🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates · Business Banking
Opening business and personal bank accounts, remote options, required documents, and fees.
Quick answer
The UAE has a well-developed banking sector with local and international banks and strong digital services. Residents can open accounts with an Emirates ID and residence visa; some banks offer limited non-resident accounts. The Central Bank of the UAE regulates banks.
Banks are regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). A company needs its trade licence and incorporation documents to open a corporate account.
- Opening a corporate account requires the trade licence, incorporation documents and owner ID.
- Banks apply customer-due-diligence and anti-money-laundering checks.
- Both conventional and Islamic banking are widely available.
Step-by-step
- 1
Confirm your eligibility and account type
Residents open a current or salary account with an Emirates ID and residence visa; some banks offer limited non-resident accounts. Both conventional and Islamic (Sharia-compliant) banking are available.
- 2
Gather your documents
Prepare your passport with residence visa, Emirates ID, proof of address, and a salary certificate or no-objection letter (NOC) from your employer / sponsor for a salary account. Non-residents typically need about six months of bank statements and source-of-funds documentation.
- 3
Prepare business documents (corporate accounts)
For a corporate account, prepare the trade licence, incorporation documents and owner ID.
- 4
Complete customer-due-diligence checks
Banks apply CBUAE customer-due-diligence and anti-money-laundering checks before opening the account.
- 5
Activate the account and set up payments
Receive your IBAN and debit card, and for a salary account link your salary via the Wages Protection System (WPS); then set up local transfers and digital payments.
Checklist
- Passport with residence visa
- Emirates ID
- Proof of address
- Salary certificate / NOC from employer — salary accounts
- Six-month bank statements + source of funds (non-residents)
- Trade licence + incorporation documents + owner ID — corporate accounts
- Minimum balance (some accounts)
Official authorities
- Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)
Central bank and banking regulator.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to open a UAE bank account?
Residents typically need an Emirates ID and residence visa; a salary certificate or proof of income is often requested.
Can non-residents open an account?
Some banks offer non-resident accounts with limited features and stricter requirements.
Is Islamic banking available?
Yes — both conventional and Sharia-compliant (Islamic) banking are widely offered.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- The UAE Government Portal — Official UAE government portal — services, visas, residency
- Federal Authority for Identity & Citizenship (ICP) — Entry permits, residence visas, Golden Visa, Emirates ID
- Federal Tax Authority (FTA) — VAT and corporate-tax registration and filing
- Ministry of Economy — Company registration, business licensing, foreign investment