How to sell your car in UAE from abroad

Are you leaving the UAE for good and haven’t sold your car yet? Or were you not able to sell it while you were residing in the Emirates? A vehicle Power of Attenory (POA) is mandatory in the UAE if you are not able to be present when selling your car.

In any of the seven Emirates, you can give vehicle POA to an individual you trust, a family member or a company.

Here’s our guide on how to sell your car in UAE from abroad.

Note that this guide can also be used for UAE residents who don’t have time to sell their own car.

What can a Power of Attorney do?

An individual with vehicle Power of Attorney is authorised to;

• Sell or transfer a vehicle on your behalf
• Receive the sale proceeds on your behalf
• Renew registration and insurance of the vehicle
• Pay traffic violations and impound fees
• Sign transfer documents and the effect of the transfer ownership
• Represent you in all government departments including Traffic and licensing departments.

What does a vehicle Power of Attorney document look like?

How to get vehicle Power of Attorney

The person requesting to give POA to another person must be over the age of 21. Here are the documents you’ll need;

• Passport (Original and copy)
• Emirates ID (Original and copy)
• Vehicle registration document

Get it drafted

You’ll first need to have the vehicle POA written up by a professional company an have it clearly stating you want to give vehicle POA to another individual.

You can also request to have the document give the POA authorisation to export the vehicle to your home country if the vehicle is not sold or transferred.

Getting one drafted can take up to eight working days in the UAE.

Once the document has been written, you will need to get it legalised before a notary public in on if you reside in the UAE.

If you reside outside the UAE, you will need to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy in the country you reside in.

Have it translated

As the main language in the UAE is Arabic (English is widely spoken and considered a primary language) you’ll need to have the vehicle POA translated into Arabic by a certified legal translator if the letter was drafted in English or another language. Please note that the translator used must be licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. If not, the application can be rejected.

How much does it cost?

Across the UAE, there are various companies that will draft a Vehicle Power of Attorney for you. Prices start at AED 549.

How to transfer the vehicle

Now that you’ve got the vehicle POA sorted out you’ll need to transfer vehicle ownership from your name to the person you have granted POA

Here’s what you need to do;

Clear any vehicle mortgages

While it is possible to transfer vehicle mortgages to the buyer, it’s not easy to find a buyer to do so. Any outstanding fees need to be paid off before selling a car in the UAE.

Once the loan has been paid off, your bank will inform the traffic department to update the records and clear the loan from the system.

The licensing department will send an SMS to the vehicle owner saying the records have been updated. This can take up to 24-48 hours.

Test the vehicle

A vehicle in the UAE must be tested for roadworthiness before being transferred in the UAE. Once a vehicle test has been complete, the testing facility will either stamp “Pass” or “Fail”.

If “Fail” is stamped, the centre will provide a list of what needs to be fixed.

Before advertising your vehicle for sale, have the vehicle inspected first, it will save you from any unexpected surprises.

Pay off the fines

If there are any fines on the vehicle, they need to be paid off before transferring. Fines can be checked via the various Police apps available or via the Police websites.

Fines can also be paid off the traffic department when transferring the vehicle.

Black points do not count as these are attached to a drivers license and not the vehicle.

Insurance

If the existing policy has 7 months or more remaining, the policy can be transferred if the new owner meets the new criteria of the insurance company.

Not all Insurance companies allow transfers to happen.

You can also request a refund or cancel the policy if it has seven months or more remaining.

Transfer ownership

After all of the approve is done and approved, the final step is to have the vehicle ownership transferred to a family member, trusted person or authorised agent with a valid vehicle POA for vehicle sale.

Both you and the person you’re are giving POA to needs to be present when at the point of transfer and will need the following documents;

• Emirates ID
• Valid passing certificate
• Power of Attorney certified by the UAE Government

Once all of the above has been completed, the person with POA can now legally sell your car in the UAE without having to be in the country.

As stated earlier, this guide can also be used for UAE residents who may not have the time to sell their own vehicle.

And that’s our guide? Have any more questions or helpful tips? Let us know in the comment section below.