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Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
Emeralde tops ICICI's Emirates Skywards lineup with unlimited lounge access, a 10,000-mile welcome bonus and a 1.5% forex markup that's genuinely competitive for a super-premium travel card — pitched squarely at frequent, high-spending Emirates flyers who can justify a ₹10,000 fee for the mile-earning rate and lounge freedom.
Annual fee
₹10,000
Joining fee
₹10,000
Reward type
miles
Base reward rate
2.5%
Card network
Visa
Card tier
Super-premium
Who this card fits
Best suited to applicants with a credit score of roughly 780+ whose spend is concentrated in travel. It's worth the annual fee mainly if your miles value clears it.
Rewards & benefits
- Rewards rate: 2.5% base rate
- Travel: 10,000 bonus Emirates Skywards Miles on issuance; Emirates Skywards Silver Tier upgradeable to Gold on spend milestones; 24/7 concierge
- Domestic lounge access: Unlimited complimentary domestic lounge access
- International lounge access: Unlimited complimentary international lounge access
Benefits by category
- ✈️ Travel
2.5% reward rate · Unlimited complimentary domestic and international lounge access
- 🌍 Forex / international spend
1.5% forex markup on international transactions
Eligibility
- Minimum credit score: 780
- Minimum monthly income: ₹1,50,000
- Employment: salaried, self-employed
- Age: 21–65
Fees & charges
- Rewards redemption fee: Free for redemption as statement credit or ICICI's own reward catalogue vouchers; ₹99 + GST per redemption request for select third-party gift/merchandise catalogue items
- Foreign currency markup: 1.5%
- Cash advance charges: 2.5% of the transaction amount or ₹500, whichever is higher, plus applicable GST
Benefits
- 10,000 bonus Emirates Skywards Miles on card issuance
- Unlimited complimentary domestic and international lounge access
- Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier, upgradeable to Gold on spend milestones
- 24/7 concierge services
Pros
- + Unlimited domestic and international lounge access
- + 10,000 bonus Emirates Skywards Miles on joining
- + 1.5% forex markup, among the lowest of any ICICI travel card
- + 24/7 concierge service included
Cons
- − ₹10,000 fee and ₹1.5L/month income bar put it out of reach for most applicants
- − No fee waiver regardless of spend
- − Value is maximized only by cardholders who fly Emirates specifically and often
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