Bounced cheques in Dubai: how execution works and how to follow your case

The short answer

Under the amended Commercial Transactions Law, a cheque that bounces for insufficient funds can, in many cases, be presented directly to the execution judge as an enforceable instrument, without first winning a separate lawsuit. Most bounced cheques are no longer treated as a crime on their own, although some situations, such as bad faith or fraud, can still lead to criminal proceedings.

In practice, the holder gets the bank's return certificate, files an execution request with the court, and the court then notifies the drawer and can order measures such as attachment of funds or assets if the amount is not paid.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. It was last checked on 14 November 2026. Laws, procedures and fees change; confirm the current position with the court, on Dubai Courts or UAE Legislation, or with a lawyer before you act.

1. What changed, and what can still be criminal

The amendments that took effect in 2022 shifted most bounced-cheque disputes from criminal courts to civil enforcement. The aim was to let the person holding the cheque recover the money faster, and to stop the threat of prosecution being used as the main lever.

The law still treats some conduct as criminal, for example issuing a cheque in bad faith, deliberately preventing payment, or forging a cheque. Where those questions arise, take legal advice rather than relying on a general guide.

2. Before you file: what to have ready

• The original cheque, kept safe and unaltered.
• The bank's return certificate or memo stating why the cheque was not paid, in full or in part.
• Proof of who you are and, for a company, your authority to act for it.
• Contact and identity details for the drawer, as complete as you have them.
• Any agreement, invoice or correspondence that explains what the cheque was for, in case the drawer objects.

Three checks that save a wasted filing

1. Is the cheque dated correctly, and is it still within the period in which it can be presented?
2. Does the return memo show insufficient funds, or another reason that may need a different route?
3. Is the drawer an individual or a company, and do you have the right name exactly as on the cheque?

3. How cheque execution generally works in Dubai

1. Present the cheque to the bank and obtain the return certificate if it is not paid.
2. File an execution request through the Dubai Courts electronic services, attaching the cheque, the return certificate and your identity documents.
3. Pay the court fees shown when you submit.
4. The court registers the file and notifies the drawer, who is given a period to pay.
5. If the amount is not paid, you can ask the court for enforcement measures, such as attaching bank balances, vehicles or other assets, or a travel ban where the law allows.
6. Follow the file until the amount is recovered or the file is closed, responding to any objection the drawer files.

Steps, names of services and available measures change. Check the current execution services on the Dubai Courts website before filing.

4. What it costs

Court fees for execution requests generally depend on the amount claimed, and there can be further fees for specific measures, notifications or translations. We do not quote figures here because they change; the current fee schedule is published by Dubai Courts and shown when you submit a request.

If you instruct a lawyer or collection agency, ask for their fee in writing, including whether it is fixed, hourly or a percentage of what is recovered.

5. How to check a bounced cheque case

Once filed, the execution file has its own number. You can follow it through the case inquiry service on the Dubai Courts website or app, by number or by signing in with UAE Pass. Our guide to Dubai Courts case inquiry explains the search in more detail and what to do if the file does not appear.

6. If you wrote the cheque

• Do not ignore a court notification. Deadlines for paying or objecting are short.
• If you have paid, or the cheque was not owed, keep the evidence and raise it with the court through the proper objection route.
• If you can pay part, ask whether a settlement or instalments are possible.
• Take legal advice early, especially if there is any suggestion of bad faith or if several cheques are involved.

7. For collection teams: one cheque is a form, three hundred are a system

Filing one cheque is paperwork. Running hundreds for a bank, a landlord or a supplier means tracking each cheque, its return reason, its file number, every payment received and what is still owed to the client, without mixing that money with the firm's own revenue.

The debt recovery module in Mizan keeps one file per debtor with the cheques, court numbers, hearings and payments in one place, and keeps money collected on a client's behalf separate from fees. It is a record of the work, not a substitute for checking the court's own system.

What a collections file needs to get right

• Each cheque with its number, date, amount, bank and return reason.
• The execution file number and its current stage.
• Every payment received, with the date and how it was allocated.
• What is owed onward to the client, kept apart from firm fees.
• The next action and who is responsible for it.

Sources

• Dubai Courts: execution services, case inquiry and fees.
• UAE Legislation: the Commercial Transactions Law and its amendments.
• Central Bank of the UAE: guidance on cheques for the public.