Cards you can use when traveling abroad from the UAE
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Imagine landing in Europe after a long flight, tiredly making your way out of the airport, and finally being able to order a hot coffee from a local café… only to tap your card and pay an extra 3% in currency conversion fees.
Whether it’s coffees or clothes, hotels or taxis, paying for anything while abroad shouldn’t feel like a surprise.
Luckily, you can reduce unexpected conversion fees by using a dedicated travel card while abroad – some cards (such as the Ziina Card, for instance) even offer a fee-free foreign currency spending allowance, which means no conversion fee on spend up to the limit.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the different types of travel cards, as well as which features to look out for before choosing a provider. We’ll also share some advice for keeping costs low when you’re spending abroad.
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Which card type is right for you?
When you travel abroad from the UAE, choosing a card that suits your spending habits can help you potentially save hundreds of dirhams in foreign exchange fees.
Here are some popular types of travel cards to consider:
Virtual and digital cards
Virtual cards can be a convenient choice for travelers who do most of their spending by phone or online. Many digital cards offer low or zero foreign currency conversion markups, though this depends on your provider.
They can also be quite simple to set up, and you might even be able to do so through the mobile app of your existing UAE banking provider.
Zero-fee credit cards
Might be suited to travelers who want to combine international spending with additional benefits.
Depending on the card, you may get competitive foreign exchange rates alongside rewards, cashback, airport lounge access, travel insurance, or other travel-focused perks.
Prepaid multi-currency travel cards
These cards let you hold funds in several currencies on the same card. You can preload funds onto the card, which might be useful if you want greater control over your travel budget or you prefer to ‘lock in’ an exchange rate before you fly.
Note: If you prefer to spend money directly from your bank account, you can always use your normal debit card, too. It’s just worth checking if your bank offers international ATM and foreign exchange fees that you find reasonable.
Read more: Travel cards in the UAE: 6 options compared
What to check before you choose a card
Once you’ve picked a card type that suits your travel style, take a closer look at the costs and benefits. Promotional offers can be appealing, but checking the following features can help you understand which provider is right for you in the long term:
- Total foreign exchange costs: Many cards advertise low fees, but it’s important to look at the full picture. You’ll need to account for the bank markup on top of the network scheme fee charged by Visa or Mastercard, which could add to each foreign transaction. Some cards might even offer a fee-free currency conversion allowance each month.
- ATM withdrawal fees abroad: If you plan to take out cash, make sure you know exactly what it could cost. Credit cards might carry different requirements and allowances than debit or pre-paid cards, for example.
- Eligibility requirements and annual fees: Some cards might have subscription fees or other costs that could increase the total cost of using the card, especially in the long term. Check for minimum salary requirements, sign-up fees, and whether there are any promotional offers available.
- Travel perks and rewards: You might be able to get some exclusive perks and deals by using your travel card, like cashback, airport lounge access, or everyday perks in the UAE.
How Ziina’s travel card can help UAE residents spend abroad
Ziina is a peer-to-peer payment app that helps UAE residents keep costs low when traveling abroad, whether you’re paying for hotels, meals, taxis, or even online shopping.
At Ziina*, we offer two types of cards: Ziina Lite, which is our no cost account tier, and Ziina Violet, which is our paid membership program that costs 100 AED a month (or 996 AED per year). Both give you a virtual Visa card you can add to Apple Pay or Google Pay.
The Ziina Card is a virtual card. It can't be used for ATM withdrawals and only works at merchants that accept Visa.
Using a Ziina card can help you protect your budget from foreign transaction fees, too.
There are no currency conversion fees on foreign spend up to 3,000 AED per month for Ziina Lite users, and 20,000 AED per month for Violet users.
A 0.5% fee applies to foreign-currency spend above the limit, which resets each month.
See how online shopping works with Ziina in this IG reel.
Here’s what else you can do when you sign up for Ziina:
- Check your balance anytime within the Ziina app (which updates quickly with every transaction)
- Benefit from transparent pricing, with no setup fees or minimum balance requirements – please check our pricing page for more details
- Top up your account from your bank account using your Ziina-issued UAE IBAN
And if you upgrade to the Ziina Violet card:
- Spend up to 20,000 AED in non-AED currency each month, and pay 0 currency conversion fees
- Access to up to 850 AED worth of value every month from premium brands, such as Ounass, Yango Rides and Yango Play, ClassPass, Bake My Day, Salt, Washmen, and Deliveroo
- Get a NordVPN Basic subscription to use anywhere in the world, whether you’re in the UAE or abroad
- Have cashback applied when you spend with select brands using your Ziina card
- Receive priority support from Ziina’s English- and Arabic-speaking team
3 tips to keep costs low when spending abroad from the UAE
Even if you’re not a frequent traveller, picking up a few simple habits can help you protect yourself from unnecessary costs when spending overseas.
For example, on your next international trip…
- 1.Choose to pay in the local currency: If you’re paying in person, the POS terminal might ask whether you want to pay in AED or the local currency. Paying in local currency is often much more cost-effective than paying in AED, especially if you use a provider like Ziina, which offers 0 currency conversion fees up to a certain monthly limit.
- 2.Rely on a virtual card when cash isn’t required: If you don’t need cash for your trip, using a virtual-only card on your smartphone can come with a few safety benefits. For instance, there’s no physical card to drop or lose, so the risk of physical theft or card skimming is dramatically reduced while you travel. Plus, in the case that your information is stolen, you can often just cancel and reissue your card instantly – no need to wait days or weeks for a new card to be shipped to your hotel.
- 3.Keep a secondary backup card ready: Carrying a second travel card from a different bank or card network can be useful if your main card ever gets lost, temporarily blocked, or declined by a local merchant. Instead of having to leave the shop and hunt for a nearby ATM, you can just pull out a backup card and continue your trip.
Final thoughts
Choosing a travel card for when you spend abroad can help to reduce the amount you pay in unnecessary currency conversion fees. In this article, we’ve shared some different types of travel cards, as well as how to choose the one that’s right for you.
We’ve also introduced you to the Ziina travel card, which offers you 3,000 AED of fee-free foreign spend each month, or 20,000 AED if you upgrade to Ziina Violet.
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*Disclaimer: Availability of Ziina products and features is subject to eligibility, successful verification, device compatibility, applicable transaction limits, Ziina’s terms and conditions, and regulatory requirements. Customers are responsible for ensuring they hold any trade license, permit, tax registration, or other approval required for their business activities. Fees, limits, payout timelines, and product features may vary and are subject to change. Please refer to Ziina’s latest terms and pricing for full details.
Ziina Violet costs AED 100 per month (or AED 996 per year). It includes benefits from partner brands with an estimated combined monthly value of up to AED 850, depending on how you use them. Partner benefits are provided by third parties, are subject to their terms, caps and availability, and may change.
Fees shown reflect publicly available standard pricing and may vary depending on card type, transaction volume, currency, settlement arrangement, additional services, and VAT. For the most up-to-date information, consult individual providers. With Ziina, some users may be able to get started with basic verification, such as Emirates ID verification, but requirements may vary depending on the user’s business activity, transaction volume, account type, and applicable legal or licensing obligations. Customers remain responsible for ensuring they hold any trade license, permit, tax registration, or other approval required for their business activities.
This article was published in October 2026.