Car Rental Deposits in Dubai and No Deposit Options

Most Dubai rental companies hold a deposit on your credit card and release it about a month after you return the car. In our check of 19 companies on 1 Oct 2026, deposits ran from nothing to Dh 5,000, and the most common refund time was 21 working days.

How a deposit works

The deposit is usually a hold on your credit card. The money stays on your card, but you cannot spend it. Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) tells renters to make sure it is “held or blocked, not purchased”. DET’s Circular No. 1 of 2024, as reported, says deposits must be released within 30 days of return.

The hold can be bigger than the deposit: one international company holds the rental price plus Dh 3,000 to Dh 5,000.

DET’s rules cover companies licensed in Dubai. If the company is licensed in another emirate, ask which rules apply and check the official page.

How much companies ask

In our check, 17 companies sent a price for a Lamborghini Urus or Mercedes G 63. Ten stated a deposit, from Dh 500 to Dh 5,000, and seven of them asked Dh 3,000 to Dh 5,000 for the Urus. Four asked for no deposit, but one of them charges a fee instead and one asks younger drivers for a deposit. Three did not give an amount.

On 9 and 10 Oct 2026, 31 companies showed a deposit on their own car pages. For the most listed cars, half of them ask a deposit in the range below.

Car	Usual deposit	Companies
Lamborghini Urus	Dh 3,000 to 5,000	23
Mercedes-AMG G 63	Dh 2,000 to 5,000	22
Lamborghini Huracán	Dh 3,000 to 5,000	20
Porsche 911	Dh 2,000 to 5,000	18
Ferrari F8	Dh 3,000 to 5,000	17
Rolls-Royce Cullinan	Dh 3,000 to 5,000	16
Bentley Continental	Dh 3,000 to 5,000	13
Bentley Bentayga	Dh 3,500 to 5,000	11
Ferrari Roma	Dh 4,000 to 7,500	11
Lamborghini Aventador	Dh 4,500 to 10,000	11
Rolls-Royce Dawn	Dh 3,000 to 5,000	11
Rolls-Royce Wraith	Dh 2,500 to 5,000	11
Audi R8	Dh 3,500 to 5,000	10
Chevrolet Corvette	Dh 2,000 to 5,000	10
Ferrari 488	Dh 4,000 to 5,000	10

How long the refund takes, and why

Eleven companies gave a refund time for their usual deposit. Six said 21 days, and five of those meant working days, about a month. Two said 28, one of them 28 working days. That is more than five weeks, and longer than the 30 days in DET’s circular.

The main reason companies gave us is traffic fines. A fine reaches the company first, and if it arrives after you return the car, the company charges your card. Fines can take several weeks to be posted. One company told us up to three weeks. Two companies in our check also settle Salik tolls when you return the car.

RTA’s unified contract covers every rental office in Dubai (RTA news, 24 Mar 2026). It says the deposit must be refunded within the time the contract sets, so read that clause before you sign.

What can be taken from the deposit

DET’s circular, as reported, allows the actual cost of traffic fines and damage, plus administrative fees, and no other extra fees.

Traffic fines. Some companies add an admin fee: one in our check charges Dh 50 per fine, and one rental platform’s terms charge Dh 50 for a fine under Dh 350 and 15% of larger fines.
Salik tolls: Dh 6 at peak hours Monday to Saturday, Dh 4 at other times and all day Sunday, and nothing from 1 AM to 6 AM. RTA sets the peak hours and can change them. One rental platform’s terms add Dh 1.25 per crossing. The RTA unified contract bans fees that were not disclosed, including extra toll gate charges.
Charges in your contract, such as fuel, late return and extra kilometres.

No deposit car rental in Dubai: what it costs

Four companies named a fee to skip the deposit: Dh 240, Dh 300 before VAT, Dh 365 and Dh 525 with VAT. Two said in writing that the fee is non-refundable.

Skipping the deposit does not stop other charges. One no-deposit company told us Salik and parking are paid when you return the car, and you still owe any fine that arrives later.

Cash, credit card or debit card

Most companies hold the deposit on a credit card. One international company does not accept debit, prepaid or virtual cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay as security. Another company’s terms charge Dh 2,500 to a debit card instead of holding it, and refund it after 30 days. In our check, one company also accepted a debit card or cash.

DET’s circular, as reported, lets companies take cash or a debit card deposit from renters without a credit card, refunded in cash or by bank transfer at the company’s cost. Older RTA rules allowed only a credit card hold, so the rules have changed. Check with the company and the official pages before you pay.

If your deposit is late

Keep photos of the car at pickup and return, the contract, messages and receipts.

Ask your bank first. One company’s terms say banks send no message when a hold is released.
Write to the company with your contract number and ask for a list of any fines. You can check fines by plate number in the Dubai Police app or on 901.
If the money was charged, not held, dispute it with your bank.
After 30 days with nothing owed, complain to DET Consumer Rights at consumerrights.gov.ae or on 600 545 555. Consumer complaints are free. The form asks if you are a resident or a tourist. Only companies with a Dubai trade licence are covered.
Use only the official .gov.ae site. DET warns that imitation sites ask for payments and personal details.

What to ask the company

How much is the deposit, and is it held on my card or charged?
How many days after return is it released, working or calendar days?
What is your fee for each traffic fine and each Salik crossing?
Is there a no-deposit option, what does it cost with VAT, and is that fee refunded?
Which cards do you accept, and how is a cash or debit card deposit refunded?
What refund time does my contract set for the deposit?

Compare daily prices on all cars, and read what a rental really costs.

Sources

Official pages checked 10 Oct 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the official pages and your contract before you rent.

Car rental deposits in Dubai, and what no deposit really costs