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: Hi, I was laid off in June 2020 during COVID19 and had credit cards in several banks. I had to leave the country but was still paying the banks up until September 2021. So I was getting calls from the bank, and the last one was maybe in December 2021. A new law came into effect this January, so the cheque bounce was decriminalized but the civil case is still there and a new option of some kind of execution is also there now. I don't know if I got any cheque bounce, do I get a notification on my email or SMS on my mobile? (My mobile is still active and I am outside of Dubai since then). Also, want to ask- under the new rule does the execution smth can lead to imprisonment and/or a travel ban? And if yes then for how long? Will I be able to come to Dubai and find a job if the execution case is there? Thank you

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: My travel date is today but unfortunately, I was not able to travel due to my bank problems. I have a travel ban, which department do I need to go to? Do I need to go to the police? I don't have a police case.

Q: Hi! I have a bounced cheque in 2016 however, the bank has not filed a case against me. I am not sure why though, as I have checked with the police station and they said that my record is clear. Recently, I have been receiving calls from a debt collection agent and he is threatening me that a case will be filed immediately if I don’t agree to settle. My question is, can they still file the case even though it has been 6 years since my cheque has bounced? Hope someone can answer, please. Thank you.

Q: Sir Without giving a guarantee cheque and loan agreement, the bank has given me a credit card. I paid for almost 4 years properly, and now my situation to pay is difficult. In this case, can the bank file a civil case against me? Please advise.

Q: Dear Lawyer, When does a travel ban come into effect once the bank files an execution case? I am the owner of a small company and have had a business loan since 2018. However, due to difficult circumstances, I have been unable to pay the installments since July 2022. The bank has informed me that they have filed an execution case against me and placed a travel ban on 27.12.2022. On the Dubai Courts website, the case status is currently listed as "Reserved." I have checked the Dubai Police website and do not see any indication of a travel ban. I am in communication with the bank and requesting their assistance in resolving the situation, as I intend to repay the loan but I need some grace from their end. In the meantime, I would like to know if the travel ban is in effect upon filing an execution case by the bank and if I am able to renew my visa and my family's visas in this situation. Your guidance would be greatly appreciated, as I am in a state of distress and have my wife and children here.

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.

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.

An interview-format article covering the topic of the travel ban and reasons leading to it in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

What shall I do if I have a bounced cheque? You need to contact your lawyer as soon as possible to issue a travel ban against the person who issued the bounced cheque. It should be noted that time plays a very important role in bounced cheque cases.

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.

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.