In-depth review
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
ICICI's super-premium Emirates co-brand earns Emirates Skywards Miles straight into your Emirates account — a flat 2 miles per ₹100 (roughly 2% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline). It welcomes you with 10,000 miles and Skywards Silver status, adds unlimited domestic and international lounges and up to 10% off Emirates fares, and repeats the 10,000 miles on each renewal. There is no fee waiver on the ₹10,000 fee. The maths works only if you actually fly Emirates and redeem in premium cabins.
Read the full review →Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
Welcome Benefit
~₹10,000 in vouchers, points or cashback in year one — usually conditional on a first spend within 30–90 days
2% on Other
2 Emirates Skywards Miles per ₹100 (~2% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline) on all eligible spends; miles credit to your Emirates Skywards account
Airport Lounge Access
Complimentary: unlimited domestic airport and international lounge access
24x7 Concierge
Up to 10% off Emirates flight bookings on emirates.com or the Emirates App using the card
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
1% waiver on fuel transactions, capped at ₹500/month
Movie Ticket Benefit
Buy one BookMyShow ticket and get up to ₹750 off the second, four times a month, gated behind ₹25,000 of quarterly spend (from 15 Jan 2026)
Hotel Membership
Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier membership — 25% bonus miles on Emirates flights, extra baggage and priority check-in
Milestone Bonus
~₹10,000 in bonus rewards on hitting annual spend milestones
✈️ TRAVEL BENEFITS
Lounge access, miles, forex rates and travel perks at a glance.
AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS
Unlimited visits
Domestic lounges
Priority Pass
International lounges
₹24,000
Estimated annual value
3.5%
Forex markup
- Domestic + international airport lounge access (worth ~₹24,000/yr)
👑 PREMIUM LIFESTYLE BENEFITS
Concierge, golf, hotel membership and high-value perks for premium cardholders.
₹10,000
Milestone bonus value
- 24x7 lifestyle and travel concierge
- Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier membership — 25% bonus miles on Emirates flights, extra baggage and priority check-in
- 10,000 Skywards Miles on each annual renewal (the matching 10,000-mile welcome benefit is a one-off joining bonus, counted separately); Skywards Gold Tier on ₹15 lakh annual spend (incl. ₹50,000 on Emirates.com)
🎬 ENTERTAINMENT BENEFITS
Movies, OTT subscriptions and entertainment perks.
- Buy one BookMyShow ticket and get up to ₹750 off the second, four times a month, gated behind ₹25,000 of quarterly spend (from 15 Jan 2026)
For frequent Emirates flyers who will redeem Skywards Miles on premium-cabin awards and upgrades and will use the unlimited lounges and Silver/Gold status. Not for general spenders — the miles are only worth the premium if you fly Emirates.
Full reward structure
What you earn on every rupee, per spend category — as of 11 Oct 2026. Rates assume 1 pt = ₹1.00. How we value points →
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | airline miles | 2%2 pts/₹100 × ₹1.00 | — |
Other: 2 Emirates Skywards Miles per ₹100 (~2% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline) on all eligible spends; miles credit to your Emirates Skywards account
Earns nothing on: Fuel · Rent · Cash Advances · Wallet Loads · Government & Tax · Education · Utility Bills · Insurance
These spends earn no rewards at all — not a reduced rate, and not the base rate. They are also normally left out of any milestone or fee-waiver calculation.
Fees & charges
The numbers that matter beyond rewards — verify on the issuer site before applying. Fees below are shown inclusive of 18% GST, as of 11 Oct 2026.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹11,800 |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹11,800 |
| Finance charge (APR) | 3.75% p.m. |
| Forex markup | 3.5% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | 1%, cap ₹500 |
Perks & benefits
Estimated annual value beyond rewards — ~₹50,600/yr in total.
10,000 Skywards Miles on each annual renewal (the matching 10,000-mile welcome benefit is a one-off joining bonus, counted separately); Skywards Gold Tier on ₹15 lakh annual spend (incl. ₹50,000 on Emirates.com)
Unlimited domestic and international airport lounge access for the primary cardholder — via Priority Pass (cards issued on/after 15 Nov 2024) or DreamFolks (issued before)
Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier membership — 25% bonus miles on Emirates flights, extra baggage and priority check-in
Up to 10% off Emirates flight bookings on emirates.com or the Emirates App using the card
Buy one BookMyShow ticket and get up to ₹750 off the second, four times a month, gated behind ₹25,000 of quarterly spend (from 15 Jan 2026)
1% fuel surcharge waiver on transactions up to ₹4,000 at any fuel outlet
Should you get it?
- Best for: Frequent Emirates flyers who redeem miles in premium cabins, High spenders who value unlimited lounges and airline status
- Super Premium tier — built for high spenders who want top-end perks.
- Strongest value if you spend heavily on everyday spends (2% back).
- Frequent travellers benefit from the included airport lounge access.
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- Unlimited domestic and international lounge access
- 10,000 Skywards Miles on joining and each renewal, plus Skywards Silver status
- Up to 10% off Emirates flights and a path to Skywards Gold
✕ Cons
- No fee waiver — the ₹10,000 joining and renewal fees are unavoidable
- Value lives inside Emirates Skywards; poor for anyone who does not fly Emirates
- Flat 2 miles/₹100 (~2%) on everyday spend, but a 3.5% forex markup
Eligibility & documents
This is the figure for salaried applicants. Where ICICI Bank sets a separate one for the self-employed, its own eligibility page gives it.
Documents required
- 📄PAN card
- 📄Aadhaar / valid address proof
- 📄Latest 3 months bank statement
- 📄Income proof — salary slips (salaried) or ITR (self-employed)
- 📄Recent passport-size photograph
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
- 🎁Redeem Skywards Miles for Emirates flights, upgrades and partner awards via your Emirates Skywards account
- 🎁Use miles toward hotel stays and partner bookings in the Emirates Skywards programme
What your Emirates Skywards Miles are worth
Realistic value per point by redemption route — the difference is what most people leave on the table.
₹1 per Skywards Mile, the house baseline for a full-service airline currency
No fee waiver on a ₹10,000 card, and the value hinges entirely on flying Emirates and redeeming Skywards Miles in premium cabins — bank the miles without redeeming them well and the ~2% on paper is not what you actually collect.
Frequently asked questions
How many miles does the card earn?
What is a Skywards Mile worth?
How much lounge access do I get?
Can the annual fee be waived?
How has the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card changed over time?
Has the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card been devalued recently?
When did the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card's fees last change?
How did the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card change in 2026?
The bottom line
A genuine super-premium travel card for the committed Emirates flyer — unlimited domestic and international lounges, Skywards Silver status, a 10,000-mile welcome and up to 10% off Emirates fares reward loyalty to the airline. The flat 2 miles/₹100 is a respectable ~2% at the ₹1/mile baseline, but there is no fee waiver and the value collapses if you do not redeem Skywards Miles well. Earn on it at home, redeem it in the air.
How this page was built
Counted from this card’s own record: 1 earn rule, the spends listed as earning nothing and 6 recorded perks.
Last updated 11 Oct 2026.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card are taken from ICICI Bank's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC) and fee schedule — see the card's official page. Last updated 11 Oct 2026. Reviewed by Devchandra Sah. Always confirm current details on the issuer's site before applying. How we research →
Independence. CardAdvisor is an independent editorial publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or authorised to act for ICICI Bank. All issuer names, product names, and payment-network marks are the property of their respective owners and appear here for identification and comparison only. Card faces shown on this site are our own original illustrations — we do not display or host issuer card artwork or logos.
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Read more
Guides and reviews related to this card.
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card
ICICI's super-premium Emirates co-brand earns Emirates Skywards Miles straight into your Emirates account — a flat 2 miles per ₹100 (roughly 2% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline). It welcomes you with 10,000 miles and Skywards Silver status, adds unlimited domestic and international lounges and up to 10% off Emirates fares, and repeats the 10,000 miles on each renewal. There is no fee waiver on the ₹10,000 fee. The maths works only if you actually fly Emirates and redeem in premium cabins.
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card
The middle tier of ICICI's Emirates co-brand, sitting between the entry Rubyx and the super-premium Emeralde. It earns a flat 1.5 Emirates Skywards Miles per ₹100 straight to your Emirates account — roughly 1.5% at the ₹1/mile airline baseline, cut from 2 miles on 15 January 2026 — and welcomes you with 5,000 miles plus complimentary Skywards Silver status. A sensible pick for the regular Emirates flyer; a niche buy for everyone else, with no fee waiver on the ₹5,000 fee.
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Rubyx Credit Card
The entry point into ICICI's Emirates co-brand range. It earns a flat 1 Skywards Mile per ₹100 (~1%), carries complimentary Skywards Blue membership with no welcome miles, and gives one spend-gated domestic lounge visit a quarter but no international lounge. Cheap to hold, but thin — serious Emirates flyers should look at the Emirates Sapphiro or Emeralde instead.
BOBCARD Etihad Guest Credit Card
BOBCARD's junior Etihad co-brand: 3 Etihad Guest Miles per ₹100 on Etihad and a 1% forex markup for ₹2,500. The catch is the base rate — 1 Mile per ₹100 works out to roughly 0.5%, thin for the fee, and the miles are locked inside Etihad Guest with no cash or voucher fallback. A loyalty card for genuine Etihad flyers, not a rewards card.
Value timeline
Every real-world change to this card's rewards, fees and benefits we've tracked — newest first, each linked to its source.
Tracking since 2022 · last change Mar 2026
2026
- ▼ FeeObserved 19 Feb 2026 · Effective 1 Mar 2026
Minimum Amount Due rebuilt as a two-branch formula
5% of the outstanding amount, plus instalments, the over-limit amount, fee GST and any unpaid previous MAD→100% of GST, EMI principal and interest, fees, the over-limit amount and unpaid MAD, plus 5% of retail spends, cash advances and the finance charge — the finance charge taken in full whenever that 5% falls short of it
From the 1 March 2026 statement onwards ICICI stopped deriving the Minimum Amount Due from a single 5%-of-outstanding line and began building it component by component: GST, EMI principal and interest, fees and charges, the over-limit amount and any unpaid previous MAD are all taken at 100%, and 5% is applied to retail spends, cash advances and the finance charge. Where 5% of those three comes to less than the finance charge alone, the whole finance charge is added instead and only retail and cash are taken at 5%. ICICI illustrates both branches itself — a minimum of ₹11,210 on a ₹37,830 total due, and ₹21,620 on a ₹1,15,810 total due where finance charges dominate. Paying the statement in full is unaffected; the minimum rises only for people carrying a balance or taking cash.
Verification: ICICI Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
- ▼ BenefitObserved 22 Dec 2025 · Effective 15 Jan 2026
BookMyShow movie benefit becomes spend-gated
Complimentary movie benefit→Requires ₹25,000 spend in the previous quarter
The same 15 January 2026 revision made the Emeralde's BookMyShow buy-one-get-one movie-ticket offer conditional: the cardholder must have spent at least ₹25,000 in the preceding calendar quarter to keep it. What was an unconditional perk now demands a spend threshold, mirroring the spend-gating ICICI rolled across its wider portfolio.
Verification: CardAdvisor Research · Confidence: High
- ▼ RewardObserved 22 Dec 2025 · Effective 15 Jan 2026
Miles earn rate cut and categories excluded from earning
2.5 Miles/₹100; insurance/utility/government/education earned→2 Miles/₹100; insurance/utility/government/education excluded
In its own devaluation announced 22 December 2025 and effective 15 January 2026, ICICI cut the Emeralde's base earn from 2.5 to 2 Skywards Miles per ₹100 and stopped awarding miles on insurance, utility, government and education payments (fuel, rent, cash and EMI were already non-earning). The headline earn dropped by a fifth and everyday bill categories were carved out, trimming the card's real-world value for anyone who was routing such spends through it. ICICI's own Most Important Terms and Conditions carry the change verbatim: "2 Skyward Miles will be earned per ₹100 spent instead of 2.5 Miles on eligible domestic & international retail spends", and "No Miles will be accrued on payments under the categories of Insurance, Utility, Government & Education payments." The same clause confirms every other feature — Silver tier, unlimited lounges and the ₹15 lakh route to Gold — was left untouched.
Verification: ICICI Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
2024
- ▲ LoungeEffective 15 Nov 2024
Lounge programme switches from DreamFolks to Priority Pass
DreamFolks membership (~650 lounges)→Priority Pass membership (~1,400 lounges)
From 15 November 2024 the Emeralde's complimentary lounge access moved provider: cards issued on or after that date carry a Priority Pass membership (1,400+ lounges across 145+ countries) for the primary cardholder, while cards issued earlier retain DreamFolks (~650 lounges). Access stayed unlimited and uncapped, so — unlike ICICI's non-premium cards, which were pushed behind a ₹75,000/quarter spend gate the same month — the Emeralde's lounge perk was not spend-gated; new applicants simply gained a larger network.
Verification: CardAdvisor Research · Confidence: Reconstructed
2022
- ◆ LaunchEffective 15 Mar 2022
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde launched
ICICI Bank and Emirates Skywards launched their co-branded credit card range in India on 15 March 2022, with Emeralde as the super-premium top tier (above Sapphiro and Rubyx). It launched earning a flat 2.5 Skywards Miles per ₹100 that credit straight to the cardholder's Emirates Skywards account, a ₹10,000 fee with no waiver, 10,000 welcome miles plus complimentary Skywards Silver tier status, unlimited domestic and international lounge access, and up to 10% off Emirates fares. Because it earns Skywards Miles, not ICICI Reward Points, it never participated in ICICI's PAYBACK-to-Rewards programme migration.
Verification: ICICI Bank ↗ · Confidence: High
Each change links to the issuer's own document — bank T&C, MITC, notice, press release or product page — where one is public. Where the bank published nothing, it's marked CardAdvisor Research and verified against the card's current terms. Independent of the live terms shown above. This timeline is one card's slice of our market-wide change record across every tracked card.
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Source: <a href="https://cardadvisor.in/cards/icici-emirates-emeralde#value-timeline">Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Emeralde Credit Card value timeline</a>, CardAdvisor (CC BY 4.0).
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