Key step It blocks other steps, or costs money if you miss it.

How to sell your car in Dubai and transfer it at RTA

Clear all fines, have the bank release any car loan, then start the ownership change on RTA’s website or app: you and the buyer sign the Sale and Purchase Agreement electronically and you hand over the plates. Both of you need a valid Emirates ID, so if you are moving away, do it before your visa is cancelled.

When
6 weeks to 12 days before your flight
Time
Half a day
Cost
RTA Sale and Purchase Agreement AED 50 + AED 20. The buyer normally pays the transfer (AED 350 for a light vehicle), new plates, inspection (AED 170) and insurance.

Do it on RTAAlso: Salik

Money back: Car insurance refund. By the insurer’s short-rate table, less than pro-rata. None after an at-fault claim.

Have ready

  • Emirates ID and UAE PASS
  • Mulkiya (registration card)
  • Electronic mortgage release from your bank, if financed

How to do it

  1. Pay all traffic fines, in Dubai and in other emirates. If your Salik balance is negative, top it up so it does not become a fine.
  2. If financed: pay off the loan and have the bank release the mortgage electronically.
  3. Agree price and payment by bank transfer; hand over only once the money has arrived.
  4. Start the transfer on RTA’s website or the RTA Dubai app with UAE PASS: choose Change Vehicle Ownership, enter the buyer’s Emirates ID and mobile number, and you both sign the Sale and Purchase Agreement electronically. It is valid for 14 days.
  5. Hand your plates back to RTA at a centre or by delivery service within 14 days. The car leaves your name only once the plates are handed in. The buyer then needs insurance and a passed technical inspection and completes the registration.
  6. Remove the car from your Salik account (Salik website, app or 800 72545) and take the tag off the windscreen, so you don’t pay the buyer’s tolls. Before you sell, top up only what you will use, and ask Salik what happens to any balance left.
  7. Cancel your insurance and ask for the refund. It follows the short-rate table in the UAE’s standard motor policy, so it is less than pro-rata: 80% of the premium in the first month, 70% up to four months, 50% up to six, 30% up to ten, and nothing after that. There is no refund if you made an at-fault claim. Ask your insurer for the exact amount.
  8. Check your traffic file a week later to confirm the car is no longer yours.

Watch out

  • RTA requires a passed technical inspection for the transfer (AED 170 for a light vehicle, valid 30 days). Agree with the buyer who takes the car to the test. The simplest way is to go together to an RTA registration and inspection centre.
  • Do not hand over the car on a promise to transfer later.
Short on time?What to do if you’re starting late

Sell to a dealer that buys same day. You will get less than a private sale, but it is done while your Emirates ID is valid. If you have already left, a legal representative can sell the car at an RTA centre with a power of attorney that covers the sale and disposal of vehicles.

Questions people ask

What do I need to transfer a car in Dubai?

Valid Emirates IDs for buyer and seller, electronic insurance and technical inspection for the buyer, the electronic mortgage release if the car was financed, and all traffic fines paid.

How much does RTA charge?

The Sale and Purchase Agreement costs AED 50 plus AED 20 in knowledge and innovation fees. The ownership change costs AED 350 for a light vehicle, plus plates, inspection (AED 170) and insurance. The buyer normally pays these.

I’m short on time. What’s the fastest way to sell?

Sell to a dealer that buys the same day. You’ll get less than in a private sale, but it’s done while your Emirates ID is valid.

Sources

Official: RTA: Apply for Changing a Vehicle Ownership · RTA: Pay Vehicle Fines · Salik (tags and balance) · RTA: Insurance Refund Certificate

Also checked against: Central Bank rulebook: Unified Motor Vehicle Insurance Policy · Khaleej Times: updated Salik terms (July 2024)

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