How to Activate your UOB Credit Card for Overseas Use

Whether you’re planning a quick weekend in Bintan, a shopping spree in KL, or a dream vacation to somewhere further afield, travel is super exciting. But arriving in your destination and discovering you can’t pay for things when you’re there can turn that dream into a nightmare pretty quickly.

If you’re a UOB customer you may need to complete the UOB credit card overseas activation process before you leave to ensure seamless service. This guide covers how to activate a UOB credit card for overseas use before you travel. We'll also introduce the Wise card, a handy travel companion to make seamless card payments when you're overseas.

How to activate your UOB Credit Card for Overseas Use

If you have an upcoming trip overseas, you need to get ahead in your planning to make sure everything goes smoothly - including checking you can continue to use your debit or credit card abroad.

When you first receive any credit or debit card from UOB there’s likely to be a card activation process to follow¹. This can be done through various methods including online, in app and by phone SMS message. However, this may not be enough to give you full card use overseas - you’ll then also need to complete UOB credit card overseas activation² online or if you’d prefer you can also pick a different method like UOB credit card overseas activation by SMS. These steps must be completed before you travel.

You need to activate your card for overseas use because all UOB cards have the magnetic strip function disabled for international use for security. If you do not activate the card’s magnetic swipe feature you may not be able to access the following services:

• Overseas ATM cash withdrawal
• Credit Card overseas Cash Advance transactions
• Credit Card and Debit Card overseas retail transactions at magnetic stripe terminals

We’ll examine the end to end process to activate your UOB card including the standard activation process for Singapore and the UOB overseas activation steps in this guide.

Once you’ve completed the process to activate your card for overseas use you’ll also want to check out the costs of spending in a foreign currency with your UOB card. We’ve also got a quick look at important fees, like the UOB credit card foreign transaction fee, coming up a bit later.

Online Activation

When you first get your UOB debit or credit card you can activate it for local use online by taking the following steps:

1. Visit the UOB website
2. Login to your UOB Personal Internet Banking service
3. Select the card you want to activate
4. Follow the prompts to complete the UOB card activation process
5. You’ll receive an OTP to your registered mobile phone which is needed for the activation process

Within your personal internet banking portal you’ll also see the option to activate your card’s magnetic stripe feature which is needed for full usage overseas.

UOB TMRW App Activation

To get your card sorted in the UOB TMRW App you’ll need to take the following steps:

1. Log into the TMRW app and select Accounts
2. Select the UOB Credit or Debit Card to be activated
3. Tap on Settings and follow the prompts to activate the card

You’ll also get the option in the TMRW app to activate the magnetic stripe for international use.

SMS Activation

To activate your UOB credit or debit card using an SMS you will need to send a message which reads SMS ACTVC ‹space› last 4 digits of your card to 71423.

For this to work, the mobile number you send the SMS from needs to be registered with UOB. If the phone on your account is not up to date you can change it on UOB TMRW or UOB Personal Internet Banking. It’s helpful to note that although this activation step must be completed in Singapore before you travel, you can use a foreign phone number if you prefer to. You just need to make sure the phone you’re using is the one registered with UOB before getting started.

Once you have activated your card you’ll still need to set up your magnetic swipe function for full international use. You can do this online or in the TMRW app.

Other activation methods and key considerations

If none of the above options work for you, you can also:

• Visit a UOB branch or ATM
• Download and complete an activation form and send it to UOB
• Call UOB for more help on +65 6386 8188

You must have your card details on hand when you start to activate your card for local or overseas usage, and you may also need your card PIN depending on the process you pick. Bear in mind that while most card activation processes are pretty much instant, completing the process by mail will take several days - so may not be ideal if you’ve got a trip abroad coming up soon.

UOB Credit Card Overseas Spending and Charges

Once you have your UOB card all set up for overseas use you also need to make sure you’re clear on the costs you may incur, which can be different to spending at home.

The most important consideration is the UOB credit card overseas transaction fee. While this can vary a little depending on the card you have, it’s 3.25% for all UOB debit cards³, and also for popular credit cards like the UOB Krisflyer credit card⁴.

This fee applies every time you spend overseas. The transaction is settled in the currency you require - so in MYR in Malaysia for example - and then the value of the payment is converted back to SGD using the network’s exchange rate and the foreign transaction fee of 3.25%. This SGD amount is then deducted from your account if you use a debit card, or added to your bill if you’re using a credit card.

Other fees which may apply can depend on the specific card you have. You may pay cash advance fees if you use your credit card in an ATM for example, plus any interest or penalties which apply based on how you manage your card usage.

Travelling soon? Bring the Wise card along to maximise your foreign currency transactions

The Wise card lets you spend in 40+ currencies at the mid-market rate including MYR, JPY, CNY, and USD so you know you'll be getting a great deal in over 150+ countries. Simply create a free Wise account, order a card and top-up SGD to get started.

Virtual cards are free and can be added to your Google or Apple Pay wallet, while a physical Wise card can be ordered for a low fee of 8.50 SGD. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as 2 free ATM withdrawals to the value of 350 SGD each month, before low fees start.

While abroad, you can choose to spend with directly in SGD and let auto-conversion do the trick, or convert to your desired currency with your Wise account. Either way, you’ll get the exchange rate you see on Google, with low, transparent fees from 0.26%.

💳 Get your Wise card

Sources last checked: 21 July 2025