Many people have to move back to their home country in a short amount of time which leads them to not sell their car before leaving. However, it is possible to sell the vehicle in the UAE while you are in another country. The owner is required to send an official Power of Attorney (POA) in the name of another person currently living in the Emirates, allowing them to transfer ownership on their behalf. Here is a complete guide on how to sell your car in the UAE from abroad:
Steps to Sell Your Car in the UAE from Abroad
You can sell your car in the UAE from abroad by following the below-mentioned steps.
Step 1: Transfer Power of Attorney
If you have already been given a power of attorney before shifting abroad, that’s great. However, if you haven’t, then you need to make a legalised POA from abroad in the name of your trusted UAE resident.
How to Get a Power of Attorney
The process of making a POA from another country might seem a difficult task, but thankfully it is doable.
What Authorities Power of Attorney Gives
People with vehicle power of attorney are authorised to:
- Sell or transfer a vehicle on your behalf
- Renew registration and insurance of the vehicle
- Sign transfer documents
- Receive the sale proceeds on your behalf
- Pay impound fees and traffic violations
- Show up on your behalf in all government departments
Process of Getting a Power Of Attorney
Here are some easy steps that can help you in preparing POA for vehicle transactions from overseas.
Get It Drafted by a Professional
First of all, make sure your POA is written by a professional company. The POA should clearly state that you want to give the vehicle power of attorney to another person. It takes around eight days to get one drafted in the UAE.
Many companies across the UAE offer vehicle power of attorney drafting services. The drafting fee starts from AED 549.
Notarization by a Notary or a Lawyer
Next, sign the POA in the presence of a notary or a solicitor. For instance, if you are signing your POA in the UK, you may sign it in front of a solicitor or notary public. Once you sign the POA, a notary will also sign it as a witness with an embossed seal.
Legalise by a Foreign Affairs Department
The ministry of foreign affairs confirms that the notary signature is valid on the POA and can be recognised in the UAE.
Attestation by the UAE Embassy or Consulate
Once POA is approved by the foreign affairs ministry, then get it attested by the UAE Embassy.
Legalisation in the UAE
AfterPOA is attested, it is then approved by the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Legalisation in the UAE can be done by anyone on your behalf.
Arabic Translation
In case your POA is in another language, get it translated into Arabic by a certified legal translator. It is important to note here that the Arabic translator should be licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice, else your application might get rejected.
Step 2: Transfer the Vehicle Ownership
Once vehicle power of attorney is legalised, vehicle ownership can be transferred to the chosen attorney.
Process of Transferring the Vehicle Ownership
The attorney holder will follow the below steps to transfer the vehicle’s ownership to the new buyer.
Clearance of Mortgage
You must clear the outstanding finance if you have availed it from the bank when buying a car. Once the seller pays off the loan, the bank informs RTA to update the loan status in the RTA system. The Road and Transportation Authority will send a message to the vehicle owner once the records are updated. The whole process usually takes up to 24-48 hours.
Vehicle Testing
A vehicle in the UAE can only be transferred to the new owner after clearing the RTA vehicle test. After taking the vehicle test, the RTA issues a test certified with either stamp “Pass” or “Fail”. For vehicle testing, you can visit Tasjeel.
If a vehicle test fails, the test certificate will list all the vehicle problems that need to be fixed. Therefore, it is best to get the vehicle tested before advertising it for sale. You can also test your vehicle from Tamam Vehicle Testing Centre.
Cost of Vehicle Testing in the UAE
It is important to note here that the ownership transfer fee depends on the vehicle type. For instance, AED 350 for light vehicles, AED 400 for a vehicle between 3 and 12 tonnes and AED 1,000 for public vehicles exceeding 12 tonnes.
Clearance of Fine
Make sure all fines are clear before vehicle transfer to the buyer. These fines can also be paid to the traffic department at the time of vehicle transfer. Fines in the UAE can be paid through the following mediums:
- Fines on Dubai registered vehicles can be paid via the Dubai Police traffic fines payment portal or the RTA website
- Abu Dhabi Police portal for fines issues in Abu Dhabi
- Those in Sharjah can clear fines via Sharjah Road and Transport Authority website
- For clearance of fines in other Emirates, visit the Ministry of Interior website
Insurance
Once the vehicle test is clear and all the fines are paid off, the buyer can now apply for insurance. If seven months or more are remaining in existing insurance, the policy can be transferred to the new owner after meeting the insurance company’s criteria.
However, not all insurance companies have a transfer policy. You can also ask for a refund or cancel the policy if it has at least seven or more months remaining. You can buy the insurance and check the car history with the help of Emirates Vehicle Gate.
Ownership Transfer
The final step is to transfer the vehicle’s ownership. You as a seller or your authorised agent must be present at the point of transfer with a valid POA, Emirates ID and vehicle testing certificate.
While needs the buyer to following document with him/her:
- Valid car insurance
- Passport with a UAE Residence Visa
- Emirates ID
- UAE driving licence
The RTA representative will ask both parties to sign a sale and purchase agreement after verifying all the documents. After completing all the above procedures the seller with POA can now officially sell the car in the UAE if the actual owner/seller is in another country.
The same procedure is followed when someone wants to sell their car remotely in the UAE. Once you have completed the process, now you can transfer the vehicle ownership to the buyer.
FAQs
Can I sell my car from overseas in the UAE?
Yes, you can. If you are living abroad and want to sell your vehicle in the UAE then all you need to do is grant a vehicle power of attorney to a resident of the UAE and he/she will transfer the vehicle to the new owner.
How do I sell a car from the UAE to abroad?
First of all, you need to transfer the power of attorney and get it drafted by a professional and notarize it by a notary or a lawyer. Your POA should be approved form the foreign affairs ministry. Also, in case your POA is in another language, get it translated into Arabic by a certified legal translator. Once you are done with all these steps, start the process of transferring vehicle ownership to your chosen attorney.
You also need RTA Vehicle Export Certificate in Dubai to export a vehicle to another country.
This concludes our guide on how to sell a car in the UAE from abroad. Besides, people living in the UAE can easily buy a used car for sale at affordable rates. Since it is a hassle-free process and you won’t be needing much documentation for this.
Moreover, after getting a power of attorney you can put up an ad on dubizzle and get car selling services from dubizzle pro.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blog. for more information on Emirate’s auto market, buying and selling rules and more.
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