Which brokers offer free deposits and withdrawals in the UAE?
Verdict
- Pepperstone is our pick for low-cost funding in the UAE: it says it charges no withdrawal fees except on international bank wires, and local Mashreq Bank and Barclays transfers carry no minimum.
- XS says it charges no internal fees on deposits or withdrawals, but reserves the right to charge up to 3% on withdrawals where there has been no trading activity.
- Capital.com's deposit and withdrawal fees are not in our data, so ask before you fund; Tickmill and CMC Markets publish no withdrawal charge on their main methods.
- 'Free at the broker' can still cost you: currency conversion, intermediary bank fees on international wires and inactivity fees are the usual leaks.
Several brokers serving the UAE say they do not charge for moving money in or out, but the conditions differ, and the costs that bite are often outside the broker's fee table. Pepperstone is our first choice because it combines a stated no-fee policy (international wires aside) with local dirham transfers that avoid both conversion and wire charges.
Pepperstone: local dirham transfers and a short fee list
Pepperstone's stated policy is that it charges no withdrawal fees, the exception being international bank-wire withdrawals ($20 on its international pricing page). For a UAE resident that exception rarely matters, because Pepperstone's UAE funding page offers local bank transfers through Mashreq Bank and Barclays, with no minimum and up to 2 business days each way. Cards (from $10), Apple Pay and Google Pay are also listed. Open the account in AED and the money never changes currency, and there is no inactivity or account-keeping fee. For the record, UAE retail CFDs are issued by Pepperstone Markets Limited, licensed in the Bahamas (SIA-F217), and the group's DIFC company is regulated by the DFSA.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Deposit and withdrawal fee policies compared
| Broker | Deposits | Withdrawals | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | Mashreq and Barclays with no minimum; cards from $10 | No fee except international bank wires | Funds return to the original source |
| XS | No internal fees; cards from $20, bank from $300 | No internal fees | Up to 3% if there was no trading activity or abuse |
| Capital.com | Fees not in our data | Fees not in our data | Ask before funding |
| Tickmill | Methods in EUR, GBP, ZAR, USD only | No withdrawal commission; minimum $25 | Conversion from AED |
| CMC Markets | Not published for the UAE | No charge for card or standard bank withdrawals | UAE funding page not reachable |
| ActivTrades | Several methods, no AED account | Several methods | 0.5% fee when payment and account currency differ |
Free at the broker, not always free to you
A zero in the broker's fee table does not cover what banks and currencies charge along the way. Three costs are worth checking. Conversion: if your account is in USD and your salary in AED, either your bank or the broker converts each deposit and withdrawal, and ActivTrades, for one, publishes a 0.5% fee for this. Wires: international transfers can pick up intermediary or receiving-bank charges, which IC Markets warns about on its own withdrawal page. Dormancy: Plus500 lists an inactivity fee of up to $10 a month after three months without a login, and XS's 3% clause targets withdrawals from untraded accounts. Pepperstone has no inactivity fee; accounts with under 10 units of currency left idle for three months may be archived.
Questions to settle before your first withdrawal
- Is there a fee for my method, and is it charged by the broker or by a bank in the chain?
- Will my money be converted, and at what rate or markup?
- Is there a minimum withdrawal amount? Tickmill, for example, sets $25.
- Do I have to trade before withdrawing to avoid a charge, as XS's terms allow it to apply?
- Will the payment come back over a local UAE rail or as an international wire?
Sources
Fee terms as each broker publishes them.
Does Pepperstone charge for deposits in the UAE?
Pepperstone's UAE funding page lists Mashreq Bank and Barclays transfers with no minimum, plus cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay; confirm the fee column for your method on that page.
Does XS charge withdrawal fees?
XS says it charges no internal fees, but reserves the right to charge up to 3% where there has been no trading activity or it identifies abuse.
Is there an inactivity fee at Pepperstone?
No. Pepperstone charges no inactivity or account-keeping fee, though very small balances left unused for three months may be archived.
CFDs are complex products with leverage, and the risk of losing money quickly is high. Payment fees and limits come from brokers' own pages and may change; your bank may charge separately. This is not financial advice.