Since the UAE’s used car market is growing, you can find almost every make and model. It is a good way to get your hands on your favourite car for a lower price. It’s not unusual to find a car that barely looks used. Here is an ultimate guide for making your buying procedure smooth and hassle-free. In this guide, you will find everything about owning a car in Dubai – from getting a driving licence and vehicle registration to buying and testing.
Things to Check Before Owning a Car in Dubai
Here is a detailed overview of the things that need to be processed when it comes to owning a car in Dubai.
Driving Licence: Rules and Requirements
- All UAE citizens and residents must be above 18 years old to have a driving licence.
- New drivers under the age of 21 must renew their driving licence until they turn 21 years. However, drivers above 21 age get a licence with 5 years of validity for expats, while 10 years is for GCC and the UAE nationals.
- If you have a driving licence from 36 approved countries, then you don’t need any training to apply for the UAE’s driving licence.
- Also, people with a 2 to 3-year-old home country driving licence must take at least 30 classes, while those who don’t have a valid driving licence must attend 40 classes.
Documents Required for Applying for Driving Licence in Dubai
- Driver’s application form
- Valid Dubai residence visa
- One passport size photograph
- NOC from employer/sponsor
- Passport original and copy
- Eye test from attested optics by the Ministry of Health or hospitals in Dubai
- UAE nationals with a passport from another emirate should have a NOC from the respective emirate’s traffic department
Authorised Driving Schools in Dubai
You need to register yourself with an RTA certified driving school to get a driving licence in Dubai. There are several popular driving schools available in Dubai such as Galadari Motor Driving Institute, Belhasa Driving School and Emirates Driving Institute (EDI) are the popular names in this regard.
- Dubai Driving Centre: 04-3455855
- Al Ahli Driving School: 04-3411500
- Emirates Driving Institute (EDI): 04-2631100
- Belhasa Driving School: 04-3243535
- Galadari Driving School: 04-2676166
Steps
- Get your eyesight tested from an RTA authorised centre or the driving school you are enrolled in.
- Fill out the driver’s licence application form available at the RTA website or the driving institute.
- Collect the temporary driving licence that you must carry during your driving classes.
- Attend both theory and practical classes from the aforementioned driving institutes.
- Once you complete the theory classes take an appointment to take the theory test.
- After you complete all the classes and clear all internal exams, it’s time to take a road test.
Fees
Here is a breakdown of various fees charged on average by driving institutes.
- Eye test: AED 100
- Theory classes: AED 500
- Practical classes: AED 50 to AED 75
- Registration/learning permit: AED 900
- Knowledge and other internal tests: AED 700
- Road test: AED 300
- Licence fee: AED 260
Renewal of Driving Licence
- The first step of Dubai driving licence renewal is to get an eye test done from any RTA registered opticians. These five opticians are approved by RTA —Barakat Opticals, Magrabi Opticals, Al Jaber Opticians, Al Yateem Opticians and Grand Optics.
- The renewal process can be done at any RTA service centre or via RTA mobile app and RTA website.
- Customers can either pick the licence cards from the RTA service centre or get them couriered by paying additional charges of AED 20.
- RTA will give you a temporary driving licence, while the original one might take 3 to 4 working days.
Requirements for Renewal of Driving Licence
- Eye test
- Emirates ID
- Passport copy with valid visa page
- Original driving licence
Fees
- Renewal: AED 110
- Courier: AED 20
Requirements of International Driving Licence
- Application form
- Passport copy
- Original driving licence
- Driving licence copy
- Fees: AED 150
It is important to note here that the validity of an international driver’s licence is only a year. Also, the international driver’s licence is not renewable and can be reissued.
Vehicle Testing
Moving on, all vehicles over three years old must give an annual roadworthiness test; however, all new cars and motorcycles are exempted from the yearly inspection for the first three years.
You can test a vehicle through RTA approved testing centres Here is the list of approved facilities:
- Tasjeel
- Shamil
- Wasel
- Tamam
- Mumayaz
- Shirwai
Parking Card
Moreover, parking cards enable customers to use paid parking options. The paid parking is used to subscribe to parking services and seasonal parking cards for 3 months, 6 months or 1 year. If you want to know more about car parking in Dubai, here is a complete guide.
Requirements
- Original valid vehicle’s registration card
- Copy of a valid vehicle’s registration card
- Valid Emirates ID
Category A Fees
- AED 700 for three months
- AED 1300 for six months
- AED 3,500 for one year
Category B Fees
- AED 450 for three months
- AED 800 for six months
- AED 1,500 for one year
Location
This service can be applied online through RTA’s website or at RTA customer care centres such as:
- Karama
- Al Quoz
- Umm Ramool
- Al Twar
- Al Manara centre
Salik
- All vehicles must have a Salik tag to pass through the Salik toll gate, irrespective of from which emirate your vehicle is registered. However, it is not a law to have it for car registration. You will only need a Salik tag to cross the toll gates in Dubai.
- Buying Salik tags in Dubai is also easy since they are available at RTA customer service centres, banks and all the petrol stations available in Dubai.
- Salik tags can be pasted at any part of the vehicle’s windscreen to make it clearly visible.
- Cost: The cost of the Salik tag is AED 100, which includes an AED 50 balance that later can be credited to the account.
This concludes our guide about the things you must know before owning a car in Dubai. Once you know the procedure and collect all the documents required to buy a car in Dubai, you can easily purchase the chosen car. With the aforementioned steps, the process of buying a second-hand car in Dubai can become easier for you.
However, potential buyers still looking to buy a used car in Dubai can explore several options on dubizzle at reasonable rates. Here you can find a range of popular car models such as:
- Second-hand Toyota vehicles in Dubai
- Used Nissan cars for sale in Dubai
- Used Mercedes Benz vehicles in Dubai
- Second-hand BMW cars for sale in Dubai
If you like this guide, stay tuned to the UAE’s leading auto blog for more.
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