UAE to Permit Two-Year Light Vehicle Registrations Starting January 2027

Motorists in the UAE will be eligible to apply for two-year registration for qualifying light vehicles beginning January 1, 2027, Gulf News reported. The measure is set out in Article 98 of Cabinet Decision No. 174 of 2026, which enacts the Executive Regulation of Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on the Regulation of Traffic.

Under the new framework, vehicle registration will generally remain valid for one year with renewable one-year increments. Licensing authorities may approve a two-year validity period upon owner request only if three conditions are fulfilled: the vehicle was newly manufactured when initially registered, is no more than six years old from its date of manufacture, and is owned by an individual rather than a commercial or legal entity.

Gulf News reported that approval will be discretionary rather than automatic, and the executive regulations do not specify whether additional fees or supplementary conditions will be imposed for the extended validity.

The regulations also prohibit the registration of right-hand-drive vehicles for road use in the UAE, permitting them only for display purposes, and exclude any vehicles failing road safety standards. Concurrently, revised driving licence rules will grant two-year initial licences to drivers aged 21 and older, renewable for 10 years for UAE and GCC citizens and five years for expatriate residents.