Dubai vehicle testing: RTA announces mandatory online booking, avoid Dh100 fee

Dubai: Booking online appointments for vehicle inspections will become mandatory in Dubai from June 2, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Tuesday.

RTA said it has activated the Vehicle Inspection Appointment Booking service on the ‘RTA Dubai’ app and the website.

“Effective June 2, 2025, the booking will be mandatory for all vehicle inspections at technical testing centres across the emirate,” the authority stated.

A total of 27 technical testing centres across Dubai now require booking for vehicle inspections via the RTA Dubai smart app or website (www.rta.ae). Tasjeel Hatta centre is exempt from the appointment booking requirement.

Additional service fee

For customers who prefer to visit without a prior appointment, an optional walk-in service will be available at 19 centres, subject to an additional service fee of Dh100, RTA clarified.

No walk-in service is available at eight other centres where the technical inspection services are available only through pre-booking appointments.

The centres are Wasel Vehicle Testing Centre: Arabian Centre, Nad Al Hamar; Shamil Centres: Al Adid, Al Muhaisnah, Nad Al Hamar ; Al Mumayaz Vehicle Testing Centre, Al Mizhar and Tasjeel Centres: Al Twar and Al Mankhool

RTA said the decision to expand the service follows the tangible success of the pilot phase, launched in October last year exclusively at the Tasjeel centres in Al Qusais and Al Barsha. The initiative proved effective in saving customers' time and effort.

Cutting waiting time

“Through this expansion, RTA aims to enhance the quality of this vital service, which benefits a broad segment of the population, and to improve customer satisfaction by reducing waiting times for vehicle inspections. The move also reflects RTA’s commitment to enriching the customer experience by providing seamless access to premium services across multiple channels,” it stated.

The results of the six-month pilot phase revealed a notable reduction in average customer waiting times for vehicle inspection services at the Al Qusais and Al Barsha centres, by approximately 46%, alongside a 15% decrease in the occupancy rate of physical inspection transactions relative to total available capacity.

The volume of vehicle testing transactions at both centres also declined by 13%. Despite this reduction, revenue levels remained unaffected. Additionally, 52% of customers chose to use the pre-booking system, 26% of transactions were completed via the optional walk-in service, and the remaining 22% were for other services that did not require prior appointments.

Positive shift

Qais Al Farsi, Director of Vehicle Licensing at RTA’s Licensing Agency, said: “The outcomes of the pilot phase demonstrated a clear improvement and a positive shift in reducing congestion at inspection centres, particularly during peak hours, one of the most persistent challenges at these facilities.”