Car & Vehicle Emissions Test

Car emission check is an important part of vehicle maintenance and responsible driving in the UAE. It is required to ensure that the vehicle is not producing excessive levels of pollutants, which can harm the environment. Furthermore, regular emission testing helps ensure that the vehicle is running efficiently and safely, which reduces the risk of breakdowns and other problems.

Different Types of Vehicle Tests

Before knowing more about car emissions check in the UAE, let’s check out the different types of vehicle tests in the UAE -

• Periodic Vehicle Test - This test refers to the periodic inspection of your car for its safety measures and roadworthiness. In this test, agencies also check the exhaust emissions that are applicable to most vehicles in the UAE. This car emission check is mandatory to renew your vehicle’s registration. If your vehicle is older than 3 years, it would need annual periodic vehicle testing. 
• New Vehicle Registration Test - This inspection is conducted before you register your vehicle bought from an agency other than the authorised one in the UAE. 
• Export Test - It is a mandatory test done before a vehicle is exported from the UAE. This test includes recording information about vehicle identification like its Chassis number and engine details. 
• Defect Test - Here, the vehicle is taken to the Vehicle Testing Partners’ location for inspection. This is followed by the process of detecting remote defects in the vehicle or conducting a roadside inspection. 

How to Check RTA Vehicle Test Certificates Status?

What are the Pollutants Limits that You Should Maintain at the Time of Vehicle Emissions Inspection?

As we saw earlier, a car emission check is essential to renew your vehicle’s registration in the UAE. Here, the vehicles are tested for their emissions levels at the time of registration. If your vehicle’s emissions do not meet the set limit, your registration renewal may be rejected. 

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has mentioned 5 major pollutants that should be checked in a vehicle, which are nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter (PM10), ozone, and lead. 

Discussed below are the limits set on the major emissions -

• Sulphur Dioxide - Emission of 350 micrograms per cubic metre an hour on average and up to 60 micrograms yearly on average. 
• Nitrogen Dioxide - When taking your vehicle for a car emission check, the car should not exceed the NO2  levels of 400 micrograms per metre cube per hour, and 150 micrograms per metre cube on average in a day. 
• Carbon Monoxide - The amount of CO that your car emits in an hour on average should not go beyond 30 milligrams per cubic metre and 10 milligrams per metric cube on average in 8 driving hours. 
• Ozone - The vehicle testing centre also looks at the ozone emission of your car when you take your vehicle for the emissions inspection. According to the law in the UAE, your car should emit only up to 200 micrograms per cubic metre in an hour on average. This emission should be 10 micrograms per metre cube in 8 driving hours. 
• PM10 - The suspended particle emission allowed is 230 micrograms per cubic metre in a day on average.
• Total Suspended Particles - The emission for Total Suspended Particles should be 230 micrograms per cubic metre in a day on average, and 90 micrograms per cubic metre per year on average. 
• Lead - Your vehicle should not emit more than 1 microgram per cubic metre of lead in a year on average. 
• Hydrocarbons - The hydrocarbon emission should not exceed 800 parts per million (ppm).
• Smoke Density - This emission should be less than 3.5 m-1 (with turbo) or 2.5 m-1 (without turbo). 
• Smoke - During the car emission check, the centre also checks your car for white, black, or blue smoke that could indicate different system failures.

Besides helping in keeping the environment healthy and getting your car registration renewed, vehicle emission inspection also helps in determining the faults in your vehicle’s engine and other functions for quick and easy repair.

What Types of Vehicles Go for Vehicle Emissions Inspection?

The following light vehicles can go for car emissions check in the UAE:

• Motor vehicles operated by petrol engines non-injection
• Vehicles with compression-ignition engines (petrol)
• Vehicles with compression-ignition engines (diesel)

Here is the list of heavy vehicles that can undergo vehicle emission inspection in the UAE:

• Motor vehicles operated by petrol engines non-injection
• Vehicles with compression-ignition engines (petrol)

Key Requirements Before Visiting the Vehicle Test Centre for Car Emissions Test in UAE

Given below are some basic requirements that you should fulfil when giving your car for vehicle inspection and car emissions check -

• The vehicle should be clean.
• The number plate should be authentic and clear. 
• You should remove any underside covers.
• The car should not have any promotional stickers pasted before the RTA approval. 

Documents Required for Car Emissions Check

Listed below are the mandatory documents for vehicle testing and vehicle emission inspection -

• Vehicle Registration Card
• Commercial Licence Copy (if the vehicle is for commercial use)
• Emirates ID
• Driving Licence Copy

Fees Associated with Your Vehicle Emission Test

A car emissions check is usually carried out under Periodic Vehicle Tests. The charges for this test are AED 120 for light vehicles and AED 150 for heavy vehicles. 

What Happens if Your Car Fails the Inspection Test?

In case your vehicle fails the inspection test, you would be required to fix the defects found in your car within 30 days. Once the repairs are done, the Vehicle Testing Centre will re-test your car. If you still fail to not get the valid test certificate, you may have to face these consequences -

• The RTA Vehicle Licencing Department can levy a fine on every additional day the vehicle registration is not renewed. 
• You would have to pay a traffic fine in case you fail to present a valid registration card. 
• You would not be able to renew the vehicle registration again. 

Thus, it is mandatory to get your car inspected for registration. One important test that needs to be conducted so that you get your new vehicle registration is the car emission check. Make sure that your car meets the pollutant limits at the time of inspection.