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Emirates NBD

Bank account opening

Emirates NBD account for non-residents: terms, fees and documents

Emirates NBD opens a personal savings account for non-residents: in dirhams with a debit card, or in dollars, euros and 20 other currencies as a Currency Passport. Opening requires a branch visit; we handle the file, the application form and preparation for the meeting.

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AED 3,000
Average balance on the Classic and Plus packages
22 currencies
Currency Passport account — USD, EUR, GBP and more
Branch visit
Opening — at a bank branch in the UAE
AED 105
If you close the account within the first 6 months

Other banks in the UAE

Emirates IslamicAbu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB)United Bank Limited (UBL)MashreqRAKBANKBanque Misr
All banks in the UAE

In short

Emirates NBD opens a personal savings account for non-residents — in dirhams or as a Currency Passport in 22 currencies — with a visit to a bank branch in the UAE. The average balance on the Classic and Plus packages is AED 3,000; closing within the first 6 months costs AED 105.

Checked 18 October 2026 · Elizaveta Germash

Cost of a mistake

Account closure

The bank may close the account if account conduct does not meet its compliance policy — so transactions stay within the declared profile.

How to avoid it

Non-residents get a savings account, opened at a branch

Emirates NBD offers a current account with a chequebook to UAE residents only. A non-resident gets a savings account: in AED with a debit card, or a Currency Passport in foreign currency. It is opened during a branch visit.

  • Two accounts to choose from

    Standard Savings — AED only, with a debit card. Currency Passport — USD, EUR, GBP and 19 more currencies, with no card or chequebook.

  • Balance depends on the package

    On the Personal Banking Classic and Plus packages — an AED 3,000 monthly average; if it falls short, AED 26.25. On the Beyond package the threshold is AED 100,000.

  • Full review

    Passport, proof of address no older than 3 months or a letter from your bank, documents on your funds. The bank runs for non-residents too.

  • Five days to change your mind

    After you sign the application, you have 5 working days to cancel. During that time the bank does not proceed with opening — unless you waive this right.

Expert tip

Come to the visit with your original passport and the full set of documents: a missing document means sending it later and waiting for the account. That’s why we check the list against the bank’s requirements before you buy tickets.
Elizaveta GermashElizaveta GermashLawyer · Bank accounts

Bank profile

Emirates NBD: all about a non-resident’s personal account

Emirates NBD

Emirates NBD

Bank in Dubai · conventional · personal accounts for non-residents

  • Savings account
  • AED + 22 currencies
  • Branch visit
  • Manager — possible
Open to
Non-resident individuals — a savings account; a current account — UAE residents only
Accounts for non-residents
Standard Savings — in AED, with a debit card; Currency Passport — in 22 currencies, no card or chequebook
Currencies
AED; in a Currency Passport — USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, CNH, HKD, SGD, SAR, TRY and others
Opening
With a branch visit, with your original passport
Personal manager
Possible — in our practice, not for every client
Limits
No single limit — they depend on the transaction type and the package
Return
Interest: Standard Savings — 0.20% a year, Currency Passport — 0.15%; the bank changes its rates

Opening, manager and limits — based on our practice as of October 2026; fees and requirements — KFS “Current and Savings Accounts – Individuals” (01/2026) and the Currency Passport page on the bank’s website; company account — Business Banking Schedule of Charges (06/2025) and the digital account opening FAQ; checked 18 October 2026. The decision to open the account rests with the bank.

Who it suits

Who it suits — and when to choose something else

A good fit if

  1. 01You need a personal UAE account without a residence visa — for savings and payments in dirhams.
  2. 02You want to hold money in several currencies: in a Currency Passport you move it between currencies within one account.
  3. 03You’re ready to travel to the UAE and visit a branch with your original passport.
  4. 04Your source of funds is backed by documents: salary, business, sale of property.
  5. 05You want a conventional bank that pays interest on savings, not the Islamic model.

Consider something else if

  1. 01You can’t travel to the UAE — you need an account without a trip.Emirates Islamic
  2. 02You need a company account and have no resident signatory: Emirates NBD accepts an online company application only if at least one signatory lives in the UAE.UBL
  3. 03You need a current account with a chequebook — the bank opens it for UAE residents only.Visas
  4. 04You need the account to work under Sharia rules — with no interest.DIB

Comparison

Emirates NBD or Emirates Islamic: one group, different rules

Both banks open a personal savings account for non-residents and measure the threshold by average balance. Fees follow the banks’ documents, checked 18 October 2026; the decision to open the account rests with the bank.

Opening

With a branch visit

Currencies for non-residents

AED and 22 currencies

currencies — in a Currency Passport

Return on balance

Interest

Standard Savings — 0.20% a year

What else the bank asks for

Passport and address

utility bill, statement or bank letter

Benefits

What you get

A file built for Emirates NBD

We check your passport, proof of address and documents on your funds against the bank’s list before you travel. You arrive with a complete set instead of sending papers after the visit.

The right account and package

We’ll tell you what you need — Standard Savings with a card in AED or a Currency Passport in foreign currency — and which package’s balance you can keep without fees.

A visit without paperwork

The application form, tax self-certification and description of future transactions are ready in advance — the branch meeting is for signing and checking originals.

Answers to compliance requests

If the bank asks for explanations or documents after the visit, we prepare the answer with you — on time and consistent with what the application says.

Honest if it’s not a fit

If your profile is outside Emirates NBD’s comfort zone, we’ll say so before you travel and suggest a bank with a clearer route — including without a visit.

Let’s discuss the details

Will your profile suit Emirates NBD?

Describe where the money comes from and what transactions you plan. We’ll tell you whether your documents are enough and which account and package to choose — before you buy tickets.

Process

7 steps from the first conversation to the result

Every step is visible in the client portal: what’s happening now and whether we need anything from you.

Steps on your side: 3 of 7

We handle it · 2Needed from you · 3Bank · 2

  1. Why you need the account, which currencies and amounts, where the money comes from. We decide which account you need — Standard Savings in AED or a Currency Passport — and which package by balance.

Documents

What to prepare for Emirates NBD — for your case

Information

Documents

Ready

0 / 8

The mandatory list follows the bank’s website and documents as of 18 October 2026; items marked “on request” the bank may ask for during the review. Documents not in English or Arabic need a translation.

Timing and budget

What makes up the budget

The bank charges nothing for opening — you pay for the package, a balance shortfall and transactions. Amounts follow the bank’s KFS (01/2026), including VAT: indicative as of October 2026; the bank has the final say.

  • Average balanceDepends onPersonal Banking Classic and Plus — an AED 3,000 monthly average; Beyond — AED 100,000, Priority Banking — AED 500,000.WhenMonthly
  • Fall-below feeDepends onAED 26.25 a month on the Classic and Plus packages if the average balance is below the threshold.WhenMonthly
  • Closing the accountDepends onOpening is free; closing the account within the first 6 months costs AED 105.WhenOn closing
  • Transfers and conversionDepends onTransfer fees and the exchange rate follow the bank’s price list on the transaction date. If your payments are in USD or EUR, an account in the same currency in a Currency Passport saves an unnecessary conversion.WhenPer transaction
  • File preparation and supportDepends onOur work: profile review, choice of account and package, the application form, preparing for the visit, answers to bank requests.WhenAt the start
  • Trip to the UAEDepends onThe account is opened during a branch visit — budget for the flight and time in the UAE.WhenFor the visit
  • Translation of documentsDepends onIncome or address documents that are not in English or Arabic need a translation.WhenBefore the visit

Getting it right

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 6 open

  1. 01 What people often do

    Going to the branch without checking documents against the bank’s requirements.

  2. 02 What people often do

    Asking for a current account with a chequebook.

  3. 03 What people often do

    Opening a Currency Passport and expecting a card with it.

  4. 04 What people often do

    Keeping exactly AED 3,000 in the account.

  5. 05 What people often do

    Closing the account after a couple of months if you don’t use it.

  6. 06 What people often do

    Ignoring bank requests after opening.

FAQ

Expert answers

Elizaveta Germash — Bank accounts

In our practice, no: a non-resident’s Emirates NBD account is opened during a branch visit. Without a trip, you can open a personal account with Emirates Islamic or UBL — remotely, through us.

Elizaveta Germash · Bank accounts

Sources

  1. Emirates NBD — Current and Savings Accounts Key Facts Statement (01/2026)
  2. Emirates NBD — Currency Passport Savings Account
  3. Emirates NBD — schedule of fees and charges
  4. Emirates NBD — Digital Account Opening FAQ
  5. Emirates NBD — Business Banking Schedule of Charges

Deadlines, amounts and rules are based on these sources as of the check date. Rules change: check with us before deciding.

Often goes with this

What else you may need

Bank Accounts

Emirates Islamic

A bank from the same group, Islamic model: a personal account for non-residents — remotely, through us, without travelling to the UAE.

Bank Accounts

UBL

Personal and company accounts for non-residents — remotely, through us; the company account has its own balance thresholds.

Company Registration

Freezone

Free zone company: Emirates NBD accepts an online company account application with a UAE-resident signatory — we arrange the visa together with the licence.

Next step

Going to Emirates NBD — with a complete file?

Tell us why you need the account, where the money comes from and which currencies you’ll use. We’ll check your documents against the bank’s requirements, fill in the application form and prepare you for the visit — all before you travel.

Elizaveta GermashElizaveta GermashLawyer · Bank accounts
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