While a large body of research has examined the outcomes of emotional intelligence, relatively little is known about the antecedents of emotional intelligence. Prior research suggests that emotional intelligence has different effects on management outcomes in different cultural contexts, but lacks a systematic analysis of the effect of cultural values in the development of emotional intelligence. Utilizing a sample of 2067 individuals in nine countries, the present study explores the influence of cultural dimensions on emotional intelligence. Our results show that especially collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation have a positive influence on the different dimensions of emotional intelligence. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed and future research directions are provided.