Child Seats in Chauffeur Cars: UAE Rules and How to Request One

Yes, children under four must travel in a child seat in the UAE, and no child under 10 or shorter than 145 cm may sit in the front. Both rules carry a fine of AED 400 under the Ministry of Interior's list of traffic offences. Emirates Limo fits a child seat on request: add it when you book and the chauffeur arrives with it already installed.

What are the UAE child seat rules at a glance?

What should I have ready when I book a car with a child?

A chauffeur booking with children goes smoothly when the driver knows exactly who is getting in the car. Have these details to hand before you fill in the form.

• Each child's age, so the right type of seat comes with the car
• A rough height for anyone between 8 and 12, because the 145 cm line decides whether they can ride up front
• The total headcount including babies, since a child in a seat still takes a seat
• Your luggage count, plus any pushchair, travel cot or pram that needs boot space
• Your flight number if the pickup is at an airport, so the chauffeur tracks the landing time
• A phone number that works on arrival, in case the chauffeur needs to confirm which terminal exit you are using

Do children need a car seat in a chauffeur car in the UAE?

Yes. The Ministry of Interior's list of traffic offences sets a fine of AED 400 for not fixing child seats for children under four years old in the vehicle. The rule applies to the vehicle, not to who owns it, so a private chauffeur car is covered in the same way as the family car.

The RTA has been blunt about the two habits it wants to stop. In its child safety campaign it warned against seating children under ten in the front and described a parent cuddling a child on their lap while driving as a wrong practice. If you have ever held a baby on your knee in a taxi from the airport, that is the habit the rule is aimed at.

The UAE's current traffic law is Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024, in force since 29 March 2025, and the government portal lists the offences and fines under it. The child seat and front seat rules sit in that list alongside seat belts and mobile phone use.

Can my child sit in the front seat in Dubai?

Not until they are both over 10 and at least 145 cm tall. Dubai.ae states it in one line on its road safety page: front seat passengers must be at least 145 cm tall and over 10 years old. Both conditions apply, so a tall nine-year-old stays in the back and so does a short eleven-year-old.

The fine for allowing a child under 10 or shorter than 145 cm in the front is AED 400, according to the Ministry of Interior's offences list. The fine lands on the driver, which is why an Emirates Limo chauffeur will politely decline if a child asks to ride up front. It is not fussiness, it is the law and it is their licence.

Seat belts are mandatory for every passenger in the car, front and back, on the same Dubai.ae page. For children who have outgrown a seat but are still in the back, the adult belt is the minimum.

How do I request a child seat from Emirates Limo?

Ask for it at the point of booking, and it comes with the car. Every Emirates Limo service page has a booking form: trip type, pickup, drop-off, date and time. Choose your vehicle, then note the child seat and the child's age in the booking details before you pay.

If you have already booked and forgot, message or call +971 56 996 4924 on WhatsApp with your booking reference and the child's age. The earlier you tell us the better, because the chauffeur fits the seat before setting off rather than in the airport car park. Same-day requests are handled where the vehicle and seat are available, so do not leave it to the drive to the airport.

The seat is installed and belted in when the car arrives, and the chauffeur checks the fit once your child is in it. On an airport pickup the chauffeur still meets you inside arrivals with a name board, helps with the luggage and walks you to the car, so you are not carrying a sleeping toddler around a car park looking for a seat that fits. The chauffeur service in Dubai works the same way for city trips, school runs and hotel to hotel moves, 24 hours a day.

Which vehicle is best for a family with a child seat?

A child seat takes up one seat, so count it as a passenger when you pick a vehicle. Two adults with a baby and three bags fit a Lexus ES300 sedan, which carries four passengers and three bags. Add a second child seat, a pram and a week's luggage and you want a GMC Yukon SUV or a Mercedes-Benz V-Class van, both with room for six passengers and six bags.

The van and SUV also make life easier at the kerb. Sliding doors and a higher seat mean you lift a child straight into the seat instead of bending into a low sedan with a wriggling toddler. The fleet page shows the seat and luggage counts for every car, and the price for each is fixed when you book.

What does a child seat cost in an Emirates Limo?

A child seat is a request you make at booking, and the fare you see on the service page is the price you pay. Every Emirates Limo fare is fixed at the moment of booking and is all-inclusive: Salik and Darb tolls, VAT and any other taxes are included, and nothing is collected in the car. There is no surge pricing and no charge for traffic or a delayed flight.

The only published rate is the hourly chauffeur, from AED 150 per hour, where the driver and the car stay with you for as many stops as you like. That is the one to book for a day of school visits, a paediatric appointment followed by lunch, or a Friday at the beach with the seat staying fitted between stops.

What goes wrong with child seats on airport transfers?

Almost every problem comes from the seat not being mentioned at booking. Here is what we see, and how to avoid each one.

• The seat was never requested. The car arrives without one and the chauffeur cannot legally carry a child under four without it. Add the request at booking or message the WhatsApp line before pickup.
• The wrong age was given. A newborn and a three-year-old need different seats. Give the actual age, and the weight if you know it, so the right seat comes.
• The child seat was not counted as a passenger. Three adults, one baby and a sedan that seats three do not add up. Count the seat as a person when choosing the vehicle.
• A parent expected to hold the baby. The RTA has said in plain terms that this is a wrong practice, and the chauffeur will not set off with an unrestrained child.
• An older child wanted the front. Under 10 or under 145 cm means the back seat, and the AED 400 fine sits with the driver. Settle it before the doors open.
• Bringing your own seat. You are welcome to, and the chauffeur will help fit it. Tell us in advance so it is not double-booked with one of ours, and allow a few minutes at the kerb for the fitting.

Should I bring my own car seat to the UAE or use the chauffeur's?

Use the chauffeur's unless you plan to drive yourself later in the trip. Airlines handle car seats in different ways, some as free checked baggage and some counted against your allowance, so check with your airline before you fly with one. A seat that has been through a hold is also one more thing to carry through arrivals with a tired child.

If you are staying a while and hiring a car later, bringing your own seat makes sense, and the chauffeur will still fit it for the airport run. Either way, the rule is the same: a child under four rides in a seat, and nobody under 10 or under 145 cm rides in the front.

Can I cancel a booking that includes a child seat?

Yes, on the same terms as any other booking. Cancel 24 hours or more before the pickup time and you get a full refund, including the seat request. Cancellations within 24 hours of pickup, and no-shows, are charged in full.

Waiting time is the same as well: 60 minutes free at airports, counted from the actual landing time, and 15 minutes free everywhere else. A slow passport queue with a pushchair does not cost you anything, and the chauffeur waits inside arrivals until you appear.

Sources

• Ministry of Interior, list of traffic offences and fines (PDF), published on the UAE Government portal u.ae
• UAE Government portal (u.ae), Road safety and Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024
• Dubai.ae, Road safety: seat belts and front seat passengers
• Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), child safety onboard vehicles campaign