The Ministry of Interior, represented by the General Directorate of Traffic, announced the rules and procedures for vehicle exit permits to leave the country, the payment of traffic fines before leaving the country, and the designated lanes for buses with more than 25 passengers, taxis, limousines, and delivery motorcycles.

Brig. Abdullah Khalifa Al Muftah, Director of Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Interior; Col. Ali Hassan Al Kaabi, Assistant Director of the Licensing Department at the General Directorate of Traffic, and Major Engineer Mohammed Misfer Al Hajri, Assistant Director of the Traffic Safety Department spoke at the press conference.

Several ministry officers and representatives of local media attended the conference.

Brig. Abdullah Khalifa Al Muftah pointed out that these procedures regarding vehicle exit permits, fine payments, and lane designations are based on the Traffic Law issued by Decree-Law No. (19) of 2007 and the decision of the Minister of Interior No. (21) of 2024 regarding the rules and procedures for issuing permits for motor vehicles to exit the country.

The ministry officials said the procedures are based on the Traffic Law issued by Decree-Law No. (19) of 2007, the decision of the Minister of Interior No. (21) of 2024 regarding the rules and procedures for issuing permits for motor vehicles to exit the country.

Accordingly, the General Directorate of Traffic has announcedto the owners of motor vehicles the implementation of the following rules and procedures, effective from May 22:

A permit must be obtained from the General Directorate of Traffic for motor vehicles to exit the country, as per the prescribed form and the following conditions:

The vehicle must not have any outstanding traffic violations.

The final destination (point of arrival) for the motor vehicle must be specified.

The applicant for the permit must be the owner of the vehicle, or present proof of the owner’s consent for the vehicle to exit the country.

The following vehicles are exempted from the requirement for a vehicle exit permit:

Vehicles bound for the GCC countries (point of arrival) provided they have no traffic violations, and the driver is either the owner or has the owner’s consent. Goods transporting vehicles.

Considering the exception mentioned in the above, owner of a vehicle outside the country must adhere to the following: Return the vehicles that are outside the country before applying these rules and procedures, within 90days from the date of this announcement, unless the owner obtains a permit from the licensing authority for the vehicle to remain abroad for a specified period or periods.

Return the vehicle permitted to leave the country before the permit expires, with the possibility to renew the permit for a further period or periods.

In case of violating the aforementioned rules and procedures, legal actions will be taken, including the administrative impoundment of the vehicle for up to 90 days, the ministry said.

Effective from the date of this announcement, motor vehicles outside the country will not be allowed to renew their registration unless the vehicle undergoes a technical inspection inside the country. If the registration is not renewed within the legal period (30 days from the expiration date), the vehicle owner must return the licence plates to the General Directorate of Traffic.

Failure to return the plates will result in referring the violator to the Public Prosecution for its procedures, according to Article (95) of the mentioned Traffic Law, which stipulates imprisonment for not less than one week and not more than one year, and a fine of not less than QR3,000and not more than QR10,000, or either of these penalties.

A 50 percent discount on the value of traffic violations for all motor vehicles will be applied from June 1 until August 31, 2024. The discount includes violations recorded within no more than three years.

Effective from September 1, 2024, traffic law violators will not be allowed to leave the country through any state borders (land, air, and sea) without paying the fines and dues through the (Metrash2) application, Ministry of Interior website, traffic sections, or unified service centers.

Effective from May 22, 2024, as per the provisions of the Article No. 49 of the Traffic Law, buses with more than 25 passengers, taxis and limousines are prohibited from using the left lane on road networks with three or more lanes in each direction.

Delivery motorcycle riders must use the right lane on all roads, with lane changes allowed at least 300 meters before intersections.

In case of non-compliance with the above, legal action will be taken against the violator, who will be subject to referral to the Public Prosecution for its procedures according to Article (95) of the aforementioned Traffic Law.