🌍 Best UAE credit cards for spending abroad - December 2025 update
- Kacper Duda
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Over the next few months, many of you will be on the move. Some will fly for end-of-year holidays, some for school winter breaks, others for family visits around Eid and spring.
Wherever you are heading, your bank should not be quietly taking a cut of every meal, hotel night and taxi ride. Yet that is exactly what happens when you use a card with high foreign transaction fees. Spend AED 4,000 abroad and a bad card can quietly add AED 200 on top. Not because the exchange rate moved, but because of FX charges.
If you want the right card ready for your festive season trip, you need to act now. Approvals and card deliveries take days, not hours.
Read on to find out:
The best UAE credit cards for spending abroad in 2026
What you actually pay when spending abroad: Foreign transaction fees explained
In the news - UAE residents can now track and improve their credit score in real-time
The best UAE cards to take abroad this festive season
We scanned the UAE market for travel credit cards that keep foreign transaction fees low, charge fair annual fees and come with useful travel benefits. See our summary table below (ordered by annual fee).
Credit card | FX fees (bank + network charge) | Annual fee | Key comments |
Wio Credit - Free if you have sufficient savings | 2% bank charge, offset by 2% cashback on foreign spend. 0% network charge. | AED 0 (on Wio Plus or Wio Salary) | Need AED 35k in savings or transfer your salary to Wio. Otherwise, account charges of AED 49/month apply. |
FAB Z Card - Best for lower salaries and infrequent travellers. | 0% bank charges, ca. 1.15% network charge | AED 100 | Annual fee is waived in year 1. Min salary of AED 5,000. |
Citi Cashback Card - Best for mid-range salaries | 2.99% bank charge, offset by 3% cashback on all foreign spend.* | AED 300 | Annual fee is waived in year 1. Spend AED 9,000 in year 2 onwards to get fee waived. Min monthly salary of AED 8,000 required. Includes airport lounge access. |
FAB Travel Card - Best for frequent travellers with high spend and true 0% FX costs, though with a higher salary requirement. | 0% bank charges and 0% network charge | AED 1,500 | AED 25,000 minimum salary required. Comes with great travel & cashback benefits. Return flight voucher as welcome gift. |
ADCB Traveller - Strong alternative for frequent travellers who qualify for the higher salary requirement. | 0% bank charges, ca. 1.15% network charge | AED 787 for salary transfer customers, else AED 1,575 | AED 20,000 minimum salary required. This card also comes with great travel & cashback benefits. AED 2,000 Expedia.ae voucher as welcome gift. |
* Citi's T&Cs have no mention of network charges, and our research shows they don’t apply (however it’s not explicit anywhere). If you have a different experience - let us know.
A few quick pointers to help you choose:
If you travel once a year for a family holiday
A simple, low FX fee card with a manageable annual fee is usually enough. Paying extra for luxury perks you never use is wasted money.
If you fly several times a year and actually use lounges or miles
A more premium travel credit card can make sense. The combination of lower FX charges, free lounge visits and rewards can outweigh the fee if you travel often.
If your salary is below the typical 20k threshold for premium cards
Focus on the more accessible options. They will not be perfect, but a reasonably priced card with lower FX charges is still far better than an everyday card that quietly charges 4 or 5 percent abroad.
Remember: Terms and eligibility can change, so always confirm details directly with the bank before you apply.
Why FX fees matter on every trip
Foreign transaction fees on UAE cards often total 3 to 5 percent once you combine the bank’s FX markup, the network fee and any hidden conversion tricks.
On a modest trip with AED 4,000 of card spend, that can mean AED 120 to 200 disappearing in FX costs alone. Increase the trip or add a second trip for Eid and the numbers climb quickly.
If you are more focused on squeezing value out of everyday spend, not just travel, have a look at our separate guide on the best UAE cashback credit cards. The right combination of a cashback card and a low FX travel card can cover both your local and overseas spending efficiently.
What you are actually paying when you tap abroad
When spending in a foreign currency, you can get hit with a combination of credit card fees:
Bank FX markup - Most UAE credit cards add around 2 to 4 percent on top of the market exchange rate when you spend abroad. The best travel credit cards reduce this, sometimes to 0 percent.
Visa or Mastercard network charge - The card networks charge an FX processing fee, roughly 1.15 percent. It is similar across banks. A few premium cards absorb or offset it, but most simply pass it on.
Dynamic currency conversion (DCC) - When the terminal asks whether you want to pay in AED or in the local currency, choosing AED lets the terminal provider set its own rate, usually at a huge markup. Always choose the local currency.
Cash withdrawals on credit cards - Taking cash out on a credit card abroad usually combines a cash advance fee, an ATM fee and FX fees. Treat this as an emergency option only.
Golden rules for using your card abroad
Whatever card you take, these habits do most of the work.
Always pay in the local currency, never in AED at the terminal.
Use a low FX credit card for spending and keep debit for backup and ATM cash only.
Pay off your credit card in full every month so FX savings are not wiped out by interest.
Avoid cash withdrawals on credit cards unless it is a genuine emergency.
Get the right card in place now and combine it with these rules. Your next Christmas break or Eid trip will cost a little less without changing anything about where you go or what you do.
IN THE NEWS - UAE residents can now track and improve their credit score in real-time
The Etihad Credit Bureau (ECB), the UAE’s credit scoring agency, has launched a new version of its app and web portal. Users can now access more data and, crucially, see how each parameter is affecting their credit score.
The ECB also now includes data on real estate obligations, utility bills and telecoms payments, with Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) transactions soon to follow. This allows people who don’t have credit cards or loans to start building their credit profiles sooner.
Head to this KT article for the full summary of changes. If you want a reminder of what credit scores are and how they’re calculated, you can check out previous feature article on this.
Disclaimer: Please bear in mind that this email does not constitute financial advice. Any choices you make you are solely responsible for. We always aim to provide highest quality, independent views but do your own research to ensure you’re comfortable with any changes you make to your personal finances.