Most guides to selling a car in Dubai list the RTA transfer fee and stop there. In practice, your actual out-of-pocket cost is that fee plus two or three smaller charges that only show up once you’re at the counter — and in 2026, part of the process can now be done from your phone, which changes both the cost and the hassle involved. Here’s the full picture, with a worked example so you can see what a typical sale actually costs from start to finish.
The core RTA ownership transfer fees
Dubai’s RTA prices the transfer by vehicle category. For the vast majority of private sellers — a standard car — this is the number that matters:
| Vehicle category | Transfer fee |
|---|---|
| Light vehicle (private/public) | AED 350 |
| Private vehicle (3–12 tonnes) | AED 400 |
| Public vehicle (3–12 tonnes) | AED 650 |
| Private vehicle (above 12 tonnes) | AED 800 |
| Public vehicle (above 12 tonnes) | AED 1,000 |
| Motorcycle | AED 200 |
| Bus (14–26 passengers) | AED 300 |
| Bus (more than 26 passengers) | AED 600 |
On top of the transfer fee itself, expect these near-universal add-ons:
- Sale and Purchase Agreement: AED 50
- Knowledge and Innovation fee: AED 20 (charged on most RTA transactions, including this one)
- Plate fees, if plates are changing hands or being reissued: AED 35 for a short plate up to AED 500 for a luxury plate, with classic and Dubai-branded plates priced separately in between.
The cost most guides leave out: the inspection
If your car is more than three years old, it needs a roadworthiness test at Tasjeel (or an equivalent authorised centre) before the transfer can go through — and this has its own separate cost. Budget AED 150 for the test itself plus the AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation fee, for a total of about AED 170, provided you book online in advance.
There’s a catch worth knowing before you show up: since June 2025, most Tasjeel centres charge an extra AED 100 walk-in surcharge if you haven’t pre-booked through the RTA app or website. Only the Hatta centre still accepts walk-ins at no added cost. Booking ahead is a genuinely easy way to save AED 100 on a sale you’re already trying to net the most from.
A worked example: what a typical sale actually costs
For a standard private car older than three years, sold with an online-booked inspection:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee (light vehicle) | AED 350 |
| Sale and Purchase Agreement | AED 50 |
| Knowledge and Innovation fee (transfer) | AED 20 |
| Tasjeel inspection (booked online) | AED 170 |
| Total | ≈ AED 590 |
Skip the pre-booking and walk in instead, and that total climbs to roughly AED 690. Cars under three years old skip the inspection line entirely, bringing the total down to around AED 420. These figures are a guide, not a guarantee — RTA fee schedules are revised periodically, so confirm the current numbers directly with RTA before you commit to a sale price that assumes a specific cost.
You can now do part of this from your phone
This is a genuine change from how the process worked even a year or two ago: through the Dubai Drive app or rta.ae, logged in with UAE Pass, sellers can select “Change Ownership” under vehicle licensing services, pay the transfer fee, and upload documents — RTA states this can be completed in under 20 minutes online.
The catch: physical attendance is still required in some cases — specifically if number plates are being physically handed over, or if the buyer doesn’t already have an existing RTA traffic file. If both parties have traffic files and the plates aren’t changing, more of the process can stay entirely digital. If either condition doesn’t apply, plan on a visit to an RTA centre, Tasjeel, Shamil, Mumayaz, or an approved typing office to finish the transaction in person.
How Dubai compares to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah
If you’re relocating the sale or simply curious how Dubai’s costs stack up:
- Sharjah (SPT): online ownership transfer runs around AED 300 plus an AED 35 service charge — slightly cheaper than Dubai’s light-vehicle fee before add-ons.
- Abu Dhabi (DMT): typically AED 350–400 for light vehicles, with separate plate-transfer and knowledge fees layered on similarly to Dubai’s structure.
The frameworks are broadly comparable across emirates, but each authority (RTA in Dubai, DMT in Abu Dhabi, SPT in Sharjah) sets and revises its own fees independently, so don’t assume one emirate’s number applies to another.
Before you finalise the sale
- Clear every outstanding fine and Salik/Darb charge first. The system blocks the transfer entirely until these are settled — this is the single most common reason a sale gets held up at the counter.
- Confirm the buyer has valid insurance in place before the transfer, since the car needs to be insured under the new owner’s name to complete registration.
- If the car is financed, the bank’s loan clearance and No-Objection Certificate are a separate process from the RTA fees covered here, and typically add several business days before you can even start the transfer.
- Keep a signed copy of the sale agreement for your own records after the transaction closes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to sell a car in Dubai in 2026?
For a standard private car over three years old, expect roughly AED 590 all-in if you book the inspection online (transfer fee, sale agreement, knowledge fee, and inspection combined), or around AED 420 if the car is under three years old and doesn’t need inspection.
Do I have to visit an RTA centre in person to sell my car?
Not always. Much of the process can now be completed through the Dubai Drive app or rta.ae using UAE Pass, but physical attendance is still required if plates are being handed over or if the buyer has no existing RTA traffic file.
How much is the Tasjeel inspection for a used car?
About AED 170 (AED 150 test fee plus AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation fee) if booked online in advance. Walk-ins at most centres (other than Hatta) carry an additional AED 100 surcharge since June 2025.
Is a vehicle inspection always required to sell a car in Dubai?
Only if the car is more than three years old. Newer vehicles can skip this step and its associated cost entirely.
Are transfer fees the same in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah as in Dubai?
Broadly similar but not identical — Sharjah’s online transfer runs around AED 300 plus a AED 35 service charge, and Abu Dhabi is typically AED 350–400 for light vehicles. Each emirate’s transport authority sets its own fee schedule.