Car Export Documents in the UAE: The Complete Checklist for Africa (2026)

Getting a car out of Dubai takes surprisingly little money: the RTA charges AED 70 for a light vehicle export certificate, according to its official service page. What takes time is the paperwork around it. The car export documents in the UAE come from four different issuers (the RTA, the seller, customs and the shipping line), and the port in Tema, Lagos or Abidjan will check every one against the car. This guide lists each document, who issues it, when you get it and the mistakes that hold cars at the port.

In practice, a complete export file for a Dubai registered car has six parts: proof that fines and any loan are cleared, the RTA export certificate that cancels the registration, a commercial invoice and certificate of origin, the customs export declaration, the bill of lading, and whatever your own country's customs adds on arrival.

Before any document: fines and finance#

The RTA will not cancel a registration while traffic fines are unpaid, and its service page lists paying all fines as the first step. If a bank financed the car, the loan must be settled and the bank's release on file before the transfer or export can go through. On a car you buy from a dealer this is the seller's job, but ask for it in writing, because a car that cannot be deregistered cannot be exported.

Window tint film is another small trap. The RTA says tinting must be removed before export, so do not be surprised if the car leaves the yard with clear glass.

The RTA export certificate and deregistration#

The export certificate is the document everything else hangs on. Applying for it cancels the car's UAE registration, the old plates go back to the RTA, and the certificate is sent by SMS and email. The original registration card (Mulkiya) is surrendered or cancelled in the process, so the export certificate becomes the car's main ownership record from here to your port.

The base fee is a AED 50 certificate plus the AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation charge, per the RTA's published table. Two conditions matter: export plates need valid insurance, and the RTA cancels the application without refund if the old plates are not handed over within 14 days. A technical inspection is only needed when the registration has already expired.

Cars that were never registered in the UAE, such as imports traded in the Dubai Cars and Automotive Zone (DUCAMZ), have no Mulkiya to cancel. They typically leave under a customs export declaration instead, and the Dubai Customs service guide lists a DUCAMZ vehicle exit certificate at AED 30 per car.

Invoice, certificate of origin and proof of payment#

The commercial invoice is what your destination customs uses to start the valuation, so it must show the buyer's name, the full VIN, model year, price and delivery terms. The certificate of origin confirms where the car ships from. On our UAE to Africa shipping service we handle UAE customs, the certificate of origin and the export paperwork as part of the job.

Check the VIN on the invoice against the car itself before anything is filed. Our VIN check guide shows where the VIN sits on the car and how to decode it, and a single wrong character here repeats on every document that follows.

Customs export declaration and exit#

Dubai Customs needs an export declaration before the car can leave through Jebel Ali or another port. It is filed electronically by the exporter or a clearing agent, and customs may compare the chassis number with the car. For sea shipments, the service guide lists the exit or entry certificate, the export declaration, the manifest or the bill of lading as proof that goods left the country. You will rarely need these yourself, but your seller should be able to produce them if your bank or customs asks.

The bill of lading: the document you collect with#

The bill of lading is issued by the shipping line once the car is loaded. It is the contract of carriage, the receipt for the car and, in its original form, the document you surrender to collect it. Check four things the day it is issued:

1. Consignee. Your name or company, exactly as on your ID or TIN.
2. VIN. All 17 characters, matching the invoice and export certificate.
3. Port of discharge. Tema, Lagos, Abidjan or wherever the car is going.
4. Release type. Original bills, a telex release or a sea waybill, so you know what your agent needs to collect the car.

Once the car is at sea you can follow it by VIN or bill of lading number on our VIN tracking page. Transit insurance is a separate decision, covered in our guide to marine insurance for car shipping.

What your destination port will ask for#

Every country adds its own file, and the gaps usually appear here, not in Dubai. Our stock is left hand drive, so these are the markets it suits:

For Ghana, the GSA vehicle import FAQs explain the Certificate of Conformance, which is issued before the car sails. For ImpressCar orders to Ghana, our agent arranges it. Duties are then assessed by the Ghana Revenue Authority, and our Ghana car import duty guide shows the full calculation. For Lagos, our Dubai to Nigeria import guide covers the Form M and PAAR steps.

What car export documents in the UAE cost and how long they take#

The government side is quick and cheap. The RTA issues the export certificate instantly once fines are clear, and the fees are small fixed amounts, as our cost to export a car from Dubai breakdown shows. The real timetable is set by the vessel: plan on roughly one to two weeks in Dubai from purchase to sailing, then the ocean leg.

A pick up such as this 2021 Toyota Hilux GLS needs exactly the same file as a saloon. What changes is the destination side: age rules, engine size taxes and permits.

Frequently asked questions#

What documents are required to export a car from the UAE?#

The core file is the RTA export certificate (which cancels the registration), the commercial invoice, a certificate of origin, the customs export declaration and the bill of lading, plus the buyer's ID. The RTA lists the conditions and fees on its export certificate service page.

How do I get an export certificate for my car in Dubai?#

Pay all traffic fines, clear any car loan, then apply online, in the RTA app or at a customer happiness centre and choose export outside the UAE. You hand over the plates, pay AED 70 for a light vehicle (AED 140 with export plates) and receive the certificate by SMS and email.

Do I need to cancel my car registration before export?#

Yes. A Dubai registered car is exported by cancelling its registration through the export certificate, and the old plates go back to the RTA. If you buy from a dealer, the seller handles this, as our export cost guide explains.

What is a bill of lading for a car?#

It is the shipping line's receipt and contract for carrying the car, issued once the car is loaded. It names the consignee and lists the VIN, and the original or a telex release is what your clearing agent uses to collect the car at the destination port.

What documents do I need to clear a car at the destination port?#

Usually the export certificate, invoice, bill of lading and your ID or TIN, filed by a licensed clearing agent. Ghana adds a Certificate of Conformance for used cars shipped from 1 October 2026, as our Ghana duty guide explains.

Browse 700+ cars or send the car you want#

Choose a left hand drive car from the current inventory and we prepare the UAE side of the export file with your shipping quote. Or send us the car you want with your budget and destination port and we will come back with options, or use the WhatsApp button below.