate to bring the vehicle to the UAE?
Answer 3: The customer should communicate with the UAE embassy and submit a copy of the export certificate in order to receive a letter from the embassy allowing him to proceed with the service.
- Question 4: Is a chassis inspection required for a vehicle export certificate?
Answer 4: If the vehicle is licensed and the ownership is valid, no chassis inspection is needed for export, with or without export plates. If the vehicle is unlicensed or the ownership has expired, a chassis inspection is required, with or without plates.
- Question 5: What are the inspection fees to export a heavy vehicle?
Answer 5: If the vehicle is owned by an individual, a chassis test must be taken and the fee is 35 AED. If the vehicle is owned by a company, a technical test must be taken and the fee is 130 AED.
- Question 6: In case the export certificate expired and the customer didn't export the vehicle, what are the fines to be paid if the customer registers the vehicle without renewing the certificate?
Answer 6: There aren’t any fines, but the customer cannot renew the certificate, but must have a new insurance to export the vehicle via Dubai Customs.
- Question 7: Is the resident allowed to issue an export vehicle if the residence visa has expired?
Answer 7: No, the resident must have a valid visa.
- Question 8: Is the personal presence of the export plates owner and the export certificate along with the person who will be driving the vehicle outside the country mandatory?
Answer 8: Yes, the personal presence is mandatory.
- Question 9: Is it possible to export a vehicle with window tinting films?
Answer 9: The new law requires the removal of the window tinting films before exporting the vehicle.
- Question 10: What is the procedure if the customer has an export certificate which is valid for 15 days only and it expires?
Answer 10: A chassis test is required.
- Question 11: If a Dubai branch of a foreign company has registered vehicles on its traffic file, what are the required documents to apply for an export certificate for one of the vehicles? Is a Memorandum of Association required?
Answer 11: There is no memorandum of association if the company in Dubai is a branch of a foreign company. Therefore, the required documents are the following:
- Memorandum of Association of the parent company, translated into Arabic and certified or attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Letter of authorisation to the manager representing the company in the Emirate of Dubai stating his authorisation to dispose of vehicles.
- Question 12: What's the procedure if the customer wants to register a Dubai vehicle in another country, and the vehicle isn't in Dubai but in that country?
Answer 12: If the customer wants to cancel the vehicle registration while the vehicle is already outside the UAE and register it in the other country, he must:
- Provide a letter in Arabic from the relevant licensing authorities in the country, addressed to RTA and stamped by the UAE embassy in that country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dubai (with the exception of GCC countries).
- Head to one of the service providers or Customer Happiness Centres to obtain a possession certificate for cancelling the vehicle, based on the official letter from the licensing authorities in the other country. No technical test is required.
- The customer or his legal representative must be present in person. The application is for a possession certificate, not an export certificate, as the vehicle is already exported and only needs cancellation from the Dubai system.
Note: A clearance certificate isn't required by RTA. The customer must check with the licensing authorities in the other country for their specific requirements.
- Question 13: Can the customer apply for an export certificate without a valid Emirates ID or if his visa is cancelled?
Answer 13: Yes, a valid Emirates ID isn’t required. If the customer’s visa is cancelled, he can apply using a copy of the passport.
- Question 14: Can a seller export a vehicle under the buyer’s name if the buyer’s passport is expired and has no traffic file in Dubai?
Answer 14: No, the passport must be valid if the buyer doesn’t have an active traffic file in Dubai. However, if the buyer has an active traffic file in Dubai, he can apply even if the passport is expired.
- Question 15: If the customer is applying for an export certificate under the buyer's name, is it required for the buyer to be present in the centre?
Answer 15: No, only a copy of the buyer’s passport is required.
- Question 16: Does the testing centre retrieve the vehicle registration card after issuing an export certificate?
Answer 16: Yes, the registration card is retrieved and destroyed.
- Question 17: Can the customer apply for an export certificate for a trailer?
Answer 17: Yes, if the trailer is registered in Dubai. If the trailer isn’t registered in Dubai, the customer must apply for chassis numbering and inspection at the service provider centres before applying for an export certificate (Export certificate fees are AED 170).
- Question 18: Can the technical inspection of the vehicle for an export certificate be carried out in another emirate?
Answer 18: No, the technical inspection for the export certificate must take place in Dubai.
- Question 19: Can the customer replace lost export plates?
Answer 19: No, the customer must apply for a new export certificate and receive new plates. Additionally, the customer must submit a police report for the lost plates, specifying the plate number.
- Question 20: How can the customer change the shipping company name in the export certificate?
Answer 20: The customer must apply for a new certificate and carry out a new vehicle technical inspection for the export in Dubai. For exceptions, the customer must check with the centre supervisor.
- Question 21: What if the customer has issued an export certificate to a buyer but wants to transfer it to another?
Answer 21: In this case, the second owner or his legal representative must be present in person at the testing centre. The vehicle must be inspected again to issue a new export certificate to the new buyer.
- Question 22: What if the customer has issued an export certificate under another person’s name and wants to register it back under his own name?
Answer 22: The new owner or his representative must be present in person at the inspection centre. Otherwise, the previous owner must provide a notarised Power of Attorney from the new owner.
- Question 23: If the customer has lost the RTA-stamped export certificate and only has a scanned copy, but his country requires the original stamped document while the vehicle is already outside the UAE, can he print the certificate from the RTA website and have someone get it stamped at an RTA branch?
Answer 23: Once the vehicle has left the UAE, it isn’t possible to replace the export certificate. Instead, the vehicle owner or his legal representative can apply for a "To Whom It May Concern Certificate of an Exported Vehicle," confirming that the vehicle was exported outside the UAE. This certificate can be obtained at the Customer Happiness Centre in Deira.
- Question 24: Can a company change the export certificate ownership from one company to another outside the UAE?
Answer 24: The legal representative of the second company must be present in person at the testing centre with the following documents: a Power of Attorney, a copy of the trade licence, and an official letter in Arabic. All documents must be stamped by the UAE embassy and attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Question 25: How can the customer return export plates after using them to drive the vehicle out of the UAE?
Answer 25: The plates must be returned to the customs in the destination country.
- Question 26: What approvals are required to export a light vehicle over 5 years old to Saudi Arabia?
Answer 26: For light vehicles over 5 years old and classic vehicles, the customer needs an approval from the Saudi Ports Authority confirming that the vehicle can be registered there.
