No annual fee cards · UAE

Best no annual fee credit cards in the UAE

Cards that are free for life, with no annual fee to hold them. Compare what you still earn in rewards or cashback without paying to keep the card.

53cards
01
Essential Cashback Credit CardFree for life · from AED 5,000
02
Lulu Titanium Credit CardFree for life · from AED 5,000
03
Talabat ADCB Credit CardFree for life · from AED 5,000

No annual fee buying guide

Free for life, and what the phrase covers

Free for life means the bank charges no annual fee for holding the card. It does not mean the card is free to use. Interest on a carried balance, cash advance fees, foreign currency markups, late payment and over-limit charges all still apply, and that is where a no-fee card can end up costing more than a paid one.

The other thing to establish is whether free is conditional. Some cards are free only in the first year; others only while you keep a minimum monthly spend or a salary transfer with the bank. The cards in this list are the ones with no annual fee under normal terms, and the conditions each bank attaches are set out on the individual card pages.

Of the 53 no annual fee cards on this page, 51 carry no annual fee and the most expensive costs AED 997.50 a year. Minimum salaries run from AED 5,000 to AED 40,000 a month, across 11 banks.

First year free is not free for life

A waived joining fee or a first-year waiver is a discount, not a permanent one. Look up the fee from year two, because that is what you will pay for most of the time you hold the card.

Spend-linked waivers

Where a fee is waived on reaching a spend threshold, the waiver only helps if you would have spent that much anyway. Spending more to avoid a fee costs more than the fee.

What you give up

No-fee cards generally earn at lower rates, with thinner insurance and lounge benefits. If your spending is concentrated in one rewarding category, a paid card can still work out cheaper after its fee.

No annual fee cards by minimum salary

No annual fee credit card questions

In this list: Emirates NBD, ADCB, FAB, DIB, RAKBANK, Mashreq, Ajman Bank and Emirates Islamic and 3 others. Availability changes with each bank's campaigns, so the fee on the card page is the one to check before you apply.

Free of the annual fee, yes. Everything else still costs: interest of roughly 3% a month if you revolve a balance, plus cash advance, foreign currency and late payment charges. Cleared in full every month, a free-for-life card can genuinely cost nothing to hold.

Yes. 53 cards in this list carry no annual fee and most of them still earn cashback, points or miles, usually at a lower rate than the paid cards from the same bank.

The free-for-life cards here start at AED 5,000 a month. Below that level banks generally offer a secured card backed by a fixed deposit rather than a standard credit card.

It can, by changing the product terms on notice. UAE banks are required to notify customers of changes in advance, so read the fee schedule at application and read the change-of-terms notices when they arrive.

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Product details are indicative and compiled from each bank’s official pages and Key Facts Statements; figures can differ between a bank’s marketing page and its Key Facts Statement, and fees, rates and VAT treatment change. We are not affiliated with, or authorised by, any bank - always confirm current fees, eligibility, rewards and terms directly with the issuing bank before applying. This page does not constitute financial advice.