Rent-a-Car Firms Denied Permission to Seize Passports or Identity Cards of Customers

Authorities have declared it a violation of law to keep customer passports as security deposits in Dubai.

Car rental firms in Dubai are no longer allowed to keep passports and ID cards from customers as collaterals of renting a car from the firm. Brigadier Dr Mohammad Al Murr, Director of the Human Rights Department of Dubai Police announced that any firm keeping the passports would be violating the rule of law set forward by the UAE Minister of the interior.

Al Murr also stressed on the protection rights of car rental firms, so customers don’t misuse the vehicle and to guard them from cases of fraud. He encouraged the firms to take an advance security payment from the customers through their credit cards for assurance.

This will help the rental firms provide better customer service to their clients, making it an easy experience to rent a car, without having to deposit important documents. This step will also secure the rental companies from fraud and damages, since getting an advance payment through credit card, will also provide an abundance of data on the customer.

Bank account details and important data can be retrieved from the authorities in case a customer breaks the rules or damages the car and runs away etc.

Seizing of Emirates Identity card is also prohibited, since the customer would not be able to move around freely and get things done.

“Holding the Emirates ID would deprive a person of freedom of movement from accessing services of various government agencies,” said Lawyer Abdurrahman Al Mudharreb.