No Foreign Transaction Fee Cards in the UAE 2026
The cost of spending abroad is set by the card, not the exchange rate you happen to get.
See cardsLast updated: - Sourced from official issuer documents and product pages.
Across the UAE cards that publish a rate, the typical card charges 3.14% once the bank's markup and the card network's cross-currency charge are added together. The gap between the cheapest card and the dearest runs to thousands of dirhams a year, and the UAE Card FX Index prices every card in the catalogue.
Two things make up the number. The bank's own markup is the part issuers advertise. The card network adds a cross-currency charge on top, and most issuers mention it only as "network fees may apply". Both land on the same statement line, so the cards below are ranked on the two combined.
A card only reaches zero by waiving both. FAB Travel does, and costs nothing at any level of foreign spend. ADCB Traveller waives its own markup but passes the network charge through, which is why it lands at 1.15% rather than zero. FAB's Z Card lands in the same place from the other direction: FAB charges no international transaction fee on it, and only the network's charge remains.
Two products price by allowance instead of by rate. Sinder charges no markup on the first AED 40,000 of foreign spend each month and Ziina none on the first AED 20,000, then a published rate on the excess. Sinder waives the card network's charge as well, so below its ceiling it costs nothing at all; Ziina does not publish a position on that charge, so the network's own rate still applies to it at every level. Above their ceilings both are ordinary. Which is why the comparison shows cost at several levels of monthly spend rather than one headline rate.
Figures come from each card's published fee table or its bank's schedule of charges. Cards that publish neither are left out rather than filled in with an assumption.
FIRST ABU DHABI BANK (FAB)
FAB Travel Credit Card
≈ AED 22,844 potential value / year · incl. perks
Free flight each year to over 15 destinations
12% cashback on flights and hotel bookings
No FX fees
SINDER
Sinder Founder Card
0% FX markup up to AED 40,000/month
International ATM fee capped at AED 25
Airport lounge access
ZIINA
Ziina Card
≈ AED 10,416 potential value / year · incl. perks · Violet tier
Cashback at selected brands (Violet)
Lifestyle perks bundled with Violet
No Foreign Transaction Fee Cards in the UAE 2026 compared
A side-by-side snapshot of annual fees, salary requirements, and standout benefits.
| Card | Annual fee | Min. salary | Foreign transaction fee | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 1,575 | AED 25,000 | None | Waives its own markup and the network charge, so foreign spend costs nothing at any level |
| Free | AED 5,000 | None | No markup on the first AED 40,000 of foreign spend each month, then 0.5% on weekdays and 1.5% at weekends |
 | AED 1,575 | AED 20,000 | 1.15% | No ADCB markup; the card network's cross-currency charge still applies |
| Free | AED 5,000 | 1.15% | No markup on the first AED 20,000 of foreign spend each month on the Violet plan; network charges are not published |
 | AED 105 | AED 5,000 | 1.15% | No FAB international transaction fee; only the card network's charge applies |
 | AED 7,875 | AED 200,000 | 2.14% | 0.99% ADCB markup, the lowest the bank publishes; the card network's charge applies on top |
| Card | Annual fee | Min. salary | Foreign transaction fee | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 1,575 | AED 25,000 | None | Waives its own markup and the network charge, so foreign spend costs nothing at any level |
| Free | AED 5,000 | None | No markup on the first AED 40,000 of foreign spend each month, then 0.5% on weekdays and 1.5% at weekends |
| AED 1,575 | AED 20,000 | 1.15% | No ADCB markup; the card network's cross-currency charge still applies |
| Free | AED 5,000 | 1.15% | No markup on the first AED 20,000 of foreign spend each month on the Violet plan; network charges are not published |
| AED 105 | AED 5,000 | 1.15% | No FAB international transaction fee; only the card network's charge applies |
| AED 7,875 | AED 200,000 | 2.14% | 0.99% ADCB markup, the lowest the bank publishes; the card network's charge applies on top |
FAB Travel Credit Card
Annual feeAED 1,575
Min. salaryAED 25,000
Foreign transaction feeNone
HighlightWaives its own markup and the network charge, so foreign spend costs nothing at any level
Sinder Founder Card
Annual feeFree
Min. salaryAED 5,000
Foreign transaction feeNone
HighlightNo markup on the first AED 40,000 of foreign spend each month, then 0.5% on weekdays and 1.5% at weekends
ADCB Traveller Credit Card
Annual feeAED 1,575
Min. salaryAED 20,000
Foreign transaction fee1.15%
HighlightNo ADCB markup; the card network's cross-currency charge still applies
Ziina Card
Annual feeFree
Min. salaryAED 5,000
Foreign transaction fee1.15%
HighlightNo markup on the first AED 20,000 of foreign spend each month on the Violet plan; network charges are not published
FAB Z Credit Card
Annual feeAED 105
Min. salaryAED 5,000
Foreign transaction fee1.15%
HighlightNo FAB international transaction fee; only the card network's charge applies
ADCB Private World Elite Credit Card
Annual feeAED 7,875
Min. salaryAED 200,000
Foreign transaction fee2.14%
Highlight0.99% ADCB markup, the lowest the bank publishes; the card network's charge applies on top
September Spotlight
Emirates NBD
Three Emirates NBD credit cards spanning everyday rewards to premium travel — the ENBD noon One Visa Card earns up to 20% back as noon Credits on noon Food with no annual fee, the ENBD Voyager World Credit Card earns 6 Voyager Miles per AED 1 on the Voyager Travel Portal with complimentary airport lounge access, and the premium ENBD Voyager World Elite doubles that to 12 Voyager Miles per AED 1 with added airport transfers and fast-track privileges.
4.1/5
EMIRATES NBD
ENBD noon One Visa Credit Card
- Salary: AED 5,000+
- No Annual Fee
- AED 500 bonus on AED 5,000
- 20% back in credits on noon Food
- 5% back in credits on noon
3.9/5
EMIRATES NBD
ENBD Voyager World Credit Card
- Salary: AED 12,000+
- 75,000 Miles on AED 35,000
- No Annual Fee
- 6 Miles/AED on Voyager Portal
- 3 Miles/AED on other travel
EMIRATES NBD
ENBD Voyager World Elite Credit Card
- Salary: AED 25,000+
- 150,000 Miles on AED 70,000
- No Annual Fee for the first year
- 12 Miles/AED on Voyager Portal
- 6 Miles/AED on other travel
How to read a foreign transaction fee
1.
The advertised rate is only half of it
Issuers quote their own markup. The card network adds a cross-currency charge on top, usually disclosed as nothing more specific than "network fees may apply". Both hit the same transaction, so compare the two combined.
2.
An allowance is not a rate
A card with a fee-free monthly allowance is the cheapest option in the market below its ceiling and an ordinary one above it. Whether it suits you depends entirely on how much you actually spend abroad in a month.
3.
Dynamic currency conversion undoes all of it
Paying in dirhams abroad hands the conversion to the merchant's provider at its own rate. That charge sits outside the card's fee schedule and can exceed any markup on this page. Always pay in the local currency.
4.
A card that publishes nothing is not a cheap card
Some issuers disclose no foreign-currency markup at all. Those cards are not listed here — an undisclosed rate is not a low one, and we do not publish an assumed figure next to a real one.
6 cards in the UAE
FIRST ABU DHABI BANK (FAB)
FAB Travel Credit Card
- Salary: AED 25,000+
- Annual Fee: AED 1,575
- Free flight each year to over 15 destinations
- 12% cashback on flights and hotel bookings
- No FX fees
SINDER
Sinder Founder Card
- No annual fee
- Digital onboarding
- 0% FX markup up to AED 40,000/month
- International ATM fee capped at AED 25
- Airport lounge access
ABU DHABI COMMERCIAL BANK (ADCB)
ADCB Traveller Credit Card
- Salary: AED 20,000+
- Annual Fee: AED 1,575
- 10% Cashback on airline tickets
- 10% Cashback on hotel stays
- 1.5% Cashback on all domestic spends
ZIINA
Ziina Card
- Free by default; Violet plan AED 100/month
- No Ziina international transaction fee within each plan's allowance
- Cashback at selected brands (Violet)
- Lifestyle perks bundled with Violet
FIRST ABU DHABI BANK (FAB)
FAB Z Credit Card
- Salary: AED 5,000+
- No Annual Fee for the first year
- Free Careem Plus & Noon One for 1 year
- 20% off on monthly subscriptions to Netflix, PlayStation, YouTube, Spotify and more
- No FX fees abroad
ABU DHABI COMMERCIAL BANK (ADCB)
ADCB Private World Elite Credit Card
- Salary: AED 200,000+
- Exclusive to clients of ADCB Private
- Annual Fee: AED 7,875
- Up to 4 TouchPoints per AED spent
- Low foreign currency transaction fee of 0.99%
Eligibility criteria
General requirements for credit card applications in the UAE. Exact thresholds vary by bank and card tier.
| Minimum age | 18 on the debit products, 21 on the credit cards |
| Monthly salary | AED 5,000–200,000 |
| Residency | UAE residents with a valid Emirates ID and residence visa |
| Identity | Sinder and Ziina onboard in-app; the credit cards follow standard bank checks |
| Credit history | AECB is checked for the credit cards; the debit products spend your own balance and open no credit line |
| Minimum age | 18 on the debit products, 21 on the credit cards |
| Monthly salary | AED 5,000–200,000 |
| Residency | UAE residents with a valid Emirates ID and residence visa |
| Identity | Sinder and Ziina onboard in-app; the credit cards follow standard bank checks |
| Credit history | AECB is checked for the credit cards; the debit products spend your own balance and open no credit line |
Always confirm the latest eligibility details with the issuing bank before applying.
Documents you will need
Prepare these before you start an application. Some banks accept digital uploads; others require originals at a branch.
UAE nationals
1.Emirates ID
2.Khulasat Al Qaid (Family Book)
3.Salary certificate (less than 30 days old)
4.Bank statements — last 3 months
5.Passport copy
Expats & residents
1.Emirates ID
2.Valid passport with residence visa page
3.Salary certificate or employment letter
4.Bank statements — last 3 months
5.Proof of address (utility bill or tenancy contract)
The final list of required documents may differ based on the bank and card. Self-employed applicants may also need a trade licence and audited financial statements.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about No Foreign Transaction Fee Cards in the UAE 2026
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