Banking in the UAE as a Brit: your first account, cheques and money from home

Opening a bank account in Dubai is easy once your residence visa and Emirates ID are sorted, and a proper faff before then.

The short version

• All UAE residents must have an Emirates ID, which normally comes with your residence visa [1]. Banks generally want it, or proof you've applied, before they open a full current account.
• Expect to show your passport and residence visa, your Emirates ID, a salary certificate or letter from your employer, and often proof of address such as an Ejari-registered tenancy.
• Cheques still matter in Dubai, for rent and deposits. Since 2 January 2022 a cheque bouncing for lack of funds is no longer a crime in most cases, but bad-faith cheque offences still are [2].
• The FCDO warns that non-payment of bills and other financial crimes can lead to prison, fines and frozen accounts [3]. Debt is a serious business here.
• Keep a UK current account if you can, and plan how you'll move money. The dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so your rate tracks the pound against the dollar.

Before you have an account

Your first few weeks in Dubai are a bit chicken-and-egg. Many landlords want post-dated cheques for rent, you need a bank account for a cheque book, and a bank wants your residence paperwork first.

1. Arrive with a UK card that works abroad. A UK debit or credit card with low foreign-transaction fees covers the first weeks of shopping, taxis and the odd Friday brunch.
2. Get the residence visa and Emirates ID moving. Your employer usually handles the visa, the medical and the Emirates ID application. The FCDO notes you should receive the Emirates ID along with your residence visa [1].
3. Ask your employer which bank they use for payroll. Many have arrangements with one or two banks, which can make opening an account quicker.
4. Ask HR for a salary certificate on company letterhead. Banks rely on it, and so do landlords and car dealers.

Our guide to Emirates ID, Ejari and your first month in Dubai puts all of this in order.

Opening your UAE account

Dubai has a busy banking market: big local banks such as Emirates NBD, Mashreq, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Islamic banks, and international names including HSBC. Most offer English-language apps and branches, and much of the process can be done online once you have your Emirates ID.

What you'll typically be asked for:

Things that work differently from back home:

• Minimum balances. Many UAE current accounts charge a monthly fee if your balance falls below a set level, and the threshold varies a lot between banks and account types. Check the bank's fee schedule before you sign up.
• Salary-transfer accounts. Banks often offer better terms, or a credit card, if your employer pays your salary straight into them. Some loans and cards are conditional on keeping the salary there.
• A credit history from scratch. Your UK credit file doesn't follow you. The UAE has its own credit bureau, the Al Etihad Credit Bureau, and your record there starts when you arrive. Our guide to your UK credit file while you're away covers the UK side.
• Islamic banking. Islamic banks and windows offer Sharia-compliant accounts and home finance, open to non-Muslims too.

Cheques, debt and the rules that bite

Coming from a country where most people haven't written a cheque since the 1990s, Dubai's love of them is a surprise. Landlords commonly ask for rent as a set of post-dated cheques, and security deposits are often paid by cheque.

Bounced cheques. Amendments that took effect on 2 January 2022 mean that issuing a cheque without enough funds is no longer a criminal offence in most cases. Criminal liability is now limited to bad faith and other cheque crimes, and administrative penalties were made tougher [2]. If there's not enough money to cover the cheque, the bank must pay out what's available unless the person presenting it refuses a part-payment [2]. A bounced cheque can still lead to civil enforcement, fees and a mark on your credit record. Don't write a cheque you can't cover.

Debt and leaving. When we checked on 7 November 2026, the FCDO travel advice (updated 27 October 2026) said financial crimes, including fraud and the non-payment of bills (hotel bills included), can result in prison, a fine or both, and that you could have your bank accounts and other assets frozen. If convicted, you may have to stay in prison until the debt is paid or waived and you've served your sentence [3]. Loans and credit cards taken out in the UAE need settling or a written agreement with the bank before you leave the country. Walking away from a UAE loan isn't like missing a payment on a UK store card.

Swearing at the bank. It's also illegal to swear or make rude gestures, including online and in messages [3]. However slow the customer service line, keep it civil.

Keeping your UK account

Keep at least one UK current account open. It's where your UK rent, pension or ISA income lands, it pays your UK direct debits, and it makes life simpler if you come home.

• Tell your bank you've moved. Some UK banks restrict or close accounts for customers living abroad, or limit new products. Ask before you go, not after you've landed.
• Keep a UK mobile number for one-time passcodes. Our guide to keeping a UK mobile number and address explains the options.
• Update your tax residence when the bank asks. You'll still pay UK tax on UK savings interest as a non-resident, though the Personal Allowance can cover it [4].
• Your State Pension can be paid in the UAE or the UK. The DWP pays into a UAE bank using an IBAN and BIC, or a UK account, every 4 or 13 weeks. Overseas payments are converted at the rate on the day, with a 0.39% conversion charge [5]. The pension is frozen in the UAE [6].

Our full guide to keeping a UK bank account while you live abroad has the detail.

Moving money from the UK

The UAE dirham is pegged to the US dollar at AED 3.6725, so what you get for your pounds rises and falls with the pound against the dollar. With the rates used in this guide, £1,000 buys about AED 4,949.

Your options:

1. A transfer from your UK bank to your UAE account. Simple and secure, but check both the transfer fee and the exchange rate margin, which is where most of the cost hides.
2. A specialist money-transfer service regulated in the UK by the FCA. Often cheaper on the rate; check it's authorised on the FCA register.
3. A UAE exchange house. Licensed by the UAE Central Bank and found in most malls, popular for sending money in both directions.
4. A multi-currency card or account for holiday spending and smaller amounts.

Compare the total cost for the same amount on the same day, and watch for big sums: a house deposit or school fees in one go deserve a rate check across a couple of providers. Our guide to sending money between the UK and abroad has the checklist.

People swap tips on which banks are quick for newcomers in our community group for Brits in the UAE.

Pound conversions use £1 = AED 4.9491, derived from the Bank of England USD spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = USD 1.3476) and the dirham's fixed peg of AED 3.6725 per US dollar.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in the United Arab Emirates (updated 11 December 2025)
2. The National: UAE Central Bank implements legal amendments on decriminalisation of cheques (1 November 2021)
3. GOV.UK (FCDO): United Arab Emirates travel advice, safety and security (still current at 7 November 2026, updated 27 October 2026)
4. GOV.UK: Tax on your UK income if you live abroad (updated 30 September 2026)
5. GOV.UK: State Pension if you retire abroad
6. GOV.UK (DWP): Countries where we pay an annual increase in the State Pension

Keep reading

• Emirates ID, Ejari and your first month in Dubai
• UAE taxes for Brits: the UK link and your State Pension
• Keeping a UK bank account when you live abroad
• Sending money between the UK and abroad