Which international credit card is best for NRIs?
For NRIs settled abroad (US, UK, UAE) plus Indians who've just moved and have no credit history yet. The 3% forex markup is the silent killer on India spend — Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold skip it. Below: the best card per region for established NRIs, plus a "just arrived in the US" starter set for building credit from zero.
Methodology↗
We compared 12 cards across US/UK/UAE — 8 premium and 4 starter / new-to-credit options — on forex fee, India-route transfer ratio, lounge access, welcome value, and approval friction for first-time NRIs. Three patterns matter:
→ Amex Platinum + ICICI NRI Sapphiro (2-card setup)
Premium card on home spend (zero forex on India visits) paired with FD-backed Indian card to build CIBIL. The international card earns points; the Indian card unlocks rupee spend without history.
→ Amex Platinum (US or UK) wins outright
Membership Rewards transfer to Air India 1:1. ~120k points = one-way US/UK→India business class seat. Capital One, Chase, Barclays don't transfer to Air India — they trail badly here.
→ HSBC Premier World Elite (free with Premier)
If you already meet Premier minimums (~£50K balance / £100K income), the no-additional-fee World Elite materially beats any standalone premium card. 12 free lounge visits/year + travel insurance.
🇺🇸 US picks
🇬🇧 UK picks
🇦🇪 UAE picks
🆕 Just arrived in the US? Start here
No SSN credit history yet — or have one but want a first travel card without the $550 Reserve fee. Two secured cards (no credit needed) plus the two cards I'd recommend as the first "real" travel card once your file has 6+ months of history.