Renewal of car registration in Dubai for cars registered in other emirates

If you have a car registered in one emirate but residence visa in another (for example you moved to a different emirate), try renewing registration in emirate of original registration. You might succeed without having to export the vehicle.

Update: An RTA press release 04 October 2010 about the implementation of a federal UAE traffic and licensing system in Dubai said These centers offer all vehicle and driver licensing services, except for registration and initial issuance transactions. So no vehicle registration in Dubai yet for cars registered in other emirates? It wasn't clear from the press release when that facility would be available. The Gulf News said on 07 October 2010: In a rare move, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that its offices will be able to renew vehicle registration and driving licences issued from other emirates. But still didn't give a date from when it would be possible to do this.

• The Khaleej Times reported on 25 August 2010 that owners of cars registered in other emirates would be able to renew their registration in Dubai. Date of implementation not supplied but sounded like perhaps in September or October 2010.
• Reciprocal arrangements with other emirates are expected eventually also.
• The CEO of the RTA Licensing Agency, Ahmed Hashem Bahrozyan, was quoted as saying "In comings weeks, probably soon after Eid, we will be allowing vehicles registered in other emirates to come and renew their registrations from three of our selected centres. This is being done in coordination of the Ministry of Interior and other emirates will reciprocate our initiative and will start accepting Dubai-registered vehicles soon,"
• And ... "Once all the issues concerned are resolved we will announce jointly with the Ministry of Interior the dates of launch in Dubai as well as other emirates."
• It does not sound like new or used car registration for the first time can be done in a different emirate though. You will have to do it in the emirate where your residence visa is issued, or where you live if you can prove that's where you live.
• And if you change employment and get a residence visa from a different emirate as a result, you will probably still have to export your car and re-register it in the new emirate.