No reason given
A bank doesn’t have to explain a rejection, so the reason has to be pieced together from indirect signs. We don’t take the same file to the next bank: first we fix whatever can be fixed.
Bank account opening
A corporate account for a free zone or mainland company, and a personal one for UAE residents and non-residents alike. We match the bank to your profile: business activity, nationality, where your payments go. We put the file together and prepare you for the review.
This service in other countries
In short
A corporate account in the UAE takes 2–8 weeks to open; a company account at UBL, Emirates Islamic, ADIB or Dubai Islamic Bank can be opened remotely, through us, after a consultation with our manager. Five banks open personal accounts for non-residents without a UAE visa; the main currencies are AED, USD and EUR.
Checked 4 November 2026 · Elizaveta Germash
Cost of a mistake
Account frozen
A common result when the bank’s requests for KYC updates and payment documents go unanswered — even when the transactions themselves are fine.
How to avoid itA trade licence is only half the job: UAE banks follow Central Bank requirements, but each has its own risk appetite. So the same company can be turned down by one bank and get an account at the one next door.
Every bank has its own red flags
One bank is wary of general trading, another of certain owner nationalities, a third wants a proper office rather than a flexi desk.
Compliance checks four things
The KYC review is run by compliance. It looks at who is behind the company, what it does, how money moves and whether there is substance.
What matters most is consistency
The application form, the documents and your interview answers must tell one story. When we register the company, we choose the structure with the bank in mind from day one.
Personal accounts — for non-residents too
Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic, ADIB and Dubai Islamic Bank open personal accounts for non-residents; UBL works with both individuals and companies. With a visa and an Emirates ID, the choice of banks is wider.
Expert tip
A common weak spot in the file is the source of the starting capital. We assemble the paper trail in advance — sale of a business, dividends, salary — so the bank gets an answer it can verify, not a single sentence.
Elizaveta GermashLawyer · Bank accountsBanks
Terms reflect our practice as of October 2026. The final decision and fees are up to the bank.
Bank in Dubai
Personal accounts for non-residents, without a UAE residence visa. Opening requires a branch visit.
Islamic bank of the Emirates NBD group
A personal account for non-residents and a company account — we open both remotely, through us, with no trip to the UAE; a company account — after a consultation with our manager.
Islamic bank in Abu Dhabi
Personal accounts for non-residents — with a branch visit; company accounts — remotely, through us, after a consultation with our manager.
Islamic bank in Dubai
Personal accounts for non-residents — with a branch visit; company accounts — remotely, through us, after a consultation with our manager.
International bank with UAE branches
Opens both personal and corporate accounts for non-residents — remotely, through us.
Bank in Dubai
We bring it in when the profile fits the bank: a UAE resident among the partners or attorneys, and individuals as the only owners. NEO BIZ — online application, Business Banking — from AED 50,000.
Bank in Ras Al Khaimah
Company accounts for UAE and GCC nationals and UAE residents: RAKstarter with no minimum balance but with the mandatory paid RAKvalue SME package, or a business account from AED 25,000. Signing — in person in the UAE.
Egyptian bank with UAE branches
A UAE company account from AED 25,000 or a call account with no minimum balance — including for non-resident and offshore companies.
Bank comparison
At all five banks a non-resident gets a savings account: current accounts with a chequebook are for UAE residents only. Tariffs are taken from bank documents, checked on 18 October 2026; the bank decides whether to open the account.
With a branch visit
AED 3,000
monthly average, Personal Banking Classic package
AED 26.25 a month
incl. VAT
Passport and proof of address
a utility bill or statement up to 3 months old, or a letter from your bank
Click an option to highlight it across every parameter
Who it suits
A good fit if
Consider something else if
Route to an account
For a company account, the bank asks for the licence and the establishment card, and many banks also expect a resident signatory with an Emirates ID.
Licence, articles of association and register of shareholders. We choose the office with the bank in mind: a company on a flexi desk faces more questions about real presence.
You get: licence and constitutional documents
The company’s immigration file, then the visa: entry permit, medical test, biometrics for the Emirates ID.
You get: residence visa and Emirates ID
We choose a bank to suit the zone and business activity, assemble the file, prepare you for the interview and answer compliance requests. The decision to open the account rests with the bank.
You get: corporate account in AED, USD, EUR
For corporate tax — within three months of company registration; registering late costs AED 10,000. Banks increasingly ask for the tax number.
You get: the company’s tax number
Company account
2–8 weeks
from a complete file; we arrange the signatory’s visa before applying or in parallel
A DET licence, the MOA and a lease registered in Ejari. An operating company with an office and local contracts is a profile banks understand.
You get: licence, MOA and Ejari
First the immigration and labour files — 3–7 working days, then the visas — 2–4 weeks. All you need to do is attend the medical test and biometrics.
You get: residence visa and Emirates ID
We choose a bank to suit the business activity and turnover, assemble the file, prepare you for the interview and answer compliance requests. The decision to open the account rests with the bank.
You get: corporate account in AED, USD, EUR
For corporate tax — within three months of company registration; registering late costs AED 10,000. Banks increasingly ask for the tax number.
You get: the company’s tax number
Company account
2–8 weeks
from a complete file; we arrange the manager’s visa before applying or in parallel
Benefits
How to choose
There is no such thing as a good bank “in general” — only a bank that suits your profile. We look at eight things.
Every bank has its own list of sensitive activities: general trading, re-export, virtual assets, gold, payment intermediation. With one of these, we apply where the activity has a clear path.
The passports of shareholders and the signatory weigh on the decision more than people think. Many banks expect at least the signatory to be a UAE resident with an Emirates ID.
Some banks are cautious about certain countries and currencies. You want to know this before applying, not after your first payment bounces back.
From zero at digital banks to tens of thousands of dirhams at traditional ones. If your average balance falls short, the bank charges a monthly fee — budget for it.
Digital banks such as Wio are fast but restrictive about client profiles. Traditional banks — Emirates NBD, Mashreq, ADCB, FAB, RAKBANK, Commercial Bank of Dubai, UBL, Banque Misr — offer the full range of services, but their review is stricter.
ADIB, Emirates Islamic and Dubai Islamic Bank operate on Sharia principles: no interest, and a different logic for deposits and financing. For a current account the difference is small; for a loan it is significant.
Some banks accept a flexi desk in a free zone; others expect an office and staff. Nor is a visit always required: we open company accounts remotely, through us, at UBL, Emirates Islamic, ADIB and Dubai Islamic Bank, and personal accounts at Emirates Islamic and UBL.
Multi-currency accounts, corporate cards, merchant acquiring, trade finance, payroll. If you’ll need a letter of credit a year from now, open with a bank that issues them to companies of your size.
Let’s discuss the details
Tell us what the company does, who owns it and where payments will go. We’ll show you the weak spots in your file before the bank’s compliance team sees them.
Process
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 8
We look at the business activity, ownership structure, owners’ nationality and residency, counterparties’ countries, turnover and source of funds. The result is a risk assessment through the bank’s eyes and a list of weak spots.
Step 1 of 8
We look at the business activity, ownership structure, owners’ nationality and residency, counterparties’ countries, turnover and source of funds. The result is a risk assessment through the bank’s eyes and a list of weak spots.
Documents
Information
Information
Information
Documents
Documents
Documents
Ready
0 / 19
We give you the exact list once the bank is chosen: requirements differ in the details, and every bank may request additional documents. Documents in languages other than English or Arabic need a translation.
Timing and budget
The exact budget depends on the bank and the fee plan, so we choose the bank first and calculate second. Here is what it is made up of.
Getting it right
Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 6 open
01 What people often do
Applying to every bank at once — “someone will open it”.
02 What people often do
Adding general trading to the licence “just in case”.
03 What people often do
Overstating turnover “so there are no questions later”.
04 What people often do
Answering the source-of-funds question in one line — “personal savings”.
05 What people often do
Making payments that weren’t in the application right after opening.
06 What people often do
Putting off replies to the bank’s requests after opening.
FAQ
Elizaveta Germash — Bank accounts
At four banks, yes. In our practice as of 11 November 2026, we open company accounts remotely, through us, after a consultation with our manager at UBL, Emirates Islamic, ADIB and Dubai Islamic Bank. Emirates Islamic’s documents name a branch visit for companies — in our practice the client does not go to a branch. UBL opens accounts for both companies and individuals; there we confirm the format for your profile with the bank before applying. Most other traditional banks want to meet the signatory in person. If a visit is needed, the file is already complete and agreed with the bank by the time you travel.
Elizaveta Germash · Bank accountsDeadlines, amounts and rules are based on these sources as of the check date. Rules change: check with us before deciding.
Often goes with this
Company RegistrationFreezone
A free zone company: the bank asks for the licence and establishment card in the corporate account file. We choose the zone and business activity with the bank in mind.
Company RegistrationMainland
A mainland company: an operating business with an office and local contracts is a profile banks understand.
Business SupportVisas
The signatory’s residence visa and Emirates ID: many banks expect them before you apply. For a personal account, a resident can open a current account and choose from more banks.
Next step
Describe your business activity, ownership and where payments will come from. We’ll tell you which banks are worth applying to, what to strengthen in your file and where a rejection is more likely.
Elizaveta GermashLawyer · Bank accounts
Bank account opening
