Several leading UAE banks—including Emirates NBD, ADCB and Mashreq—have notified customers that from 6 January they will no longer send SMS one-time passwords (OTPs) for e-commerce transactions. Instead, cardholders must approve payments inside the bank’s mobile app using fingerprint, face ID or a secure PIN. The policy follows Central Bank guidance aimed at stamping out SIM-swap fraud and reflects global PSD2-style ‘strong customer authentication’.
For international assignees and frequent travellers, the change is more than a cybersecurity tweak. SMS messages often fail when phones are roaming or running foreign SIMs, leading to declined hotel deposits, rental-car holds and e-gate top-ups. By shifting to app-based approval, banks remove dependence on local networks and, in theory, give expatriates smoother payment continuity when travelling.
![UAE banks to drop SMS one-time passwords from 6 January, mandating in-app biometric approvals]()
For globally mobile professionals, keeping payment credentials aligned is only one aspect of trip preparation. VisaHQ’s dedicated UAE page (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers quick, expert help with visas, residency permits and other travel documentation, letting travellers resolve entry requirements in the same streamlined, app-friendly way that banks now handle card approvals.
Corporate cards issued by UAE banks will also migrate to in-app authorisation. Mobility specialists should ensure that employees update banking apps and enable biometrics before departing on assignment. Finance teams may need to revise expense-policy wording to cover cases where travellers cannot access their UAE-registered phones.
Banks say the roll-out will be phased; SMS fallback may remain for a short grace period, but customers who ignore app prompts risk transaction declines. Companies with large expat populations should launch awareness campaigns now, particularly for staff whose mobile numbers are tied to employer-managed accounts.
For international assignees and frequent travellers, the change is more than a cybersecurity tweak. SMS messages often fail when phones are roaming or running foreign SIMs, leading to declined hotel deposits, rental-car holds and e-gate top-ups. By shifting to app-based approval, banks remove dependence on local networks and, in theory, give expatriates smoother payment continuity when travelling.
For globally mobile professionals, keeping payment credentials aligned is only one aspect of trip preparation. VisaHQ’s dedicated UAE page (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers quick, expert help with visas, residency permits and other travel documentation, letting travellers resolve entry requirements in the same streamlined, app-friendly way that banks now handle card approvals.
Corporate cards issued by UAE banks will also migrate to in-app authorisation. Mobility specialists should ensure that employees update banking apps and enable biometrics before departing on assignment. Finance teams may need to revise expense-policy wording to cover cases where travellers cannot access their UAE-registered phones.
Banks say the roll-out will be phased; SMS fallback may remain for a short grace period, but customers who ignore app prompts risk transaction declines. Companies with large expat populations should launch awareness campaigns now, particularly for staff whose mobile numbers are tied to employer-managed accounts.
