Emirates has quietly launched two Skywards credit cards in the UK. Head for Points reported on Oct. 30, 2026, that the cards arrived with no press release or advance notice. They are issued by Jaja Finance, and UK residents apply through the Emirates website.
This is the first time in many years that UK residents can earn Emirates Skywards miles directly from a UK credit card, according to Head for Points.
One catch right away: Head for Points updated its story to say Emirates had closed the "exclusive application period." The site says it will report when applications reopen.
The two cards at a glance
| Premium | Rewards | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £250 | £120 |
| Reported sign-up bonus | 30,000 miles | 20,000 miles |
| Miles per £1 on Emirates | 3 | 2 |
| Miles per £1 elsewhere | 1 (1.5 non-sterling) | 1 |
The earn rates above match Jaja's published benefit terms for each card. The sign-up bonuses come from Head for Points, which says each needs £3,000 of spending within 90 days and is a special offer running to Nov. 30, 2026.
Emirates Skywards Premium Credit Card
Jaja's terms say the Premium card earns 3 miles per £1 on Emirates flights booked through emirates.com, Emirates sales offices or the Emirates contact center. It earns 1.5 miles per £1 on non-sterling spending and 1 mile per £1 on other eligible sterling purchases.
The headline perk is status. Primary cardholders get Skywards Silver for 12 months per card membership year. Jaja's terms say it can take up to eight weeks to show up. Head for Points says you must spend £5,000 in foreign currency each card year to keep Silver after year one.
There is also a fast track to Gold. Per Jaja's terms, you earn Gold for a year by spending at least £5,000 in non-sterling currency and £3,500 on Emirates flights. Head for Points says the Emirates figure rises to £5,000 from year two.
Head for Points notes that Silver only opens the Emirates business class lounge in Dubai, not other Emirates lounges.
Emirates Skywards Rewards Credit Card
The cheaper card earns 2 miles per £1 on Emirates and 1 mile per £1 on everything else, per Jaja's terms. Its standout perk, according to Head for Points, is two annual passes to Emirates lounges in the UK. Those passes can be shared with a travel companion but are not valid on reward flights. Head for Points lists participating lounges at Birmingham, Glasgow, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted and Manchester.
Fine print worth knowing
- Monthly earning cap. Both cards cap miles each month at four times your credit limit. With a £1,000 limit, the most you can earn in a statement cycle is 4,000 miles.
- Credit limits. Head for Points says the Premium card tops out at £10,000 and the Rewards card at £7,000.
- Foreign fees. Both cards charge a 2.99% non-sterling purchase fee, per Head for Points and Jaja's summary box.
- High APR. Head for Points lists a representative APR of 107.2% on Premium and 59.7% on Rewards, each calculated with that card's annual fee on an assumed £1,200 limit. Pay in full each month.
- Bonus limits. Jaja's terms say the welcome bonus is not available if you held an Emirates Skywards credit card in the past 24 months.
- Timing. Miles post within six weeks after each statement closes. The welcome bonus posts within 14 days of qualifying.
Is either card worth it?
Head for Points argues the sign-up bonus alone may justify holding a card for a year if you collect Skywards miles. It also thinks the Rewards card may be the better package for many people, since both cards earn the same 1 mile per £1 on UK spending.
Before you chase miles, price the Emirates awards you actually want. Head for Points warns that mileage requirements and surcharges have risen sharply in recent years.
If you are flying through Dubai soon, Emirates is also running a Mile-A-Minute offer for time spent in the city.
Sources
- Head for Points: Emirates launches two UK credit cards
- Jaja Finance: Emirates Skywards Premium Credit Card benefits terms
- Jaja Finance: Emirates Skywards Rewards Credit Card benefits terms
- Jaja Finance: Emirates Skywards Rewards Credit Card summary box