Q: Hello I am writing to ask about a civil case, I recently went on maternity leave and my company does not pay a salary in this period. The bank filed a criminal case so I was stopped at the airport on arrival and processed at the police station. The next day I went in front of a judge who asked if I had the money to pay at that time or pay a fine, so I paid the AED 10000 fine. It's been almost 3 months and the bank keeps increasing my debt (my account is on minus). Question is, should I go to court again to ask them to get the bank to issue a clearance certificate or what should I do?

Q: Hi Sir, My credit card cheque was bounced and I got in jail and paid the fine after the public prosecution hearing, but they did not give me a clearance. They just let me out in the jail. I would like to ask if I have a travel ban. The bank keeps sending me and for the 8th time that my cheque was bounced again. Is it also possible that they can repeatedly bounce my cheque? They also threatened me that they will file a civil case a week after the other case was finished.

Q: Dear Sir/ Madam, I had a bounced cheque which I got cleared at the police station paying a fine of AED 2020. Can the bank still create a problem for me and also is it possible to travel back to India without having any travel ban? Looking forward to hearing from you. M.

Q: So there is this new law applicable on Jan 2, 2022, where convicts of bounced cheques will all be cleared and found innocent. Question 1: Will this apply to civil cases that have passed all stages and are under execution? Question 2: Will all this be cleared automatically or are there procedures to be done by the convict to fix and if so what are they? Thank you.

Q: Dear sir/madam, I had 2 cheque bounce cases in the UAE; one in Sharjah and another in Abu Dhabi. The Sharjah case went to court and the judge gave me a 10k AED fine. I paid the fine and the case was closed. The Abu Dhabi case was pending and now due to the new amendment in law, this case is also closed without any fine. Now I want to travel to the UAE on a visit visa, to see if I can find a job or set up a small business and start my life altogether. I have heard that once I enter the UAE, the bank will get to know the same and they will file a civil case and impose a travel ban. Once entered, I will not be able to get out till I clear the payment with the bank. I am ready to have a negotiation with the bank and make the repayment in installment but I don't want to be stuck in the UAE with a travel ban. Please advise on this. Also, I want to check my immigration status - if my travel bans by the cheque bounce cases issued earlier are cleared.

Q: Dear sir/madam, I have a bounced cheque case. If I go to the police station to clear that, will they arrest me? The amount of the cheque is below 100k.

Q: With the new UAE cheque decriminalization law, does it mean if I come to the Dubai airport I will not be arrested but instead will be asked to go to the police station or court to personally pay the fine?

Q: What are the fees to hire a lawyer to pay the fine (judgement) and remove bounced cheque case and travel ban for insufficient funds case with a bank? How long does the process take to remove the ban approximately?

Q: Hi, I have a travel ban in Abu Dhabi but I have paid the fine already to the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and have the receipt with me. I'm on the way to have my employment visa soon. I checked on the Estafser website, and there is still one case under my name, and it has the same case number as the paid case. May I know if this will affect my employment visa? Thanks in advance!

An interview-format article covering the topic of loans and bounced cheques in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

In the UAE, cheque bounce is a very frequent problem faced by people during their span in the country. It is covered under the purview of Commercial Transactions Law, and legal implications/penalties can be financially severe and daunting for more “serious” offenses. Bounced cheque issues may arise in a variety of commercial transactions, including but not limited to, companies’ exchanges, bank loans, property rents or purchases, and individual transactions.

The UAE travel ban may be imposed on a person on various grounds, for instance, as the result of criminal offences, unpaid loans, breach of immigration laws or family matters. Implications of such a ban can be financially severe and daunting for the affected person. This article aims to give readers a clear understanding of what is the UAE travel ban, what are the grounds and procedures for its imposition and removal, how to check if the person is banned from travelling and other related topics.

This Law promulgates the Federal Penal Code (Criminal Law) of the United Arab Emirates. Crimes and chastisement punishments shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other penal codes.

The provisions of this Decree by Law amend the Federal Law No. (18) of 1993 by replacing Clause (4) of Article (379) as well as Articles (600), (617), (641), (642), (643), (644), and adding new articles numbered (635) Bis, (641) Bis (1), (641) Bis (2), (641) Bis (3), (641) Bis (4), (643) Bis (1), (643) Bis (2), (644) Bis (1) and (644) Bis (2). The Decree-Law also repeals Articles (401), (402) and (403) of the Federal Law No. (3) of 1987.