Table of contents
Quick answer
Contact the company before your contract ends and ask to extend; do not just keep the car, which can count as an unauthorised or late return. The company may extend the same contract or write a new one, and the rate for the extra time may differ, with a weekly or monthly rate often cheaper than extra daily days. Check that insurance, Salik tolls and any mileage cap carry over, and settle any new payment or deposit. Confirm everything in writing, because it varies by company.
Contact the company before the contract ends
The most important step is also the simplest: contact the rental company before your contract ends. Do not just keep the car and sort it out later. Holding on to a rental past its end date without agreement can count as an unauthorised or late return, and you are then explaining a situation rather than agreeing one.
Ask as soon as you think you might need longer, not on the last morning. An extension is a request, and the company decides whether to agree and on what terms. How it handles that varies by company, so check your own contract for anything it says about extending.
Put the request in writing, by message or email. Say which rental it is, when it is due to end and the new date and time you would like. If your end date has already passed, contact the company straight away and read our guide to the late return of a rental car.
Not sure yet? Ask anyway, and early. A quick message saying you may need a few more days gives you time to compare the options before the end date arrives.
Same contract or a new one?
The company may extend your existing contract, or it may write a new one for the extra time. Which it does varies by company. It is worth asking which, because a new contract is a fresh set of terms to read, while an extension of the existing one changes terms you have already agreed.
- An extension of the same contract: ask exactly what changes. Expect the end date and the total to change, and check whether the insurance, Salik tolls, any mileage cap (a limit on how far you can drive) and the deposit stay as they are.
- A new contract: read it as carefully as you read the first one. Check the dates, the rate, the cover, any mileage cap, the Salik terms and whether a new payment or deposit is due.
- Either way, ask the company to confirm the new end date and time in writing.
What will the extra days cost?
The rate for the extra time may differ from the rate you started on. A weekly or monthly rate is often cheaper than piling on extra daily days, so if you need several more days, ask for the price both ways: as single days, and at the weekly or monthly rate. Compare the two totals before you agree.
We cannot tell you what your company will charge. It varies by company, and nothing in this guide is a quote. Ask for the figure in writing before you agree to it.
To see how companies' fees compare, our fee transparency report sets out real per-company fee data, and our fees and true-cost tool helps you work out what a rental can really cost. For other charges that can appear on a final bill, see our guide to the hidden costs of car rental.
Check that your cover and terms carry over
A longer rental is not simply more days on the same page. Before you agree, check that the insurance, the Salik terms and any mileage cap in your original contract carry over to the extra time, and settle any new payment or deposit. If something does not carry over, you want to know before you drive the extra days, not after.
Our guides to car rental insurance in Dubai and car rental deposits in Dubai explain the basics behind two of these checks.
| What to check | What to ask the company |
|---|---|
| Insurance | What to ask the companyDoes my insurance carry over to the extra days, and on the same terms? |
| Salik | What to ask the companyDo the Salik terms in my contract also apply to the extra days? |
| Mileage cap | What to ask the companyIf my contract limits how far I can drive, does the limit carry over, and what is it for the longer period? |
| Rate | What to ask the companyWhat do the extra days cost, and would a weekly or monthly rate be cheaper than extra daily days? |
| Payment and deposit | What to ask the companyIs any new payment or deposit needed, how will it be taken and when is it due? |
| Paperwork | What to ask the companyIs this the same contract or a new one, and can you confirm the new end date and time in writing? |
Terms vary by company and can change, so check your own contract and keep the company's written reply.
If an answer is vague, ask again until it is clear, and do not assume a yes to one question covers the others.
Get it in writing, and keep it
Terms vary by company, so the safest record is the written one: your contract and the company's reply. Do not rely on a phone call alone. If the company agrees by phone, send a short message straight afterwards repeating what was agreed, and keep any reply.
When it is time to hand the car back, see our guide to returning a rental car. Until the car is back and any deposit has been released, keep these together:
- Your request and the company's reply, with the dates.
- The amended contract, or the new one.
- The receipt or card confirmation for any new payment or deposit.
- The new end date and time, so you have it with you when you return the car.
Keep a copy of any message that agrees the new terms. A screenshot works.
If the company says no, or it goes wrong
An extension is the company's decision, so the answer can be no. If it is, the original end date stands: plan to return the car on time, and use our car rental in Dubai page if you need to arrange another rental.
If a dispute comes up later, over what you were charged for the extra time or over the deposit, start at the first step below and move on only if you need to. For a deposit that has not come back, our deposit-back tool has a letter generator and an escalation ladder that can help.
- 1Raise it with the company first, in writing, quoting their own terms.
- 2If a deposit was taken as a card charge, ask your bank for a chargeback. A hold that has not been captured can simply be released.
- 3A Dubai-licensed company answers to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). At the time of writing, you can file a Dubai Consumer complaint or call 600 54 5555, and the UAE government's consumer-protection page explains the steps.
No outcome is guaranteed, which is one more reason to keep the written confirmation of the extension.
Frequently asked questions
Can I extend my car rental in Dubai?
You can ask, and the company may agree. It may extend your existing contract or write a new one, but it is the company's decision and the details vary by company. Contact the company before your contract ends and get what is agreed confirmed in writing.
How early should I ask to extend my rental?
Before your contract ends, and as soon as you think you might need longer rather than on the last day. Check your own contract for anything it says about extending, and ask in writing, by message or email, so there is a record.
What happens if I keep the rental car without asking?
Keeping the car past the end date without agreement can count as an unauthorised or late return. If your end date has passed or is about to, contact the company straight away and read our guide to the late return of a rental car. What follows depends on your contract and the company.
Will the extra days cost the same daily rate?
Not necessarily. The rate for the extra time may differ from your original rate, and a weekly or monthly rate is often cheaper than adding lots of extra daily days. Ask for the price both ways and get the figure in writing before you agree. It varies by company.
Does my insurance carry over when I extend?
It varies by company and by contract, so do not assume it does. Ask the company to confirm in writing that your insurance, the Salik terms and any mileage cap carry over to the extra days.
Will I have to pay a new deposit to extend?
Possibly. Check whether any new payment or deposit is needed, settle it when you agree the extension and keep the receipt or confirmation. Whether one is required, and how it is taken, varies by company.
What if the company says it cannot extend my rental?
An extension is the company's decision, so the answer can be no. If it is, the original end date stands: plan to return the car on time, and see our guide to returning a rental car. Our car rental in Dubai page can help if you need to arrange another rental.
What if I am charged something I did not agree to?
Raise it with the company first, in writing, quoting their own terms. If a deposit was taken as a card charge, you can ask your bank for a chargeback; a hold that has not been captured can simply be released. A Dubai-licensed company answers to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET): at the time of writing, you can file a Dubai Consumer complaint or call 600 54 5555. No outcome is guaranteed.
Written by the TripReview team from our own price benchmarks and the rules published by UAE authorities, and updated 21 October 2026. Figures are ranges, not quotes — check the latest rules with the official source before you travel. How we rate companies
