What is the customer due diligence transaction threshold in the UAE?
Beyond the start of a business relationship, UAE law sets monetary thresholds at which customer due diligence must be applied to occasional transactions. Financial institutions must apply CDD when carrying out an occasional transaction of fifty-five thousand dirhams or more, whether as a single transaction or several that appear to be linked, and when carrying out an occasional wire transfer of three thousand five hundred dirhams or more.
Virtual asset service providers must apply CDD to occasional transactions of three thousand five hundred dirhams or more. CDD is also always required at the start of a business relationship, where there is a suspicion of a crime, or where there are doubts about the accuracy of previously obtained identification data, regardless of amount. Firms should not treat the thresholds as a licence to ignore smaller transactions, since linked transactions and suspicious activity trigger the duty at any value.
Legal Reference (UAE):
ยท Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025, Article 7 - thresholds of AED 55,000 for occasional transactions and AED 3,500 for wire transfers and VASP transactions.
For more details, consult the full text of the Executive Regulations or seek guidance from your AML compliance officer.