Get help with an inactive or dormant account

Activate an inactive account and get help if your account becomes dormant

Haven't used your account for over 12 months?

If you have a current or savings account and have not used it for more than 12 months, your account will be classified as inactive. If you have not used your account and have had no contact with the bank for more than 3 years, your account will be classified as dormant. This holds true for all accounts under your name.

Once your account is classified as inactive, you'll still be able to make debit and credit transactions, but there may be delays with clearance of cheques and transferring funds. Once your account becomes dormant, you can’t do any transactions via online or mobile banking or via ATMs.

Activating an inactive account

You can activate an inactive account simply by transferring or withdrawing money from it via any of the following means:

Online Banking or Mobile Banking
Any ATM
A teller transaction at one of our branches

Once the transaction is done, your account will be activated within 24 hours.

Activating a dormant account

If you're a resident with an Individual Account:

Visit a branch with your Emirates ID or passport with UAE residence visa

If you're a resident with a Joint Account:

All the joint account holders must visit a branch with their Emirates ID or passport with UAE residence visa

If it's a Minor Account:

The guardian needs to visit a branch with their own passport or Emirates ID

If it’s a Company Account:

An authorised company representative must visit a branch with their Emirates ID or passport for identification; UAE Trade license and letter signed by authorised signatories requesting activation of the account.

If you're a non-resident holding an Individual or Joint Account:

Visit a branch in the UAE or abroad with the following documents:

Utility bill or any other document as proof of address
Customer due diligence form
FATCA/CRS self-declaration by account holders
Self-attested passport copies of account holders

You'll find all the forms you need on our Form Center.

The status of individual and joint accounts will change to active within 24 hours and company accounts will take 2 to 3 working days.

Additional documents may be required at the bank’s discretion.

Reclaiming funds after dormant account closure

If you have no contact with the bank for 2 years after your accounts become dormant, all your accounts will be subject to review and closure and unclaimed money will be transferred to the UAE Central Bank.

To reclaim your money, follow the applicable guidelines below:

If you're a resident with an Individual Account:

Visit a branch with your Emirates ID or passport with UAE residence visa for identification

If you're a resident with a Joint Account:

All account holders must visit a branch with their Emirates ID or passport with UAE residence visa for identification

If it's a Minor Account:

The guardian needs to visit a branch with their own passport or Emirates ID for identification

If it's a Company Account:

An authorised company representative will have to visit a branch with the following documents:

For an active company:

Trade License
Memorandum of Association
Shareholder Resolution
Power of Attorney

For an inactive company:

De-Registration Certificate
Memorandum of Association
Shareholder Resolution

Non-resident holding an Individual or Joint Account:

Visit a branch in the UAE or abroad with the following documents:

A letter from the concerned government authority confirming the passport and address details of the account holder(s) along with an attestation from the UAE Embassy in your country
Self-attested passport copies of all account holder(s)
Instructions for the transfer of your funds

Please note, additional documents may be required at the bank’s discretion.

For help with any of this, please visit one of our branches and we'll be happy to help you out.

Here are our branch locations in the UAE and internationally.

FAQs

What is the impact on an account when it’s status changes from active to inactive?

There are no debit or credit restrictions placed on inactive accounts but there might be a delay in cheque clearance or transferring funds to other accounts.

What is the impact on an account when it’s status changes from active to dormant?

If you have no contact with the bank for 2 years after your account becomes dormant, it will be subject to review and closure. Any unclaimed funds under the account will be transferred to the UAE Central Bank. You'll need to contact the Central Bank to reclaim the funds.

Will I be notified before my account status is changed to inactive or dormant?

Yes, we'll notify you via an email and SMS message to your registered email address and mobile number before we make any changes to your account status.

How do I activate my dormant account or reclaim my funds if I’m living abroad?

We can help. Please call us on +971 600 54 0000.

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