Borrowing,
calculated.
Free calculators for borrowing in the UAE. See what a personal loan, car loan or credit card really costs, how much you can borrow and how to pay less, using the Central Bank's rules.
Go straight to a calculator
- Personal loan
- How much can I borrow?
- Flat or reducing rate
- Car loan
- Credit card payoff
- Debt consolidation
- Loan buyout
- Compare two offers
Free, with no sign-up. Your figures are saved in your browser and never sent to us.
What would a personal loan cost?
I want to borrow AED over months at % . My payment is
AED 2,371a month
- Total interest
- AED 13,810
- Processing fee
- AED 1,050
- Same as a flat rate of
- 3.45%
Tap an underlined number to change it. Banks must quote the reducing rate, and the Central Bank caps personal loans at 20 times your salary over 48 months. See the full calculation
Borrowing rates on 17 October 2026
Rates change often. The calculators start from typical figures you can change.
5.49%
Lowest advertised personal loan rate
Expats, reducing rate with salary transfer. UAE nationals from 4.39%.
3.25%
A month on a typical credit card
39% a year. Nothing if you pay in full each month.
4.21%
3-month EIBOR
Central Bank fixing, 16 October
3.90%
UAE Central Bank base rate
Raised from 3.65% on 17 September 2026
Sources: Central Bank of the UAE for EIBOR and the base rate. Loan and card rates come from banks' published pricing and Key Facts Statements, last checked on 17 October 2026. The rate you are offered depends on your salary, employer and whether you transfer your salary.
Loan calculators for the UAE
Enter your figures once. They carry across every calculator, and you can change them in any of them.
Personal loan
Your monthly payment, what the loan costs in total and the rate you really pay.
Islamic finance quotes a profit rate. The maths is the same.
Up to 48 months for a personal loan.
The processing fee is capped at AED 2,500, and 5% VAT is added. Many banks also add life insurance, often about 1% of the loan.
- Monthly payment
- AED 2,371
- Total interest
- AED 13,810
- Cost with fees
- AED 14,860
- Effective rate with fees
- 7.03%
How the loan is paid off
Amount still owed, and interest paid so far, in AED
- Still owed
- Interest paid so far
Show the yearly schedule
| Year | Interest | Principal | Owed at year end |
|---|
How much can I borrow?
Your largest personal loan under the Central Bank's limits on income multiple and debt burden.
AED 100,000 is within your limit
Your debt payments as a share of income
What sets your limit
- Payment on this loan
- AED 2,371
- Room for a monthly payment
- AED 5,000
- Largest loan
- AED 210,878
Banks can lend less than these limits and also look at your credit score, employer and length of service. For a pension, repayments are limited to 30% of income.
Flat or reducing rate
Many UAE loans are advertised with a flat rate. Here is what that rate really costs.
A flat rate charges interest on the full amount for the whole term. A reducing rate charges interest only on what you still owe.
- Flat rate
- 3.45%
- Reducing rate
- 6.49%
- Monthly payment
- AED 2,371
- Total interest
- AED 13,810
The same number, two kinds of rate
The same rate over other terms
| Term | Flat | Reducing |
|---|
Car loan
Your monthly payment, the down payment and what the car costs once interest is added.
Car loans are capped at 80% of the car's value, so plan for at least 20% down.
New-car loans are often advertised from about 2.5% flat.
Up to 60 months. Car insurance and registration are paid separately.
What you pay for the car
- Down paymentAED 24,000
- Loan from the bankAED 96,000
- Interest and feesAED 12,960
- Monthly payment
- AED 1,799
- Loan amount
- AED 96,000
- Total interest
- AED 11,952
- Real rate, reducing
- 4.72%
Credit card payoff
How long a card balance takes to clear, and what it costs, at the minimum payment and at a fixed amount.
Card rates are quoted per month. 3.25% a month is 39% a year.
Most UAE cards ask for 5% of the balance or AED 100, whichever is higher.
- Time to clear at the minimum
- 11 years 6 months
- Interest at the minimum
- AED 23,366
- Time to clear at AED 1,000
- 1 year 9 months
- Interest at AED 1,000 a month
- AED 5,902
This month's minimum payment is AED 774, of which AED 488 is interest.
Card balance over time
In AED, with no new spending on the card
- Minimum payments
- Fixed payment
Debt consolidation
Whether one personal loan beats paying your cards and loans separately.
- Paying now, a month
- AED 2,500
- New loan, a month
- AED 1,067
- Debt-free as now
- August 2028
- Debt-free with the new loan
- October 2030
Interest and fees until you are debt-free
The new loan has to fit the same limits as any personal loan: 20 times your salary and 50% of income for all debt payments. Close the cards you pay off, or the old balances can come back.
Loan buyout
What you save by moving a personal loan to a bank with a lower rate, after the settlement and processing fees.
- Payment now
- AED 2,581
- New payment
- AED 2,433
- Switching costs
- AED 1,680
- Net saving
- AED 3,634
Net saving over time
Lower payments minus the switching costs, in AED
| Cost | How it's set | Your estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Early settlement feePaid to your current bank | 1% of the amount settled, capped at AED 10,000, plus VAT | AED 840 |
| Processing feePaid to the new bank | Up to 1% of the loan, capped at AED 2,500, plus VAT | AED 840 |
| Total | AED 1,680 |
Compare two offers
Which loan costs less once the rate type, term and fees are counted.
| Measure | Offer ACosts less | Offer BCosts less |
|---|
The effective rate with fees is the reducing rate after counting the processing fee, which makes offers with different fees and rate types comparable. Ask each bank for its Key Facts Statement, which must show the full cost.
Ways to borrow in the UAE
Each kind of credit has its own limits and its own way of quoting the price. Each one has a calculator on this page.
-
Personal loan
Unsecured, up to 20 times your monthly salary and repaid over up to 48 months. Moving your salary to the bank usually gets a lower rate.
Personal loan calculator -
Car loan
Up to 80% of the car's value over up to 60 months, secured on the car. Often advertised as a flat rate, which hides the real cost.
Car loan calculator -
Credit card
Free if you pay the full balance by the due date. Otherwise around 3.25% a month, and the minimum payment keeps you in debt for years.
Credit card calculator -
Islamic finance
Personal and car finance through Murabaha or Ijara, priced with a profit rate instead of interest. The same Central Bank limits apply.
Flat or reducing calculator -
Loan buyout
Another bank pays off your loan and gives you a new one at a lower rate, sometimes with extra cash on top.
Loan buyout calculator -
Debt consolidation
One personal loan pays off your cards and other loans, so you make a single payment at a lower rate.
Consolidation calculator
How borrowing works
The steps are the same at every bank and finance company. Knowing them before you apply gets you a better price.
- Banks must quote the rate on the reducing balance. If they advertise a flat rate, the reducing rate has to be shown next to it.
- Paying off a loan early costs at most 1% of the amount settled, capped at AED 10,000.
- You can usually cancel a personal loan within 5 business days of signing.
Check your credit score
Al Etihad Credit Bureau scores run from 300 to 900. Get yours through the AECB app or website with UAE Pass before you apply.
Work out what you can afford
All your debt payments, including 5% of your card limits, must stay within 50% of your income.
Compare the full cost
Ask for the Key Facts Statement. Compare the reducing rate, the fees, insurance and whether the bank needs your salary.
Apply
Banks usually ask for your Emirates ID, passport and visa, a salary certificate and recent bank statements.
Sign and receive the money
Read the loan agreement before you sign. The cooling-off period starts when you sign.
Repay, or pay off early
Paying down early saves interest. A lower rate elsewhere can be worth a buyout once the fees are covered.
The rules behind the numbers
The Central Bank of the UAE sets limits for loans to individuals. Banks can be stricter, but never more generous. The calculators apply these limits.
Limits by type of loan
| Loan | Largest amount | Longest term |
|---|---|---|
| Personal loan | 20× salary | 48 months |
| Car loan | 80% of the car | 60 months |
- Debt burden
- All monthly debt payments, including credit cards, up to 50% of gross salary and regular income. Repayments that run past retirement are limited to 30% of the pension.
- Interest
- Calculated on the reducing balance. A flat rate in an advert must be shown with its reducing equivalent.
- Processing fee
- Commonly 1% of the loan, capped at AED 2,500, plus 5% VAT
- Early or partial settlement
- Up to 1% of the amount settled, capped at AED 10,000
- Minimum salary
- No longer set by the Central Bank. Each bank sets its own, often AED 5,000 a month.
- Credit score
- Banks check your Al Etihad Credit Bureau report and score, which runs from 300 to 900
Questions people ask
Are the calculators free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, and the calculations run in your browser, so the figures you enter are not sent anywhere. They are saved in your browser so they are there when you come back, and Start over clears them.
What is the difference between a flat and a reducing rate?
A flat rate charges interest on the full amount you borrowed for the whole term. A reducing rate charges interest only on what you still owe, which falls with every payment. For the same payment, the reducing rate is close to double the flat rate: 3.49% flat over 48 months is about 6.56% reducing. Banks must quote the reducing rate.
How much can I borrow?
A personal loan can be up to 20 times your monthly salary, repaid over up to 48 months. All your debt payments, including the new loan and 5% of your card limits, must stay within 50% of your income. The lower of the two limits applies, and banks can lend less.
Do I have to transfer my salary to the bank?
Not always. Many banks offer loans without a salary transfer, but at a higher rate and often for a smaller amount. Moving your salary usually gets the lowest advertised rates.
What does it cost to pay off a loan early?
Banks can charge up to 1% of the amount you settle, capped at AED 10,000, for full or partial early settlement. On a balance of AED 80,000 that is AED 800, plus VAT.
How do credit card minimum payments work?
Most cards ask for 5% of the balance or AED 100, whichever is higher. With interest of about 3.25% a month, most of each minimum payment goes on interest, so a balance of AED 15,000 can take more than 11 years to clear.
What is a good credit score in the UAE?
Al Etihad Credit Bureau scores run from 300 to 900, and a higher score means a lower risk to lenders. Paying on time, using a small share of your card limits and avoiding bounced cheques all help.
Is Islamic finance different?
Islamic banks use structures such as Murabaha and charge a profit rate instead of interest. The monthly payment works out the same way, and the same Central Bank limits on amount, term and debt burden apply.
Can I cancel a loan after signing?
Usually yes. Personal loans come with a cooling-off period, commonly 5 business days from signing, during which you can cancel. The Key Facts Statement says how it works at your bank.