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UAE Legal First-Aid · Banking Next 48 Hours

A cheque just bounced. Here is what to do in the next 48 hours.

Since the 2022 reforms (Federal Decree Law 14/2020, in force January 2022), most UAE bounced cheques are no longer criminal — they are directly enforceable in the Execution Court. Speed of action drives recovery.

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Last reviewed: 1 May 2026 · UAE-licensed counsel · Save this page offline before you need it.

1
الخطوة 1 — احصل على إفادة الرفض Within 2 hours

Collect the bank return slip in original.

The bank's return memo (with the reason code — insufficient funds, account closed, signature mismatch, dormant account) is the foundation document for every later step. Without it you cannot enforce.

Do notDo not accept a verbal "the cheque bounced" from the bank teller. Demand the written, stamped return memo with the official reason code.
Branch where you presented the cheque
2
الخطوة 2 — الدفع الجزئي Within 4 hours

Demand partial payment endorsement on the cheque.

Under FDL 14/2020 (in force 2 January 2022), the drawee bank must pay the available balance on the account, even if it is less than the cheque face value, and endorse the cheque accordingly. This is now mandatory, not optional.

Do notDo not accept a "no funds" return without asking the bank to apply partial payment from any balance available. Refusal by the bank is itself actionable.
Ask for: تأشير الدفع الجزئي
3
الخطوة 3 — إنذار رسمي Within 24 hours

Issue a notarised legal notice to the drawer.

Counsel drafts a formal notice in Arabic, notarised at the Notary Public, demanding payment within a defined period (usually 5 working days). This becomes the first piece of formal pre-action evidence.

Do notDo not send only WhatsApp messages. Informal chats may help context but are not a substitute for a notarised notice for execution-court purposes.
UAE Notary Public — via counsel
4
الخطوة 4 — جنائي أم مدني؟ Within 24 hours

Confirm whether the matter is civil or criminal.

Most bounces are now purely civil under FDL 14/2020. Criminal action remains only for bad-faith conduct: account closure before the cheque date, withdrawal to defeat the cheque, signature manipulation, or instructing the bank to stop payment without grounds.

Do notDo not file a police complaint reflexively — for an ordinary insufficient-funds bounce there is no criminal case to file. Going to police on a purely civil matter wastes 48 hours.
Civil track: Execution Court of the relevant Emirate
5
الخطوة 5 — التنفيذ المباشر Day 2

File for execution — the cheque is now a writ.

Under FDL 14/2020 (Article 635 bis of the UAE Commercial Transactions Law as amended), the bounced cheque with bank return memo is itself an enforceable instrument. File directly with the Execution Court — no separate civil judgement needed first.

Do notDo not file a substantive civil case in the trial court when execution is available — you will lose 6–12 months and incur higher fees.
Dubai Courts Execution: +971 4 334 7777
6
الخطوة 6 — حظر سفر وحجز Day 2

Apply for travel ban or asset freeze.

Under Civil Procedure Law 42/2022, counsel can apply for precautionary attachments against bank accounts, vehicles, real estate and salary. Travel ban applications are decided ex parte and can be issued same-day.

Do notDo not delay the precautionary application to "give the drawer a chance" — once funds move offshore, recovery becomes vastly harder.
Filed by counsel via the Execution Court
7
الخطوة 7 — مهلة 15 يوماً Day 2 onwards

Track the 15-day execution notice.

Once the Execution Court issues notice, the drawer has 15 days to settle. Default opens further enforcement: account attachment, salary garnishment up to 25%, asset auction, and in commercial cases potentially insolvency referral.

Do notDo not assume silence equals dispute. Many drawers ignore the notice; the law allows enforcement to proceed regardless.
Monitor via Dubai Courts e-portal
8
الخطوة 8 — إذا كنت الساحب Within 48 hours (drawer side)

If you wrote the cheque — open a written settlement channel.

If you are the drawer, contact the beneficiary in writing immediately to propose a settlement, post-dated replacement cheques, instalment plan or written acknowledgment with deferred terms. Settlement before execution is filed is materially cheaper than after.

Do notDo not leave the UAE while a bounce is unresolved — a travel ban can be issued ex parte and stops you at the airport without warning.
Get any settlement notarised at the Notary Public
9
الخطوة 9 — الاتحاد للمعلومات الائتمانية Within 48 hours

Check Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB).

A bounced cheque is reported to AECB and stays on the credit profile for years. Banks tighten lending, lease and credit-card limits immediately. Pulling the AECB report tells you what's already on the record.

Do notDo not assume the bounce will "wash out" — AECB records require active settlement and update of status to clear.
AECB: 800 22766
10
الخطوة 10 — النافذة الجنائية If bad faith: within 6 months

If criminal grounds exist — preserve the 6-month window.

Where the drawer closed the account, withdrew funds to defeat the cheque, instructed the bank to stop payment without justification, or used a forged signature — a criminal complaint can be filed at the police, and must be filed within 6 months from the bounce date.

Do notDo not run the criminal and civil tracks blindly — they interact. Criminal conviction does not automatically pay you; civil enforcement is what recovers funds.
Criminal: Police 999 / 901 with bank evidence

Key contacts.

Dubai Courts Execution

+971 4 334 7777

For execution filings via counsel.

Dubai Public Prosecution

+971 4 282 3333

Only where bad-faith criminal conduct exists.

Dubai Police (non-emergency)

901

For criminal complaint filing.

Al Etihad Credit Bureau

800 22766

Pull and review credit report.

Central Bank UAE

800 2828

Bank-level escalation if drawee bank misbehaves.

Noura Lawyers

+971 4 241 3555

Same-day partner response.

Your rights as the beneficiary

  • You have the right to a partial-payment endorsement under FDL 14/2020 — the bank cannot refuse on a "nothing or all" basis.
  • You have the right to direct execution — the cheque + return memo is itself a writ.
  • You have the right to apply for ex parte travel ban and asset freeze pending enforcement.
  • You have the right to reported drawer credit downgrade through AECB.

Common mistakes

  • Filing a police complaint for an ordinary insufficient-funds bounce that is no longer criminal.
  • Sending only WhatsApp messages instead of a notarised legal notice.
  • Waiting weeks "to give them time" — the drawer uses that time to move funds.
  • Drawer side: leaving the UAE assuming the matter will fade — travel bans don't fade.

When to escalate without waiting.

Move on day one — not week one — if any of the following apply: the cheque is for a corporate sum, the drawer is a known repeat-defaulter, the drawer is signalling exit from the UAE, the cheque was issued in connection with a property or vehicle transaction, the bank return reason indicates account closure rather than insufficient funds, or the cheque is part of a series and other instalments are imminent. Each of these accelerates the recovery clock against you if you do not file precautionary measures quickly.

If you are the drawer, the same logic applies in reverse: settle, restructure or apply to court to extend before enforcement bites.

Need help right now?

Same-day filing of execution and precautionary applications.

+971 4 241 3555