Guide · updated 08.09.2026 · 12 min read · Lucent Legal team

You Just Had a Car Accident in Dubai: What to Do, Step by Step

The first seconds after a collision are the worst: can you move the car, do you really have to call the police over a scratched bumper, what do you say to the other driver. Dubai's procedure is surprisingly formal and mostly lives in an app, which is exactly why the order of steps matters. One mistake — moving a car when someone's injured, or repairing without a police report — can cost your insurance payout or become its own problem. Here's the process step by step, from the first minutes at the scene to insurance and, for serious crashes, the criminal side.

Move the car or leave it: the first call you have to make

How serious the accident is decides everything else, so settle that in the first few seconds.

• Minor accident (nobody hurt, cosmetic damage only, both cars still drivable) — sources recommend moving the cars to the shoulder or out of the way so you're not blocking traffic, then handling the paperwork.
• Accident with injuries or serious damage — leave the cars exactly where they are until police arrive, and don't touch or move anything: the scene itself is evidence for whatever comes next.
• Either way — turn on your hazard lights, put out a warning triangle if you have one, and photograph the scene from every angle before anything gets moved.

If you're not sure which category applies, default to treating it as serious and wait for the police. That's safer than deciding on your own that "the car still drives, so I'll just move it" and being wrong.

Why police are mandatory even for a scratch

Settling it privately and driving off creates real problems in Dubai rather than saving time. That closes off the main temptation.

• Repairing a car without an official police/accident report is described in sources as outright illegal, regardless of who's paying.
• Insurance won't cover repair costs without a police report — so a quiet cash arrangement effectively cuts you off from your own coverage for that accident.
• The other driver needs the report too — without it, there's no way to confirm fault or file a claim against the at-fault driver's insurer.

Even for a purely cosmetic scratch, then, the real choice isn't "police or no police" — it's "police at the scene or police through the app." Some form of official reporting is unavoidable if you want the repair to be legal and the insurance claim to hold up.

How to report an accident: the app, ENOC, or a call

Remote reporting is Dubai Police's standard channel for minor accidents with no injuries, not a special favor.

1. Open the Dubai Police app and select the Minor Traffic Accident Report service.
2. Fill in the form — details for both cars, both drivers, and both insurance policies.
3. Attach photos of the damage and the overall scene.
4. Submit and wait for the report — sources say processing is usually quick, and you can track it afterward using the transaction number.

For minor accidents there's also reporting at select ENOC stations (sources mention Al Rasheed Street, Al Khail Road, and Arabian Ranches, among others), where you get a report without visiting a police station.

If the accident is serious — injuries, a dispute over fault, major damage, or a driver who refuses to wait or cooperate — call 999 (emergency), and call an ambulance separately if anyone is hurt. How the non-urgent 901 line works, and how filing a police report in Dubai works generally, is in our guide How to File a Police Report in Dubai — the same logic applies to accidents past the minor category.

Pink, green, and white forms: who's at fault

The reporting process ends in a document with a specific fault finding, and that finding decides who claims from whom.

Being honest here: sources don't fully agree on the exact color coding — some describe this pink/green/white split tied to fault, others use different labels for similar categories. The underlying split — at fault / not at fault / undetermined — is confirmed independently, but double-check the precise color name with the officer handling your report or on the report you're issued.

What to say at the scene and afterward

What you say at the scene is effectively part of the record, not casual conversation.

• Stick to facts: what you saw, where you were headed, what happened — no emotional judgments and no accusations at the other driver out loud.
• Don't admit fault at the scene, and don't sign any documents in Arabic you don't understand — the same principle covered in our guide Arrested in the UAE: What to Do in the First 48 Hours.
• Collect the other driver's details: plate number, name, phone number, insurance company, and policy number — useful whether you report through the app or wait for a patrol car.
• Photograph more than the damage — get the wider picture too: where the cars ended up, road signs, skid marks — in case of a later dispute over what happened.

Insurance: deadlines, documents, excess

The accident report is your ticket to a payout, but filing with the insurer is a separate step with its own requirements.

• Sources say insurers almost always require an official police report to confirm the accident, fault, and circumstances — without it, claims are typically denied.
• Notify your insurer or broker as soon as possible — the deadline varies by source: some just say "immediately," others cite roughly 7 days. Check your own policy rather than assuming another case applies.
• Standard document set: the accident report, copies of your Emirates ID and driving license, the vehicle registration card (Mulkiya), the insurance policy, damage photos, and a garage estimate if needed.
• If you're found at fault, expect to pay an excess — one source puts it roughly in the AED 500–1,500 range, but the exact figure is set by your policy, not a fixed government rate.
• The report is valid for a limited time — sources say around three months from issue — so finish repairs and settlement within that window, or have it reissued.

Rented cars and accidents

In a rental car, the process at the scene is identical: police are still mandatory, and repairing without a report is just as illegal as with your own car.

From there, the rental agreement takes over, not the law. As a general practice among Dubai rental companies, the accident report goes to the rental company, which usually deals with the insurer directly. How much lands on the renter's deposit or card typically depends on who's found at fault in the report and on the specific contract's terms (excess, coverage, driver restrictions) — check your own contract rather than assuming another renter's experience, since there's no single government-set rate. If you end up disputing accident charges with a rental company, common conflicts are covered in our guide Car Rental Disputes in Dubai.

Accidents with injuries: the criminal side, briefly

With injuries, and especially a death, the situation moves past insurance settlement into criminal territory — and here the figures deserve honesty.

• The case usually goes to the Public Prosecution rather than staying purely administrative — the procedural track after that resembles any other UAE criminal case, covered in our guide Arrested in the UAE: What to Do in the First 48 Hours.
• For a death caused by the accident, legal sources say the concept of diya ("blood money") can apply — with a minimum cited around AED 200,000 — but that's a general-practice benchmark, not a fixed rate for traffic accidents: courts weigh the circumstances and degree of fault, and can add civil compensation on top.
• Fleeing the scene (hit and run) is treated as a separate aggravating factor — sources cite a fine around AED 25,000 and possible arrest, regardless of who's ultimately at fault for the accident itself.
• Whether a case ends up administrative, criminal, or both depends on the circumstances and the article it's charged under — with injuries, this is exactly when to bring in a lawyer from day one rather than reason by analogy.

Topic: UAE Traffic Law 2026

This material is for information only and is not legal advice. UAE law changes — a lawyer will assess how it applies to your situation.