Before you fly · United Arab Emirates
Forex card or cash for United Arab Emirates?
Carry a zero-markup forex card, loaded in AED.
The currency is AED (Dirham).
Checked 24 Sep 2026 · source: Gulf News — UPI now accessible to Indian tourists in over 60,000 outlets across UAE ↗ · +2 more
United Arab EmiratesForex and cash
The currency is AED (Dirham).
Cards accepted almost everywhere; keep ~AED 200 cash for taxis and souks.
Zero-markup forex cards
- Niyo GlobalZero forex markup; good ATM access
- Fi / Federal DebitLow markup, instant UPI top-up
- ScapiaNo forex markup, travel rewards
Every detail we holdThe forex and cash facts, as checked
- Currency
- AED (Dirham)
Forex cards
- Niyo Global — Zero forex markup; good ATM access
- Fi / Federal Debit — Low markup, instant UPI top-up
- Scapia — No forex markup, travel rewards
- Upi supported
- Yes
- Upi note
- UPI works at NEOPAY terminals (Mashreq) — malls, Emaar attractions like At the Top Burj Khalifa, many restaurants and retail; PhonePe, BHIM, GPay and bank apps all work. Debits in INR at the app's rate. Coverage is wide in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, patchier in small shops.
- Cash vs card
- Cards accepted almost everywhere; keep ~AED 200 cash for taxis and souks.