Free USD bank account for Expats in United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪

Open a global US based expat bank account from your mobile phone. Access digital dollars from anywhere and get upto 5.5% interest on your holdings. In addition to this, also get a bank account that can do ACH,SWIFT and wire transfers seamlessly.

It’s free and always will be!

Obvious Money is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Layer2 financial services Inc.

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Beyond an ordinary Expat bank account

Earn interest on your funds

Earn interest on your funds

Earn up to 5.5% APY on your funds. Withdraw anytime, anywhere, any amount

Seamless Bank transfers

Seamless Bank transfers

Recieve and send payments through ACH, WIRE, Swift transfers

Remit USD to your local bank account at the lowest cost

Remit to your local account

Remit USD to your local bank account at the lowest cost possible!

P2P Transfers to any phone number

P2P Transfers to any phone number

Send money to anyone globally with just a phone number for free!

How to open a free Expat dollar bank account from United Arab Emirates

1
Download the Obvious Money app from the App Store or Play Store
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Download the Obvious Money app
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Sign up for the app using your phone number
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Sign up for the app using your phone number
3
Set up a Passkey for authentication and account recovery. This will help you regain access if you lose your account
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Set up a Passkey for authentication and account recovery.
4
Verify your identity by providing basic details. This is required to use the Obvious Money app
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Verify your identity by providing basic details.
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Once you've completed these steps, click on "Get US Bank Account" and proceed to KYC verification. This will unlock your free US bank account
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Once you've completed these steps, click on "Get US Bank Account" and proceed to KYC verification.
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You'll receive a notification when your KYC is approved. Then, you can add funds to your account
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You'll receive a notification when your KYC is approved.
Get US bank account using Obvious Money

Get an account that works for you

Basic

For people with intermittent needs
Free
Forever
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Transaction processing fees: 0.5%
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ACH transfers: $1
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Fedwire In: $10
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Fedwire Out: $30
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SEPA transfers: $10
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SWIFT transfers: $50
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Daily send transfer limits for ACH, Fedwire, SEPA and SWIFT: $10000
Apply Now

Premium

For people with regular needs
$15 $0
Per month  First 3 months free
*subject to change
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Transaction processing fees: 0.25%
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ACH transfers: $0.5
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Fedwire In: $5
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Fedwire Out: $20
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SEPA transfers: $5
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SWIFT transfers: $35
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Daily send transfer limits for ACH, Fedwire, SEPA and SWIFT: $10000
Claim Now

Check if any other country is eligible for Obvious Money account

Eligibility for Obvious Money account depends on your country of residence and not your nationality.

Oops. We are currently unavailable in your country. While we strive hard to provide services in all countries we are limited by the  geographical coverage provided by our partners.
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Oops. We are currently unavailable in your country. While we strive hard to provide services in all countries we are limited by the  geographical coverage provided by our partners.
Obvious money app screenObvious money app screen

Frequently asked questions

Who can open a USD Expat bank account?

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USD expat bank account via Obvious Money is available in 150+ countries. You can check the eligibility for your country by checking on the website. After your KYC gets approved, you can start using your account.

Is Obvious Money a bank?

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No, Obvious Money is not a bank nor a licensed financial institution. Obvious is a software company, that provides financial services in partnership with Layer2 Financial Inc, which is a licensed BAAS provider.

How much time does it take to transfer funds from an expat account?

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The time taken for transferring funds depends on the method chosen.
P2P transfer using Obvious money is free and takes only a few seconds.
ACH transfers can take anywhere between 1 to 3 days.
International Wire/SWIFT transfers can take anywhere between 2 to 4 days.

How does Obvious Money work?

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Obvious Money provides a banking account on top of blockchain rails. When you receive USD in your account, it gets automatically converted to USDC(digital dollars provided by Circle) and stored in your account. When you send funds over ACH or International Wire, USDC gets converted to USD instantly and is sent over traditional banking rails.

What documents do I need to open expat bank account on Obvious Money?

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You need a passport or local national identity proof to complete KYC and open a bank account.

Who holds my funds?

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You. Only you have access to your funds. Obvious Money is a self-custody app that does not and cannot take control of your funds. You can choose to invest your funds, transfer them internationally, remit them in your local currency, or transfer them to another wallet address.