Chanchal Singh is a content strategist at Paisabazaar.ae, focused on banking and finance-related content for the UAE market. With over 2 years in insurance & finance content, she specialises in making personal finance simpler for individuals and businesses. She breaks down complex financial concepts into clear, actionable insights, enabling you to evaluate options and make informed decisions through research-driven, user-centric content.
Reviewed ByRavindra DhakarProduct Manager
Ravindra Dhakar
Product Manager
With 4+ years of experience in banking and financial services, Ravindra Dhakar serves as a Product Manager at Paisabazaar.ae, specialising in banking and finance products. He is adept at developing customer-centric financial solutions, optimising product strategies, and driving innovation across lending, payments, and consumer banking to enhance financial accessibility and user experience.
A personal loan is a loan for which the applicant is assessed for approval on the basis of his or her credit history and income. These loans are referred to as “unsecured loans” as there is no collateral required in order to secure a personal loan. The lenders approve a loan based on an applicant’s creditworthiness.
These loans are relatively easy to apply and qualify for as compared to loans such as home loans or auto loans. The ease of obtaining these loans makes them useful for all types of uses from debt consolidation to buying an expensive asset. You can use these loans towards any purpose but it is ideal to borrow the amount that you actually require and only for things that help in improving your finances or have a significant impact on your life.
There are certain pros and cons of everything in life – even personal loans. Some of them are briefly explained below:
Pros
Multipurpose Usage
Flexible Loan Amounts
Quick Processing
Easy Documentation
No Collateral Required
Flexible Terms for Repayment
Cons
High Personal Loan Processing Fee
High Interest Rates
Strict Criteria for Eligibility
How Do Personal Loans Work?
When you obtain personal finance, you generally receive the funds as a lump sum, which you repay via fixed monthly payments over a pre-specified term. However, the details can vary from one lender to another.
Personal Loan Processing Fee
The personal loan lenders in the market charge a one-time fee referred to as “processing fee” that can increase the original cost of a personal loan. Even if you are getting an attractive interest rate on your personal loan, it is important to check the personal loan processing fee and do a thorough comparison across the different lenders for the processing fee charged by them. In the UAE, there are very few options for a personal loan without a processing fee. There are only 2 providers and 3 options available, that are explained later in the thread.
Interest Rates
The rate charged on your loan depends on your creditworthiness. If you hold a very good credit score, you will be eligible for very attractive rates. However, with a credit score that is not so good, you may end up paying higher rates.
Repayment Period
The term of a personal loan typically ranges between 1 to 5 years. However, it depends on your personal loan lender. There are some providers that allow you to flexibly choose the term within which you wish to repay your loan.
Top 3 Personal Loan without Processing Fee in UAE
There are not many institutions that offer a personal loan without processing fee in the UAE. Many of the providers charge a minimum processing fee. Only two institutions, named below are the ones that offer a personal loan without a processing fee.
ADIB Personal Finance
ADIB i.e., Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank offers personal finance solutions for limits up to AED 3 million for UAE Nationals and AED 1 million for Expats without charging them any processing fee.
The benefits of ADIB Personal Finance are:
No personal loan processing fee.
A free pre-approved ADIB Booking.com Signature card.
A grace period of up to ninety days for the first installment.
Annually, 2 free installments postponements.
A takaful cover at attractive rates.
Citibank Personal Installment Loans
The Citibank Personal Installment Loan offered to the applicant at a zero processing fee. Additionally, depending on the loan amount (varying from less than AED 50,000 to more than AED 150,000) you may be eligible for cashback rewards.
The benefits of Citibank Personal Installment Loan are:
Loans of amounts up to AED 175,000.
Loans offered to up to 8 times your salary.
Attractive interest rates.
Quick approvals within 1 day.
Loan funding in 1 day.
Terms varying from 6 months to 48 months.
Citibank Salary Transfer Loans
This is another type of personal loan offered by Citibank at a zero processing fee. This loan requires a salary transfer.
As mentioned before, there are numerous uses of a personal loan.
Debt Consolidation
If you are someone with high interest payments due on your credit cards, you can pay off these outstanding dues with a personal loan that is offering you an attractive interest rate and no processing fee. This helps in eliminating debt quickly because less of your monthly payments go towards the interest charged.
Expensive Purchases
If you find yourself in the need to buy something that you do not have the finances for, a personal loan could come in handy to go forward with such a purchase. However, there is always some degree of risk involved when you take up debt, so it is only sensible to borrow for things that actually help you financially or have a significant impact on your life.
Self-Investment
If you are someone who is wanting to start a new business or develop some new skills that will go a long way in your career, you may be able to fund yourself using a personal loan. However, it is important to check if your provider you are choosing limits the use of the personal loan.
Emergencies
In an ideal scenario, you will have certain savings that are dedicated to unexpected emergencies in life. However, sometimes there is no other alternative than borrowing. A personal loan can come in handy in such cases.
In a Nutshell
It is very difficult to find a personal loan without a processing fee. Most of the providers charge a minimum personal loan processing fee on the finance. The only two providers in UAE with a zero fee for processing the loan are Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Citibank. An applicant should place the focus towards interest rates, more than the processing fee, as they end up costing more.
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