I lent money without an IOU — can I get it back?

Often, yes, if there are bank transfers and messages in which the debtor acknowledges the loan: the court accepts electronic evidence. Witnesses help for amounts up to AED 50,000 or if the parties are spouses or close relatives. The weak point is when the transfers could be explained as a gift or payment for services.

A bank loan or credit card debt — what if I can’t pay?

Start negotiating before you fall behind: banks restructure loans and cards. If no agreement is reached, the court may approve a repayment plan under the 2019 personal insolvency law, and while the procedure is underway, enforcement by individual creditors is, as a rule, suspended. Arrears show up in your credit history with AECB.

I’m being asked for more than I borrowed. How do I defend myself?

We check what makes up the amount: interest and hidden charges on a private loan are void, transfers already made are credited, and the court will not hear a claim older than 15 years if you plead the limitation period. Then — an objection to the order, arguments in the lawsuit or a settlement with a schedule.

Account attachment — without warning

The debtor’s accounts are attached without notifying them, and the bank reports the amounts to the court within 7 days. But the claim on the merits must be filed within 8 days, otherwise the attachment lapses.

Violetta Absalyamova

Business support and legal matters

Tell us who owes whom and how much

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Legal Services in the UAE

Personal Debts in the UAE: Recover a Loan or Defend Yourself

Q: How do I recover a debt from a private individual — a friend or acquaintance?

Evidence first, then the route. The court looks at the IOU, the contract, a transfer with the reference “loan” and correspondence stating the amount and due date. If the amount is fixed and the due date has passed — a demand with a five-day deadline and a payment order; if there is a risk of the money being moved out — attachment of accounts and a lawsuit within 8 days. A disputed loan — an ordinary lawsuit through an advocate. Before filing, we check whether the debtor has assets in the UAE: “no visible assets” does not mean “no assets”.

Q: Can interest on a private loan be recovered?

Contractual interest — no. Under the UAE Civil Transactions Law, a term providing for a benefit above the loan amount is void, and charging interest to another private individual is a crime under the Crimes and Penalties Law. But the court may award compensation for late payment: in practice, Dubai Courts apply statutory interest — usually 5% per annum from the date of the claim. Business-related loans are governed by different rules.

Q: How does a payment order work for a private loan?

It is a fast-track route without hearings. If the debt is a fixed sum of money, confirmed in writing, and the repayment date has passed, the creditor first demands payment with a five-day deadline, then files an application. The judge decides on the documents within three working days. The debtor is notified and can challenge the order — for amounts up to AED 50,000, by an objection within 15 days of service; if there is no challenge, the order takes effect. If the order is not served within three months, it loses its force.

Q: I was given a cheque as security for a loan, and it bounced. What should I do?

Present the cheque for enforcement — without a lawsuit. A cheque with the bank’s note of non-payment is an enforceable instrument: it is submitted to the execution judge for the amount the bank did not pay. Claims on a cheque against the drawer are limited to two years after the end of the presentment period, so don’t delay. The police are needed only if the cheque was drawn in bad faith — for example, the account was closed deliberately.

Q: Can I be banned from leaving the UAE because of a debt?

Yes, and sometimes even before a lawsuit. A creditor may request a ban if the debt is AED 10,000 or more and there are serious grounds to fear departure. First we check whether a ban has actually been imposed, not just promised in messages. A ban is lifted if the amount is deposited or security is provided, and a pre-lawsuit ban lapses if no lawsuit is filed within 8 days. The court may allow travel for medical treatment — your own or a close relative’s — without lifting the ban. A ban in a criminal case is a different track.

Q: Can I go to prison for a debt?

Not for the debt itself — it is not a crime. But if the debtor is able to pay and refuses, or hides property, the execution judge may order civil detention — for up to a month with extensions, in total within the limits set by law. It is not applied to debts under AED 10,000, to persons under 18 or over 70, and in a number of other cases.

Q: I left the UAE with debts. What am I facing?

A lawsuit and attachment are possible without you. A creditor may sue in your absence, obtain a judgment, attach accounts and property in the UAE and impose a travel ban — on your next visit you may be stopped from leaving. Abroad, the judgment is enforced only under the rules of that country. The debt can be settled remotely — through a representative under a power of attorney.

You lent money to an acquaintance and they won’t pay it back — or you owe money, and the creditor is threatening court and a travel ban. In private loans, evidence and deadlines decide the outcome: what was written down, what was transferred through the bank, what was acknowledged in messages. We build the recovery or the defence and handle the case together with UAE-licensed advocates.

Urgent? Message us on WhatsApp

AED 50,000
Above this amount, a loan is proved by a document, not by witnesses: From AED 10,000
A debt for which the court may impose a travel ban: 15 years
General limitation period for civil claims: EN · AR
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Everything we do in the UAE

In short

A private loan in the UAE is a civil debt: non-payment is not a crime, but the court can order repayment, attach accounts and, for a debt from AED 10,000, impose a travel ban. A loan above AED 50,000 is proved by a document; the general limitation period is 15 years.

Checked 16 October 2026 · Violetta Absalyamova

Cost of a mistake

15 days

That is how long a debtor has from service to challenge a payment order of up to AED 50,000 — without an objection, the order becomes final.

How to avoid it

How private loan disputes work

A private loan in the UAE is a civil debt: non-payment is not a criminal offence, but the court can order recovery of the money, freeze accounts and impose a travel ban. The outcome is decided by evidence, not promises.

A document outweighs witnesses
Under the Evidence Law, a loan above AED 50,000 must be proved in writing. Correspondence and bank records also count as written evidence.
Contractual interest can’t be recovered
An interest clause in a loan between private individuals is void, the loan itself remains valid, and charging such interest is a criminal offence. The court may award compensation for late payment separately.
The fast route — a payment order
If the amount is fixed and confirmed in writing, then after a demand with a five-day deadline the judge issues a payment order without summoning the parties.
A cheque goes straight to enforcement
An unpaid cheque with the bank’s notation is an enforceable instrument: enforcement proceedings are opened on it without a lawsuit. Criminal liability remains for acts of bad faith.

Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal matters

Situations

What clients come to us with

Typical situations

01You lent money to a friend, relative or acquaintance, and the repayment date has passed.
02The loan was made without a contract — only transfers and messages — and you need to know whether that will be enough for the court.
03You hold an unpaid cheque from a private individual — given as payment of a debt or as security.
04You are being asked to repay a debt, or more than you borrowed, threatened with a travel ban, or your account has already been attached.
05You owe a bank — a loan or a credit card — and need restructuring, a settlement or a defence in court.
06You left the UAE with a debt and want to understand the risks and settle it before returning.

Similar, but different

01A debt owed by a company or under a business loan — a partner, a counterparty, your own company: interest, evidence and routes work differently there.Debt Recovery
02A court judgment already exists — in the UAE or abroad — but there is no money: what is needed is not a new lawsuit but enforcement.Enforcement of Judgments
03The money was taken by deception — for a fictitious project or using someone else’s documents — or the travel ban was imposed by the Public Prosecution: this is the criminal track.Criminal Cases
04A residential rent debt in Dubai is heard by the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre, not the general courts.Rental
05The problem is an overstayed visa or immigration status, not a debt.Other Private Matters

Payment order

Can the loan be recovered by a payment order — without hearings?

A payment order is the short route for a private loan, but only if every statutory condition is met. If even one is missing, you first obtain a written acknowledgement of the debt or file a lawsuit; for a cheque, no order is needed.

Tick what is true for you

0/5Tick the items to see whether you qualify

No IOU and over AED 50,000?Evidence Law, Arts. 55, 66, 68

Witnesses won’t prove such a loan. The exceptions are spouses, blood relatives and in-laws up to the 4th degree, and an IOU lost through no fault of yours. Correspondence and bank records are written evidence.

Interest already written into the IOU?CTL, Art. 591(2); Crimes and Penalties Law, Art. 458

That doesn’t make the loan void — only the interest clause is void. But charging interest to a private individual is a crime, so claim only the loan amount.

Have an unpaid cheque?CPL, Art. 143(2); Commercial Transactions Law, Arts. 667, 670

It is presented for enforcement directly — without a demand or an order. Claims against the drawer of the cheque must be brought within two years after the presentment period.

UAE Civil Procedure Law (CPL) — Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022; Evidence Law — No. 35 of 2022; Civil Transactions Law (CTL) — No. 25 of 2025, in force from 1 June 2026; Commercial Transactions Law — No. 50 of 2022; Crimes and Penalties Law — No. 31 of 2021. Checked on 15 October 2026.

Benefits

What you get

An honest assessment of the evidence

Before any costs, we tell you what the transfers and correspondence prove, where the gaps are, whether the debtor has assets in the UAE — and whether it would be simpler to agree on a schedule.

The shortest route

A demand, a payment order, a cheque sent for enforcement or a lawsuit — we choose based on the documents, not out of habit. Full proceedings only where they can’t be avoided.

Attachment and travel ban in time

If the debtor is about to leave or move money out, we ask the court to impose a travel ban and attach accounts even before the lawsuit — and file the lawsuit within the 8-day deadline.

Defence if you are the debtor

We check whether a ban and an attachment have actually been imposed, on what grounds and whether the deadlines were met. We calculate the amount, interest and limitation period, and propose a schedule or a settlement.

Negotiations with banks

We prepare a restructuring or settlement proposal and check which cases and bans have already been opened in your name.

Document review

Lent money without an IOU?

Send us the transfers and messages. We will tell you whether this is enough for the court and how to get a written acknowledgement from the debtor while they are still in touch.

Violetta Absalyamova

Business support and legal matters

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: 1 of 7

We handle it · 3Needed from you · 1Authority · 3

We study the transfers, messages, IOUs and cheques. We check the limitation period, the amount and whether there was interest — the route depends on this.

Step 1 of 7

Reviewing the situation

We study the transfers, messages, IOUs and cheques. We check the limitation period, the amount and whether there was interest — the route depends on this.

We handle it1–3 working days

Measures against the debtor

Travel ban, account attachment, civil detention — when they are possible and how they are lifted

Three measures the court uses to secure a debt. For a creditor — what to request and when; for a debtor — what to check and how to get it lifted. Based on the UAE Civil Procedure Law, checked against the official text in October 2026.

When possible

Even before a lawsuit

and during the case or enforcement; the passport may be seized

Debt threshold

From AED 10,000

no threshold for maintenance and wages

Grounds

Serious risk of departure

the amount is known and due; if it isn’t fixed — written evidence and a guarantee from the creditor

How to lift it

Payment, a bank guarantee or depositing the amount

or a guarantor accepted by the court, or the creditor’s written consent

Click an option to highlight it across every parameter

When possible

Even before a lawsuit

and during the case or enforcement; the passport may be seized

Even before a lawsuit

without warning the debtor; the bank reports to the court within 7 days

Only at enforcement

once there is a judgment, an order or a cheque

Debt threshold

From AED 10,000

no threshold for maintenance and wages

No statutory threshold

the court looks at the grounds and the documents

From AED 10,000

no threshold for fines, maintenance and wages

Grounds

Serious risk of departure

the amount is known and due; if it isn’t fixed — written evidence and a guarantee from the creditor

Risk of losing the security for the debt

no place of residence in the UAE, signs of assets being moved out — or an IOU that has fallen due

Can pay but doesn’t

or hides property, or misses instalments

How to lift it

Payment, a bank guarantee or depositing the amount

or a guarantor accepted by the court, or the creditor’s written consent

Depositing the amount or a challenge

money paid into the court — the attachment moves onto it; a challenge — on the merits or on the deadlines; lifted if the claim is finally dismissed

A bank guarantee, a guarantor or disclosure of assets

or the creditor’s written consent, or repayment of the debt

How long it lasts

Until the debt is paid

lapses if no lawsuit is filed within 8 days, if enforcement isn’t sought within 30 days after the final judgment, or after 3 years without enforcement action

Until judgment and enforcement

lawsuit — within 8 days; lapses if enforcement isn’t sought within 30 days after the final judgment

Up to a month, with extensions

no more than 6 consecutive months if there is no risk of flight; up to 36 months in total

Exceptions

Travel for medical treatment — with the court’s permission

your own, or a spouse’s, parent’s or child’s; the ban remains

¾ of salary and basic necessities

no more than a quarter of salary can be attached, even in a bank account; work tools are not touched either

Under 18 and over 70

and also in case of chronic illness or if the debtor is the creditor’s spouse or parent

If you are the debtor

If a claim is made against you: who does what

The steps above are for the creditor. If you owe the debt, the order is different: first we find out what has been opened in your name and what amount is lawful, then — an objection, a payment schedule or a repayment plan. You don’t have to come to the UAE for this.

You

Everything you received

The demand, the order, notice of a ban or attachment, the correspondence and your own transfers to the creditor.

Power of attorney

Before a UAE notary or abroad with legalisation — from then on, an advocate represents you in court.

GOFIRM

What has actually been opened

We check whether a ban and an attachment have actually been imposed or are only mentioned in messages, on what grounds, and whether the deadlines were met.

The lawful amount

We strip out interest “for the use of the money”, credit your payments and check the 15-year limitation period.

Authority

Objection to the order

An order of up to AED 50,000 is challenged by an objection, a larger one by an appeal; the deadline runs from service.

15 or 30 days

Lifting the ban

The court lifts the ban upon payment, a bank guarantee or deposit of the amount. A pre-lawsuit ban lapses if the creditor hasn’t filed a lawsuit within 8 days.

From you — everything you have received from the creditor and the court, proof of payments and a power of attorney. We handle the review, the calculation, objections and negotiations together with an advocate.

Documents

What to gather — depending on your role in the debt

The set depends on who you are in the dispute: you lent money, you hold an unpaid cheque, you received a demand, or you owe a bank.

Information

Documents

Ready

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Documents in other languages are translated into Arabic by a licensed translator; a power of attorney signed abroad is legalised for the UAE.

Timing and budget

What makes up the budget

Recovery and defence are paid for in stages. Dubai Courts fees follow the tariff as of October 2026; we state our fee and the budget for each stage in advance — and tell you straight away if costs risk exceeding the amount that can realistically be recovered.

ItemDepends onWhen

Court fee for a payment order or lawsuitDepends onIn Dubai — 6% of the amount, from AED 500 and no more than AED 20,000 for claims of up to AED 500,000; up to AED 1 million — capped at AED 30,000; above that — at AED 40,000. For a payment order — also 6%, from AED 500 to AED 40,000; if the order is refused, the fee is not refunded. Other emirates have their own tariffs.WhenOn filing
Dubai Centre for Amicable Settlement of DisputesDepends onAED 250 if the dispute goes through the Centre; if a settlement is approved there, there are no further fees.WhenBefore the lawsuit
Enforcement feeDepends onIn Dubai — 2% of the amount, from AED 200 to AED 5,000. Attachment, a travel ban and an appeal carry separate fees.WhenAs each action is taken
Serving the demandDepends onThrough a notary or another method that confirms delivery. Mandatory before a payment order.WhenBefore filing
Legal translationDepends onMessages, IOUs and statements into Arabic — by a licensed translator. The volume of correspondence directly affects the cost.WhenBefore filing
Power of attorneyDepends onA UAE notary, or legalisation of a power of attorney signed abroad.WhenAt the start
UAE advocate’s feeDepends onRepresentation in the emirate’s court. Depends on the route, the amount and whether the other side will contest.WhenBy stage
Our feeDepends onAssessing the evidence, the demand, strategy, negotiating a payment schedule or settlement, coordinating the advocate.WhenBy stage
What can be recovered from the debtorDepends onThe principal debt and court costs. Contractual interest on a private loan is void, but the court may award compensation for late payment — in Dubai, usually 5% per annum from the date of the claim.WhenWith the judgment or order

Getting it right

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 7 open

01 What people often do
Lending a large sum in cash without an IOU.
02 What people often do
Writing interest “for the use of the money” into the IOU.
03 What people often do
Demanding the debt with threats and social media posts.
04 What people often do
Filing a police complaint over an unpaid loan.
05 What people often do
If you are the debtor — ignoring demands and court notices.
06 What people often do
Leaving the UAE without settling loans and credit cards.
07 What people often do
Learning about a travel ban or account attachment and waiting for it to resolve itself.

FAQ

Expert answers

Violetta Absalyamova — Business support and legal matters

Evidence first, then the route. The court looks at the IOU, the contract, a transfer with the reference “loan” and correspondence stating the amount and due date. If the amount is fixed and the due date has passed — a demand with a five-day deadline and a payment order; if there is a risk of the money being moved out — attachment of accounts and a lawsuit within 8 days. A disputed loan — an ordinary lawsuit through an advocate. Before filing, we check whether the debtor has assets in the UAE: “no visible assets” does not mean “no assets”.