Debt help

Debt help in the UAE

Clear, sourced answers for when repayments get hard: what lenders can and cannot do, what the law says and the steps that protect you. Start with what happens after a missed payment.

If you are struggling with loan or card repayments in the UAE, contact your lender in writing as early as you can. Central Bank rules set what a lender must tell you as arrears build, when and how it may contact you, and what it must show you before it consolidates your debts. Since 2022, a cheque that bounces for lack of funds is a crime only in cases of bad faith.

If you are struggling now

  • Ask in writing and keep copies. You may need them for a complaint.
  • Ask about a deferral. Banks may defer up to two instalments in a year, at their discretion. Our guide to negotiating with your bank covers deferral, restructuring and settlement.
  • Compare before you consolidate. Before refinancing or consolidating your loans, the lender must give you a written comparison of the total interest or profit you would pay on your current loans and on the new one. See debt consolidation in the UAE.

What lenders can and cannot do

  • A lender must write to you as soon as a payment is more than 30 days past due.
  • Once an account is more than 60 days in arrears, it must send you, and any guarantor, a written notice of the amount, fees, consequences and who to contact, then monthly updates.
  • It may not visit your home or workplace about arrears without your express consent or a court order.
  • If it sells your debt, it must tell you in writing 60 calendar days in advance and name the buyer.

When lenders and collectors may contact you

9 AM to 8 PM

Lenders and their collection agents may phone or visit a consumer about arrears only between 9 AM and 8 PM.

Applies to
CBUAE-licensed financial institutions and their collection agents
Checked

Cheques and the law since 2022

From 2 January 2022, criminal liability for a cheque returned for insufficient funds was limited to cases of bad faith, such as stopping payment without legal grounds or emptying the account. The holder can still ask the execution court to enforce an unpaid cheque directly, without first filing a lawsuit. The full rules are in bounced cheques after the 2022 reforms.

Leaving the UAE with debt

A lender can report a “Left Country” status to the credit bureau if it believes you have left the UAE, whether or not anything is overdue. Read leaving the UAE with debt before you make plans, and travel bans for debt for how a ban is ordered, checked and lifted.

Where to get help

Complain to the lender first. If it does not resolve the complaint, take it to Sanadak, the independent ombudsman unit for complaints about institutions the Central Bank licenses. Filing a complaint there is free for consumers. Our guides explain how to complain about a bank and your rights as a borrower.

Guides on debt help

  1. What happens if you can't pay your loan or credit card in the UAE

    What happens after a missed loan or card payment in the UAE: capped late fees, written notices, AECB reporting, collection rules and court action, step by step.

    Updated

  2. Leaving the UAE with debt: what happens and what to do first

    What happens if you leave the UAE with a loan or card debt: civil claims, travel bans, the AECB "Left Country" flag, and the steps to take before you go.

    Updated

  3. Travel bans for debt in the UAE: how they work and how to check

    How a UAE travel ban for debt works: the AED 10,000 threshold, the court process, how to check for a ban, how long it lasts and the ways it is lifted.

    Updated

  4. Bounced cheques in the UAE: the law after the 2022 reforms

    What happens when a cheque bounces in the UAE since 2022: partial payment, direct enforcement, the acts that are still crimes, and security cheques for loans.

    Updated

  5. Debt consolidation in the UAE: options and trade-offs

    How debt consolidation works in the UAE: buyout loans, card balance transfers, the Central Bank limits that apply, the fees involved and a worked example.

    Updated

  6. Negotiating with your bank: restructuring and debt settlement

    How to ask a UAE bank to defer, restructure or settle a debt: what lenders must offer, what to get in writing, and how it shows on your AECB report.

    Updated

  7. Using crypto to pay off debt in the UAE

    How to use cryptocurrency to pay off a loan or card in the UAE: selling crypto for AED, source-of-funds and bank-acceptance checks, the risks, and how to estimate the numbers.

    Updated

Coming next in this topic

On our content plan. Each title gets a link here when the guide is published.

  • Debt collectors in the UAE: what they can and cannot do
  • Can a bank take your gratuity or ILOE payout to clear a loan?
  • Personal bankruptcy (insolvency) for individuals in the UAE

Calculators for this topic

Debt burden ratio calculator

How much of your monthly income already goes to debt repayments.

Open calculator

Early settlement calculator

The capped fee for paying off a personal, car or home loan early, in full or in part, and the interest you save.

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Credit card payoff calculator

How long a card balance takes to clear and the interest it costs, paying the minimum or a fixed amount.

Open calculator

Loan payment calculator

Monthly instalment and total cost of a loan, at a flat or a reducing rate.

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Frequently asked questions

What does debt relief mean in the UAE?

In practice it usually means agreeing new terms with your lenders: a repayment plan, a deferral, a settlement or a consolidation loan. Before consolidating your loans, a lender must give you a written comparison of the total cost.

Can the bank contact my employer about my debt?

A lender may not visit your workplace about arrears without your consent or a court order, and may not share your information with third parties other than the credit bureau or an authorised collection agent, unless the law requires it or you consent.

Is a bounced cheque still a crime in the UAE?

Since 2 January 2022, a cheque returned for insufficient funds is a crime only in cases of bad faith, such as stopping payment without legal grounds or emptying the account. Otherwise the holder enforces it through the court.

Can I ask my bank to pause my payments?

Banks may defer up to two instalments in a year, at their discretion. Ask in writing and keep a copy of the reply.

Sources

Official and primary sources we used for this page, with the date we last opened each one.

  1. CBUAE Regulation No. 29/2011 Regarding Bank Loans & Other Services Offered to Individual Customers, Article (7) Repayment Installments Central Bank of the UAE. Accessed .
  2. CBUAE Consumer Protection Standards (Notice 1158/2021), Article 7: Responsible Financing Practice Central Bank of the UAE. Accessed .
  3. CBUAE Consumer Protection Standards (Notice 1158/2021), Article 2: Disclosure and Transparency Central Bank of the UAE. Accessed .
  4. CBUAE Consumer Protection Standards (Notice 1158/2021), Article 5: Business Conduct Central Bank of the UAE. Accessed .
  5. The Central Bank, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Justice implement amendments to the Commercial Transactions Law regarding decriminalisation of cheques without funds and partial payment of the cheque (press release, 1 November 2021) Central Bank of the UAE. Accessed .
  6. Federal Decree by Law No. (50) of 2022 Promulgating the Commercial Transactions Law (English text) UAE Government portal (u.ae). Accessed .
  7. Frequently Asked Questions Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB). Accessed .
  8. FAQs Sanadak (UAE financial and insurance ombudsman unit). Accessed .