# Car insurance



## frenchy (Feb 3, 2010)

Hi All,

Ahead of a move to Dubai, we are considering buying a recent used car (Nissan Qashqai).

Anyone would know how much would insurance would typically be to insure such a vehicle ? Also is there any kind of yearly registration tax, or any other costs associated with owning a car in the UAE. I hear that gazoline is quite cheap.


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## Dannysigma (Feb 22, 2009)

Petrol is 1aed.37 a litre (about 0.27 Euros). Insurance will be quite expensive: regardless of how many years you have been driving in your home country you are counted as a new driver here, so expect something like 3000AED a year (could be more or less, depending on where you go). Also, you have to pay the whole year up front - you can't pay in installments like in many places (at least not with ny of the insurance companies I tried).
Other things worth bearing in mind - you can't own a car until you have your residency visa (though you can rent one) and if you are intending to finance your car, you will need 3 months bank statements from a UAE bank and you can't open a bank account until you have a residency visa either!
It will cost about 300AED to convert your home licence (if you are from a country that can convert - France can) to a UAE licence - 200 for the licence and then some for the photo and eye test.
In terms of yearly costs - you need to have your car tested and re-registered every year, which will cost somewhere round the 500AED mark (I think). Also, due to the harsh driving conditions, you will need to have your car serviced every 10000km (with a minor service every 5000km).


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## SBP (Jan 4, 2010)

Won't an International Driving Licence do? Do you have to have an UAE licence?


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## Dannysigma (Feb 22, 2009)

SBP said:


> Won't an International Driving Licence do? Do you have to have an UAE licence?


An internation driving permit will do far car rental (as will a UK drivers licence if you have the paper part and the card) but you have to have a UAE licence to drive anything that isn't a rental. And you can't get a UAE licence till you get yout residency visa!


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## frenchy (Feb 3, 2010)

Thanks alot for all this great information.


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## SBP (Jan 4, 2010)

Dannysigma said:


> An internation driving permit will do far car rental (as will a UK drivers licence if you have the paper part and the card) but you have to have a UAE licence to drive anything that isn't a rental. And you can't get a UAE licence till you get yout residency visa!


Ta


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

Car insurance is done on a percentage of the value of the vehicle, in general no matter who the driver is. All UAE owned & insured cars can be driven by anyone providing they have a UAE licence. The percentage is around 4-5% of the value of the car and must be paid in advance (for 13 months). Check your insurance includes cover in Oman too.

And just to add the insurance here doesn't include "acts of god" eg flood damage - just watch where you park it!


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## SBP (Jan 4, 2010)

Don't you also need cover for lawsuits in case you injure someone and need to give money to them and the family for loss of earnings type of thing?


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

SBP said:


> Don't you also need cover for lawsuits in case you injure someone and need to give money to them and the family for loss of earnings type of thing?


Blood money you mean?

That's covered in your insurance providing it's not your fault, if it is then i just hope you have AED200,000 lying around....


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## SBP (Jan 4, 2010)

Andy Capp said:


> Blood money you mean?
> 
> That's covered in your insurance providing it's not your fault, if it is then i just hope you have AED200,000 lying around....


That's it, couldn't remember the term!!


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

And just to add, Nissan Qashqai - awful, truly awful cars, no off road ability, plastic, just horrible!


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## Dannysigma (Feb 22, 2009)

Also Nissan don't sell the Qashqai officioally over here.


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## zacked (Mar 20, 2010)

it is normally 5% of the total car value...


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## Dannysigma (Feb 22, 2009)

It can be as high as 7% or 8% for new drivers though.


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## zacked (Mar 20, 2010)

agreed but if you try insurance companies like buhaira insurance or oman insurance and bargain with them it can be 5% ... 

i had made my insurance for 5% right after i took a license but that was 4 yrs back


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## junaidrafique (Mar 18, 2010)

frenchy said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Ahead of a move to Dubai, we are considering buying a recent used car (Nissan Qashqai).
> 
> Anyone would know how much would insurance would typically be to insure such a vehicle ? Also is there any kind of yearly registration tax, or any other costs associated with owning a car in the UAE. I hear that gazoline is quite cheap.


Hi

I can arrange the insurance for you when you buy the car. Let me know when you are ready.

Regards
Junaid


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

SBP said:


> Won't an International Driving Licence do? Do you have to have an UAE licence?


One can use an international driving license/permit LEGALLY only while he/she doesn't have the residency visa. Once you get the residency visa, you HAVE to use the UAE license

But then, a number of people get away with a lot of things


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## Dannysigma (Feb 22, 2009)

rsinner said:


> One can use an international driving license/permit LEGALLY only while he/she doesn't have the residency visa. Once you get the residency visa, you HAVE to use the UAE license
> 
> But then, a number of people get away with a lot of things


But, regardless of permit status, I'm pretty sure that you have to have a UAE licence to drive anything other than a rental car.


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