Can You Rent a Car in Dubai Without a Credit Card?

The short answer is yes. You can rent a car in Dubai without a credit card, and if a rental office tells you flatly that you cannot, there is a Dubai consumer protection circular that sets out what it has to do instead.

This page covers two different things, and it is worth keeping them apart. The first is what the rules require of any rental company operating in Dubai, which comes from a circular issued by the emirate's consumer protection body. The second is what we accept at Urban Go - we run a rental fleet in Dubai as an RTA-authorised dealer and agency, so that half is our own policy rather than general advice.

The short version

• Dubai's Circular No. (1) of 2024 says that where a customer does not hold a credit card, the rental office must take the deposit in cash or from the customer's debit card.

• A deposit is meant to be a hold rather than a sale, and the circular says a security hold may not be processed as a purchase transaction.

• Holds and deposits have to be released within 30 days of the car being returned.

• A company may not add a surcharge for paying by credit card or through a payment app.

• With us, payment is by card, secure payment link, cash on delivery or Tabby, and there is no credit check, salary certificate, guarantor or down payment.

What Dubai's rules actually say

The relevant instrument is Circular No. (1) of 2024, issued by the Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade, which sits under the Department of Economy and Tourism. Khaleej Times reported it in March 2024, and the paper's legal column set out the same circular again in April 2025, citing it by number.

The provision that answers this page's question is specific: where a customer does not have a credit card, the rental office must take the deposit in cash or from that customer's debit card. Khaleej Times is the only outlet we found carrying that particular provision, so we have named the source rather than presenting it as settled, and the Department of Economy and Tourism is the authority to check it with. The rest of the payment rules are carried by more than one outlet.

Two more are worth knowing before you sign anything. Ahmed Ali Mousa, Director of Consumer Protection at the Department of Economy and Tourism, told Khaleej Times that rental firms must place a security deposit on hold rather than put through a purchase transaction. And the circular bars a company from charging any surcharge or transaction fee for paying by credit card or through a payment app - so it is not something you have to accept.

Why the deposit is there at all

A rental deposit is money set aside against things that may not be known on the day you hand the car back - traffic fines that have not yet landed, Salik crossings still to be billed, damage, fuel. Khaleej Times' legal column and Gulf News both describe it the same way, and both say the same thing about its mechanics: it should be blocked rather than charged, and released within a maximum of 30 days once the car is back and nothing is outstanding.

No UAE authority publishes a standard or typical deposit figure, and Gulf News says plainly that the amount varies by company and by vehicle. So there is no benchmark to measure a quote against, and the amount is whatever the company sets.

We have written that mechanism up in full, including what can and cannot come out of a deposit, on our car rental deposit guide. This page stays on the payment question.

What we accept, and what we do not ask for

Payment with us is by card, by secure payment link, cash on delivery or Tabby, which is a buy now, pay later option. A credit card is one route among several rather than the gate you have to get through, which is the practical answer to the question at the top of this page.

There is also no credit check, salary certificate, guarantor or down payment. None of those is part of how we approve a rental, and we do not query anyone's UAE credit history.

On the deposit itself: it is AED 1,500 on most cars and refundable, or you can take the car with no deposit at all for about AED 255 a month more, which is part of the rental price rather than a held sum. The no-deposit option is available on every car in the fleet.

What you do need

A valid driving licence, which is a precondition of the rental under our contract rather than a preference. That is also the company's obligation: Khaleej Times' legal column points to Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. (14) of 2024 on traffic regulation, under which vehicle rental may not be carried on without a licence from the competent authorities, and the company has to confirm the driver's licence is valid before handing over a car.

The minimum age with us is 21. A newly issued licence is accepted on most of the fleet, though a few vehicles ask for at least one year of driving experience. Visitors need a passport, a visit visa or entry stamp, and a home-country licence; an International Driving Permit is needed only where the licence was issued by a country that is not on the UAE's recognised list, and our driving licence checker will tell you which case you are in. Gulf News sets out the same documents for tourists and puts the general minimum rental age in the UAE at 21 as well.

Documents are verified on WhatsApp before a car is delivered. There is more on the tourist side of this in our guide to driving in the UAE as a visitor.

If a company will not release your money

Keep the signed contract and whatever record was made of the car's condition at handover - our guide to renting safely in Dubai goes through the rest of the warning signs.

On timing, the 30-day limit is the one to hold a company to. Where the deposit was paid by card or in cash, Khaleej Times' legal column says the refund must come back in cash or by bank transfer and the company bears the transfer fee, so the refund should not be reduced by the cost of making it.

If it is still not resolved, complaints about a Dubai-licensed company go to the Department of Economy and Tourism's consumer protection side, online at consumerrights.gov.ae or on 600 545555. Gulf News notes the route only covers companies holding a valid Dubai trade licence, which is one more reason to check who you are renting from before you pay anyone.

Renting a car in Dubai?

Our monthly rentals start at AED 1,649 a month, including VAT, comprehensive insurance, registration, routine maintenance, 24/7 roadside assistance and 3,500 km a month on most cars. The deposit is AED 1,500 refundable on most cars, or no deposit at all for about AED 255 a month more.

Fuel is same-to-same: we record the level at handover and you bring it back at that level, and the difference is charged if it is lower. Salik is recharged at cost plus AED 1 per crossing, itemised. Traffic fines are billed to you, itemised. Delivery and collection are around Downtown Dubai and nearby, and the rest of Dubai on request.

We are Urban Go Car Rentals, an RTA-authorised dealer and agency in Port Saeed, Dubai. Every rental is made on a signed Urban Go rental contract. Have a look at the fleet or our monthly rentals, or message us on WhatsApp on +971 50 500 3965 and a person will answer.

Sources

• Khaleej Times - Renting a car in Dubai? New circular spells out payment rules, banned practices

• Khaleej Times - Dubai car rental rules: security deposits, refunds rules explained

• Gulf News - How car rental deposits work in the UAE and when you get them back

• Gulf News - How can tourists rent a car in the UAE? A complete guide

Last reviewed: 14 October 2026.