Closing a bank account is a serious financial decision, and with a bank as integral to the financial lives of UAE citizens as First Abu Dhabi Bank, it’s important to plan carefully to avoid penalties, salary transfer disruptions, service interruptions, or unpaid debts that could haunt you long after you’ve walked out of the bank. Before you start the closure process, no matter what you are moving into, closing with another bank, or even a new account with the same bank, check your FAB balance, confirming the exact amount on every account, card, and linked product, so that nothing is left unresolved before you submit your closure request.
Complete guide to the FAB account closure process, from preparation & documentation to final confirmation, including guidance on what to do when you are an expat leaving the UAE.
Why Closing a FAB Account Requires Careful Planning
If you have unpaid dues, FAB will not close your account when asked to do so. Any outstanding credit card, loan, overdraft or fee must be paid in full before the bank will process a closure request. When someone tries to close an account for which they owe money, it is not only rejected, but it can also lead to penalty charges and damage their banking history in the UAE.
Be sure to cancel any automatic payments on your credit cards, bills or transfers before closing your account. Your service may go off after your account is closed if there are recurring payments that are set up for such services as a subscription to an insurance plan, a gym membership, or a streaming service.
Knowing what you need to address and in what order before closing is the difference between a smooth one-visit process and a multi-week ordeal.
Common Reasons for Closing a FAB Account
There are numerous legal reasons that people close FAB accounts:
Relocating abroad: FAB has a significant number of expats as customers. If moving to another country, you must close the FAB account to keep finances simple and avoid maintenance fees.
Change banks: Users tend to terminate their FAB banking when they find a more efficient digital banking experience with another bank, or one with lower costs or more attractive offers.
No use fees: There may be fees for unused FAB current or savings accounts. Keep it closed so you won’t get needless charges.
Change of employer’s payroll bank: If your employer changes its bank for payroll, you might have to change your payroll account. This situation is not uncommon, where one has to close a FAB account.
Whatever the reason, the closure process is the same, and it starts with thorough preparation.
Step 1: Check Your FAB Balance Across All Accounts and Products
Make sure you have a complete understanding of all of FAB’s products before taking any further action: Log in to the FAB Mobile App or FAB Online Banking.
- Current or savings account balance: the amount that will have to be taken out of or transferred to the account before closing.
- Any outstanding balance due on the credit card should be paid in full; any pending transactions that may not have posted should be paid as well.
- All outstanding balance personal loans, car loans or home finance products must be paid off.
- If you have a fixed deposit, verify its maturity date before you ask for it to be closed, as you may incur penalties for closing early.
- Any negative balance should be paid off (overdraft).
- No pending transactions means that no debit transactions are pending, which would need to be settled before the account can be closed.
Any remaining amount on the account should be withdrawn or transferred prior to closing the account. Determine in advance the method of settlement in the final balance – cash withdrawal, transfer to another bank account in the UAE or international transfer.
Step 2: Settle All Outstanding Dues and Obligations
Credit Card Dues
For those who have a FAB credit card, make the full amount they owe, and not just the minimum. Please contact FAB to get a final payoff amount that includes all outstanding transactions, interest to date, and any fees. The minimum payment strategy will result in a small amount of money remaining that will not allow closure at this stage.
Once you have paid off the debt in full, ask them to close the credit card account in your name. In the UAE, if a credit card is closed prior to closing its linked bank account, then there is no chance of any unexpected charges appearing on the credit card after one thinks it’s closed.
Loan Repayments
For any personal loan, vehicle loan or home finance product with FAB, the remaining balance of the loan will need to be settled before closing. Call FAB’s loans department and ask him/her for the total amount that you will receive for your early settlement; this could be different from the amount you still have to make if you are subject to any early settlement fee.
There is a fee for early settlement of loans. Please see FAB’s present fee schedule at the branches or via the customer care hotline. Don’t settle until you have this information; you will need to be aware of this amount when deciding on your settlement date and budget.
Fixed Deposits
Usually, account closures are free, but there may be fees for closing your account early. Usually, if a fixed deposit is cashed out early, there is an early termination fee that will be applied, and the interest will be lowered. If your fixed deposit is near its maturity date, then closing the account before it reaches maturity date will save you from these costs.
Step 3: Cancel All Automatic Payments and Standing Instructions
Review the history of your account for the last three months and find all the recurring payments that are associated with your FAB account:
- Automated payments of utility bills (DEWA, SEWA, ADDC, Etisalat, du)
- You can also set up credit card auto-payment instructions.
- Insurance premium debits
- Any fee received from a gym membership or gym subscription service (one-time or monthly)
- Home loan EMI is deducted from other banks.
- Instructions are automatically uploaded to Salik from the FAB account
- A regular investment or savings plan that includes regular contributions.
If you have any automatic payments, either cancel them directly in the FAB Mobile App using standing instructions, contact the service provider to change the payment details to your new bank account or cancel the service if it is no longer required.
One of the most frequent post-closure issues is that standing instructions are not cancelled before closing. If you are closing your account, cancel any automatic payments you may have set up for bills, credit cards or transfers. If payments are made against a closed account, the associated transaction fees will be lost, and services may be impacted.
Step 4: Update Your Employer’s Payroll Details
It is advisable for FAB account holders to let their employer know about the new account number prior to closing the account, so that their salary is not delayed in transfer. Your payroll department makes salary transfers regularly. A salary transfer will not occur if your FAB account is closed before you register your new bank account with HR – this could mean you don’t get your salary until one full cycle later. Let HR/payroll know of new bank information well in advance of the next pay date. Provide the payroll system with a minimum of two to four weeks to make the change, depending on the company’s banking procedures, as some companies may have several stages for banking changes.
Should you have an account under the UAE’s Wages Protection System (WPS), your employer will need to enroll your new account with MOHRE before salary transfers can begin. Communicate with HR to make sure this change is made before your final FAB salary deposit.
Step 5: Transfer or Withdraw Your Remaining Balance
After all dues are paid, automatic payments will be cancelled, and payroll will be redirected, then transfer or withdraw the remaining balance from your FAB account.
Options for handling the final balance:
Domestic bank transfer: Transfer the remaining amount to the bank account opened in the UAE through FAB Online banking or the FAB mobile app. The transfer of funds from one bank to another in UAEFTS takes around 1 business day.
Outward wire transfer: If you are moving to a different country, wire the money to a foreign bank account, using SWIFT. To confirm the current fee before processing the international transfer, FAB will require an international transfer fee.
Cash withdrawal: Smaller amounts can be cashed in at a FAB ATM or branch. If you are making a withdrawal that is higher than the ATM limit, go into a branch office to make an over-the-counter withdrawal.
Demand draft or manager’s cheque: For formal transfers, especially when making property deposits or legal settlements, FAB can issue a demand draft against your account balance. This option is available only in a branch visit.
Once the balance has been transferred or withdrawn, leave a few AED 10-AED 20 in the account to ensure that there are sufficient funds to cover any final fees that may be posted before the account is officially closed on the date mentioned. When closing a unit, verify with FAB customer service if any balances will be made due at the end of the month or on the statement.
Step 6: Gather Required Documents for Account Closure
To close your FAB account, you’ll need to collect all necessary paperwork. Emirates IDs, passports, and important documents are valid government-issued IDs. In addition, it’s crucial to give your account number and branch details to avoid problems. Also of importance is the Bank account closure form, which can be downloaded from the FAB website.
Fab documents closure checklist:
- Valid Emirates ID (not expired)
- Passport ID required (original UAE passport)
- Authorized residence visa (if applicable) and currently valid residence visa.
- FAB debit card(s) connected with the account are to be cut and returned to the branch.
- Credit Card(s) to be surrendered and cut at the branch to close the credit card account.
- Enter a FAB account number in your full account number for the accounts you want to close.
- Use any cheques not used, and return them to the bank, using a cheque book.
- You can complete this account closure form that is available for download from FAB’s official forms page, or you can be picked up at the branch.
If the customer is departing the UAE permanently, more documents might be needed, including a flight ticket showing the customer’s departure or an employment cancellation letter. Please contact FAB customer service before visiting your branch to confirm before visiting your branch.
Step 7: Visit a FAB Branch to Submit the Closure Request
Document changes, dispute processing, and account termination are complex processes that involve more communication, typically on the phone or face-to-face. To close an account at FAB, customers must make a face-to-face appointment to close the account, which cannot be done entirely online or via the FAB mobile app.
How to find and visit a FAB branch:
Visit the FAB website and/or physical branch. Find the Nearest Branch: For this purpose, you have to find the nearest branch by using the FAB website or mobile app. To book an Appointment: FAB, in the UAE, has many branches where an appointment may need to be made. Therefore, it is important to pre-arrange and ensure a reliable process.
At the branch:
- Go up to the customer service desk and tell them that you want to close your account.
- Ask for the Closure Form: The next step is to ask the customer service representative for the Closure Form to close your FAB account. Fill out the form at the branch if it has not been downloaded and completed already.
- Submit all necessary paperwork for identification.
- The customer shall return the card to the Bank promptly on the closing of the accounts as per FAB’s General Terms and Conditions; the FAB credit card(s) and debit card(s) shall be surrendered. Always divide the physical debit card in half, across the chip and magnetic strip, before you leave the branch.
- Give back the cheque unused in the cheque book.
- Verify the final account balance with the representative and make the final withdrawal or transfer any additional funds immediately if necessary.
- Get a stamped acknowledgement request, a written confirmation that your closure request has been submitted and accepted. If there is any problem with the processing, this confirmation will be your proof of initiation.
Step 8: Confirm Closure Processing Time and Follow Up
Personal accounts will usually take 3-7 business days. Accounts for business accounts can take longer.
Once you have filed a closure request, the bank will take care of it,t trying to verify that all obligations are satisfied, closing all the services you are connected with, and formally closing the account in their system. A closure will be confirmed by SMS or email, usually as soon as it has been finalized.
Don’t forget to follow up after your closure request to make sure your closure is done properly.
The closure request will be submitted, and the following steps will be followed:
Verify your account balance is $0 and your account is not showing in the FAB Mobile App or online banking.
- If the debit and credit cards are not deactivated, try making a small transaction or check the status of your cards in the app.
- Check if there are any other fees or charges that could have been applied since the account was closed.
- Store the branch’s stamped acknowledgment of the notice of termination until you get the formal written notice of termination.
- Call FAB customer care with your closure reference number to follow up if you do not hear from us within 7 business days of submitting for personal account closure.
A FAB Account can be closed by the Expat Leaving the UAE, in what is known as the Closing of a FAB Account.
Closing a FAB Account as an Expat Leaving the UAE
For expatriates whose employment contracts are ending or who are permanently leaving the UAE, account closure involves some additional considerations.
Visa cancellation and account closure timing: When your UAE residency visa is cancelled by your employer, you typically have 30 days to settle your affairs and leave the UAE. Within this window, completing your FAB account closure before departing, attempting to close a UAE bank account from abroad is significantly more complicated and may require notarized documents or a Power of Attorney.
Final salary and end-of-service gratuity: If you are expecting to receive a final salary payment from your employer or a ‘gifting’ from your employer on your end of service, do not close your FAB account until the amounts are credited and the amounts are cleared. You will not be able to receive or delay these payments if the account is closed too early.
International wire final payment: Once all final payments are received, wire transfer the remaining balance to your foreign bank account. Ask FAB for a receipt for SWIFT transfers as assurance that the money is on its way.
UAE credit card clearance: Pay off the entire credit card dues before the UAE residency visa is cancelled. If you have unpaid credit card debts, these can be very difficult to clear from overseas and may end up on your credit file with Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which could also affect your ability to get a visa to the UAE or open a bank account.
You will not be able to close the account on someone else’s behalf unless you are granted a power of attorney that is recognized and valid by FAB. If you will be leaving the UAE and want someone else to deal with the closure, then a formally notarized Power of Attorney signed and authenticated before you leave the UAE, designating this person, must be prepared.
FAB Account Closure Fees
Account closures typically do not charge anything, but have a fee if they are cancelled early.
Most current and savings accounts will not charge a fee for closing the account. However, there may be charges for:
- The penalty for early closing of fixed deposits is interest earned and possible loss of principal, depending on when the closure is requested, before the maturity date.
- Early settlement fee for personal loans is a percentage of the outstanding amount.
- The final balance SWIFT transfer fees vary according to the destination currency and the amount of money sent.
- In case of a final balance in the bank, you can get a manager’s cheque or issue a demand draft.
Verify applicable fees for your accounts before closing your account by calling FAB customer care or visiting a branch.
What Happens to Your AECB Credit Report After Account Closure
You don’t have to close your FAB bank account to remove your credit record. There is no need to close the FAB bank account to remove the record from your credit report. This is a positive record that will be seen on your Al Etihad Credit Bureau credit report when it is closed and paid off. Any outstanding credit card bills, loan payments that were delinquent or unpaid bills that were outstanding before closing, however, will stay on your AECB credit report for up to five years.
Before closing your FAB account for other credit applications (within the UAE or abroad), make sure all dues are paid in full so that the closed account appears as fully paid and not as being written off/due.
Pre-Closure Checklist
Before visiting the branch to close your account, use this checklist to ensure that your account is closed and that your funds are transferred to the new account promptly:
- All Accounts (current, savings, credit card, fixed deposit) FAB checked balance.
- Make a full payment on the credit card balance.
- The loan balance has been settled, or the amount of early settlement confirmed.
- The Fixed Deposit is due to mature on March 15, 2022, and there is no need to terminate this early.
- Cancelled all automated payments and standing instructions.
- Employer Notified and New Payroll Bank Details Registered with HR
- The balance that is withdrawn or transferred to a new bank account. The account balance is moved or cashed out into a new bank account.
- All Emirates ID, passports and FAB cards are ready to take to the branch.
- Return the cheque book containing unused cheques.
- If required, an appointment will be set up for the preferred location at a branch.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to closing a FAB bank account, it is a manageable process if you take it step-by-step. Weighing down the trip to the branch itself are the preparation steps, dues, cancelling auto-payments, redirecting salary, and confirming your balance. There are far fewer problems and rejections related to the closure procedure; they all stem from missing one of these steps. Mix your full FAB balance picture, then make sure to systematically progress through the pre-closure checklist, head to the branch with all the necessary documents, and follow up within the processing timeline. If done properly, your account will be eliminated with a clean slate, and your financial life will remain unchanged for whatever you do.
Must Read: Bank of Baroda UAE: Complete Guide to Accounts, Loans & Online Banking in 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I close my FAB account online without visiting a branch?
Handling the closure of an account, dispute resolution, or document update is an example of more complex processes that may necessitate more phone contact or face-to-face meetings. Complete account closure will need a visit to a branch in order to verify documents and surrender cards as of 2026. Balancing transfers, cancelling standing instructions and settling dues can be done through the FAB Mobile App and Online Banking prior to visiting your FAB branch.
What if my FAB account has a minimum balance requirement?
There are minimum balance requirements for some FAB accounts. Before requesting to close your account, make sure that it meets the minimum balance requirement. If your balance is less than the minimum, you may have to deposit to meet minimum balance requirements before the request to close your account is submitted. Please check with the branch to see if this applies to your account type.
Can someone else close my FAB account on my behalf?
You cannot unless you have a power of attorney that is valid and recognized by FAB, close the account through a representative. Third-party closures require a formally notarized and FAB-acknowledged Power of Attorney.
How long does FAB account closure take?
Personal accounts are generally processed 3-7 business days. For business accounts, it may take longer. Once closed, the confirmation SMS or email will be received.
What happens to my FAB debit card after account closure?
Upon closure of the accounts, as per FAB’s General Terms and Conditions, the customer will return the card to the Bank immediately. The branch representative will deactivate and keep the card while on a closure visit.
