A car insurance claim in Dubai is the process of reporting an accident to Dubai Police, notifying your insurer with the police report and your documents, and having the damage assessed and repaired under your policy, either at the brand’s agency or at a garage your insurer approves.
In short: get the police report first, because no insurer will process a claim without one. The Dubai Police app handles minor accidents with no injuries. Then contact your insurer with the report, your photos and your documents, wait for them to assess the damage and approve the repair, and only then let the garage start work.
Nobody plans for a bump in traffic. One minute you are crawling along Airport Road; the next you are standing on the hard shoulder looking at a creased bumper and wondering what happens now. The good news is that the process for a car insurance claim in Dubai is well set out, and most of the stress comes from not knowing the order of things. Do the steps in the right order, and the claim moves. Skip one and it stalls.
We repair cars after accidents every week at our workshop in Umm Ramool, and we deal with insurers on the repair side of those claims. This guide walks through what actually happens, from the roadside to collecting the car, and the small mistakes that hold claims up.
What to do at the scene
Safety first, paperwork second. If anyone is hurt or the cars cannot be moved, call 999 and wait for the police. For a minor knock with no injuries, the cars are usually expected to be moved out of the traffic lane once it is safe.
Before anything moves, take photos. Get the whole car from each corner, close-ups of every damaged panel, both number plates, the other car’s damage and the road layout. These photos help with the police report and later with the insurer, and you cannot take them again once the cars have gone.
- Check that everyone is safe and switch on your hazard lights
- Photograph both cars, both plates and the scene
- Swap names, phone numbers and insurance details with the other driver
- Do not agree to “sort it out privately” without a police report, as your insurer cannot pay without one
Step 1: Get the police report.
The police report is the document everything else depends on. Your insurer cannot process a car insurance claim in Dubai without it, however small the damage. It records what happened and, where another car is involved, who was at fault, which decides whose insurer pays.
For minor accidents with no injuries, Dubai Police lets you file the report through the Dubai Police app, using your driving licence, vehicle registration and photos of the damage. Selected petrol stations in Dubai also have staff trained to help drivers file minor accident reports. For anything serious, or if you are unsure, call 999.
If you find damage with no idea how it happened, such as a scrape in a car park, you still need a report. The Dubai Police app has an option for this kind of unknown accident. Keep a copy of the report as a PDF on your phone, because you will be asked for it more than once.
Step 2: Get your documents together
Insurers ask for much the same set of documents. Having them ready on your phone saves a lot of back and forth:
- The police accident report
- Vehicle registration card (Mulkiya)
- Your driving licence
- Emirates ID
- Your policy number or insurance certificate
- The photos you took at the scene
Your insurer may ask for more depending on the case, so check their claim page or app. If the car is financed, the bank may also need to be kept informed.
Step 3: Tell your insurer.
Once you have the police report, contact your insurer through their claims line, app or website, and register the claim. You will get a claim reference number. Write it down, because every message from here on, including ours, will quote it.
If the police report puts the other driver at fault, the claim usually goes through their insurer rather than yours. If you are at fault, or no other car was involved, it goes through your own policy, and only comprehensive cover pays to repair your own car. Third-party liability insurance covers damage you cause to other people, not repairs to your own car.
Step 4: Agency or non-agency repair?
This is decided by your policy, not by the garage. When you bought comprehensive cover, it was written as either agency repair or non-agency repair:
| Agency repair | Non-agency repair | |
| Where the car is fixed | The brand’s authorised dealer workshop | A garage your insurer approves |
| Usually suits | Newer cars, cars under warranty, luxury models | Older cars and out-of-warranty cars |
| Premium | Usually higher | Usually lower |
If you are not sure which you have, it is written in your policy schedule. On a non-agency policy, your insurer will either direct the car to one of its approved garages or let you choose from its list. It is worth asking the garage you trust whether it works with your insurer before the car is sent elsewhere.
Step 5: Assessment and approval
Before any spanner touches the car, the damage has to be assessed and the repair approved. Depending on the insurer, a surveyor inspects the car or the garage sends a detailed estimate with photos. The insurer then approves the repair, sometimes in full, sometimes with changes.
This is the step people find hardest, because the car is sitting still and nothing seems to be happening. It is normal. One thing to know: once a damaged panel comes off, there is often more damage behind it, a bent bracket or a cracked sensor mount. When that happens, the garage sends the insurer a supplementary request with photos and waits for that extra work to be approved too. A good garage tells you when this happens rather than leaving you guessing.
The one rule that matters most: do not have the car repaired before the insurer approves the work. Repairs done before approval can be refused or only partly paid.
Step 6: The repair
Once approved, the repair itself is the part we care most about. A claim repair should leave the car as it was before the accident, not just patched to close the file. On a typical accident repair that means:
- Panels repaired or replaced, with as little filler as the damage allows
- Paint mixed and blended to match the rest of the car, which matters on white and pearl paints under Dubai sun
- Camera and radar sensors recalibrated where a bumper, grille or windscreen was involved, since driver-assist systems rely on them being aimed correctly
- Wheel alignment checked if a wheel or suspension part took the hit
You can read more about how we handle this on our [car body repair](/car-body-repair-in-dubai/) and [car painting](/car-painting-in-dubai/) pages, and about sensor work on our [ADAS calibration](/adas-calibration-in-dubai/) page.
Step 7: Collecting the car
When the car is ready, check it in daylight before you drive off. Walk round it and look along the repaired panels for even gaps and a paint colour that matches from different angles. Start the car and check there are no warning lights. Make sure the paperwork shows what was done.
Your policy may carry an excess (also called a deductible), which is the part of the claim you pay yourself. If it applies, it is usually settled when you collect the car. Your policy schedule shows the amount, so it should not be a surprise.
Why car insurance claims in Dubai get delayed
Most delays come from a small number of avoidable things:
- No police report, or a report with details that do not match the policy
- Repairs started before the insurer approved them
- Missing photos of the damage or the scene
- A policy that lapsed or a cover that does not include own-damage repairs
- Waiting days before reporting the accident
- Hidden damage found during the repair, which needs a second approval
The first five are in your hands. The last one is normal, and a good garage keeps you posted while it is sorted.
How long does a car insurance claim in Dubai take?
It depends on three things: how quickly you get the police report and register the claim, how long your insurer takes to assess and approve, and how much work the car needs. A scuffed bumper is a short job once approved. Structural damage, parts that need ordering or a supplementary approval all add time. Ask the garage for a realistic timeline once the repair is approved, and ask them to tell you if it changes.
How Medellin Auto Services helps with your claim
We are a workshop, not an insurer, so we do not sell policies. What we do is take the repair side of a car insurance claim in Dubai off your hands. We work with insurance companies on accident repair claims, deal with the estimates, photos and approvals, and then carry out the bodywork, paint and any sensor or alignment work the repair needs, all under one roof.
If you are not sure whether your insurer will send the car to us, message us with your insurer’s name, and we will tell you how it works for your policy. More detail is on our [car insurance in Dubai](/car-insurance-in-dubai/) page, and you will find every make we repair on our [car brands](/car-brands-repair-in-dubai/) page.
We are at 9, 1st Street, Umm Ramool, Deira, a few minutes from Dubai International Airport.
Open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 7:30pm.
Send us photos of the damage on WhatsApp at +971 509049270 and we will tell you the next step.
FAQs
Questions people ask about car insurance claims in Dubai
Can I make a car insurance claim in Dubai without a police report?
No. Insurers need the official police report to process a claim, however minor the damage. For small accidents with no injuries, you can file it through the Dubai Police app.
How do I report a minor accident in Dubai?
Use the Dubai Police app to file a minor accident report with your driving licence, vehicle registration and photos of the damage. Selected petrol stations can also help. Call 999 if anyone is hurt or the cars cannot be moved.
What documents do I need for a car insurance claim in Dubai?
Usually the police report, vehicle registration (Mulkiya), driving licence, Emirates ID, your policy details and photos of the damage. Your insurer may ask for more depending on the case.
What is the difference between agency and non-agency repair?
Agency repair means the car is fixed at the brand’s authorised dealer workshop. Non-agency repair means it is fixed at a garage your insurer approves. Which one you get is set by your policy.
Does third-party insurance pay to repair my car?
No. Third-party liability insurance covers damage you cause to other people and their property. To have your own car repaired after an accident you caused, you need comprehensive cover.
Who pays if the other driver was at fault?
If the police report puts the other driver at fault, the claim usually goes through their insurer. You still need the police report and your documents to start it.
Can I get my car repaired before the insurer approves it?
It is best not to. Repairs started before approval can be refused or only partly paid. Wait for the insurer to approve the estimate, then let the garage begin.
What is an excess on a car insurance claim?
The excess, or deductible, is the part of the claim you pay yourself. The amount is in your policy schedule and is usually paid when you collect the car.
Had an accident? Send us the photos. Message us on WhatsApp at +971 50 904 9270 with photos of the damage and your insurer’s name, and we will tell you the next step. Medellin Auto Services, 9, 1st Street, Umm Ramool, Deira, Dubai. Open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7:30pm.
WhatsApp / Call +971509049270