Shipping your car abroad: the RTA export certificate

To ship your car abroad, cancel its Dubai registration with an RTA export certificate (AED 70 for a light vehicle, valid 7 days). Pay all fines and any loan, choose Cancel Vehicle Registration, then Export Outside UAE in the RTA app or website, hand the plates back within 14 days and give the certificate to your shipping agent.

When
6 weeks to 2 weeks before your flight
Time
1 hour plus shipping arrangements
Cost
RTA export certificate AED 70 for a light vehicle (AED 140 with export plates), plus shipping

Do it on RTAThe official page, in a new tab

Have ready

  • Emirates ID and UAE PASS
  • Mulkiya (registration card)
  • Shipping agent’s details
  • The plates

How to do it

  1. Book your shipping agent and agree the handover date. RTA’s form asks how the car leaves and for the agent’s details.
  2. Pay all traffic fines and settle any car loan. Keep the insurance until the car has left, then cancel it.
  3. In the week of the handover, open RTA’s website or app and choose Cancel Vehicle Registration, then Export/Transfer Certificate, then Export Outside UAE. The certificate is valid for 7 days.
  4. Pay the fee and hand the plates back to RTA at a centre or by delivery service within 14 days. After 14 days RTA cancels the application without a refund.
  5. If the car must be driven to the port or the border, ask for export plates (AED 70). They need valid insurance and are only for the main roads out of the country.
  6. Give the certificate to your shipping agent and remove the car from your Salik account.

Watch out

  • Remove window tint film before export; RTA requires it.
  • If you change shipping company after the certificate is issued, you need a new certificate.

Questions people ask

Do I need an export certificate to ship a car from Dubai?

Yes. The car must leave the RTA system before it is shipped.

How long is the export certificate valid?

7 days. Apply in the week the car goes to the shipper. If it expires, RTA asks for a chassis test (AED 35) before issuing a new one.

Can I apply after my visa is cancelled?

RTA says you can apply with a copy of your passport if your visa is cancelled, but not if your residence visa has expired. It is simpler to apply while your Emirates ID and UAE PASS still work.

Sources

Official: RTA: Cancel Vehicle Registration (Export Certificate)

Also checked against: RTA: Cancel Vehicle Registration (Export Certificate)

Outro is an independent guide, not a government service or legal advice. If an official page says something different, follow it and .