Families in the UAE can claim compensation before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in India for death or injury in a road accident, mainly from the insurer of the offending vehicle. Claimants sign the petition and affidavits in the UAE through notarisation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation and Indian mission attestation. Where the deceased earned in the UAE, proving that salary properly can significantly raise the award. File within six months.
- Document route
- UAE notary, MOFA attestation, then Indian Embassy or Consulate attestation
- Time difference
- IST is 1h30 ahead of UAE time all year (no daylight saving)
- Law
- Motor Vehicles Act 1988, as amended in 2019
- Forum
- Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT)
Accident Compensation Claims from the UAE: how it works
We obtain the FIR, site plan, post-mortem or medical reports and the vehicle's insurance details in India. If the deceased worked in the UAE, the salary is proved through the employment contract, salary certificate from the employer, bank statements showing salary credits and, where available, labour or immigration records. These are attested in the UAE so that the tribunal accepts them. Tribunals calculate loss of dependency using income, future prospects, personal expenses and an age-based multiplier.
Families in the Gulf usually choose the tribunal for the district where the accident took place, which keeps police witnesses close at hand. Claimants in the UAE can be examined by video where the tribunal permits, and a family member in India can give evidence on matters within their knowledge. Insurers often make offers once the evidence is filed, especially at Lok Adalat. The award is deposited and released to the claimants, usually into NRO accounts, and can be remitted to the UAE.
What clients in the UAE should know
- Gulf salaries are often paid partly as allowances; the tribunal considers the full proved income, so collect a detailed salary certificate.
- Since the UAE has no income tax, there are no tax returns to prove income; employer documents and bank statements carry the weight.
- The six-month limit in section 166(3) runs from the date of the accident, so file promptly.
Step by step from the UAE
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits the UAE, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in the UAE
UAE notary, MOFA attestation, then Indian Embassy or Consulate attestation
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in the UAE where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in the UAE. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Accident Compensation Claims, or see all services for clients in the UAE and the Disputes & Enforcement practice area.
Questions from clients in the UAE
My husband died in an accident in Kerala while on leave from Dubai. Can I claim?
Yes. You and the other legal heirs can claim before the tribunal, and his UAE salary can be used to calculate compensation if properly proved.
How is UAE income proved without tax returns?
Through the employment contract, salary certificate, bank statements and other attested employer records.
Can the compensation be sent to the UAE?
Yes, from the NRO account after any tax on interest, within the annual NRO limit.