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Table of contents
TapTap Send is my first choice for repeat transfers home because it adds no service fee when you fund from a bank account.
For transfers to India I would also consider Aspora, while existing Careem Plus members can avoid the separate Philippines transfer fee above AED400.
Cash and salary-card senders should compare Al Ansari, while Emirates NBD customers can use zero-fee DirectRemit on selected destinations.
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Cheapest money transfers from the UAE right now
The cheapest service is the one delivering the most after matching the AED amount, destination, funding method and recipient route.
Use both amount tabs because a fixed fee has more impact at AED1,000, while the exchange rate usually becomes more important at AED40,000.
Table updates weekly. All information comes directly from our comparisons, provider APIs, and manual rate collection.
Since AED rates change all the time, this table shows the cheapest options right now to send from the UAE, while the list below covers companies that are generally cheap for different types of transfer.
Using Wise from the UAE
You can sign up for Wise in the UAE, but you cannot currently fund a transfer directly in AED using a local bank transfer or AED card payment.
If you already have a bank account outside the UAE, you can use supported USD, EUR or GBP funding methods to pay for a Wise transfer.
Select the foreign currency you are paying with, then follow the bank-payment instructions available for your account.
Wise may appear in our comparison above and holds CBUAE regulatory approval, but direct AED funding is not currently available.
Accurate as of September 2026
Cheapest companies for sending money from the UAE
I've picked the best money transfer services below based on different ways to cut costs, from repeat-transfer fees to paying with cash or a salary card.
8.5
TapTap Send
Fees
Exchange Rate Markup
Transfer Speed
Minutes
"Taptap Send faciliates money transfers to bank accounts & mobile money wallets on popular networks with competitive rates."
?
Careem Pay
Fees
Exchange Rate Markup
Transfer Speed
8.6
Aspora
Fees
£/€3
Exchange Rate Markup
0%
Transfer Speed
Minutes - 24 hours
"Aspora (formerly Vance) is built for Non-resident Indians sending money to India with zero markup, low flat fees, and on-time transfers."
7.1
Al Ansari Exchange
Fees
Exchange Rate Markup
Transfer Speed
8.2
Remitly
Fees
None
Exchange Rate Markup
0.1% - 1.3%
Transfer Speed
Minutes - 3 days
"Remitly focuses on sending money to friends and family in Asia, Africa and South America. Wide coverage and well-suited to regular transfers home."
TapTap Send
TapTap Send works well for repeat bank-funded transfers to supported destinations.
TapTap Send adds no transfer fee above its exchange rate when you fund from a connected bank account, making the rate the main cost to inspect.
Your bank can still charge for the outgoing payment, while a salary-card issuer may add its own funding fee.
Those outside charges can overturn a zero-fee headline, especially on a small transfer where a fixed issuer charge takes a larger share.
I would use it for repeat transfers when its recipient amount stays competitive after adding any charge from your bank or card issuer.
The table below shows TapTap Send quotes across five common destinations at AED3,500 and AED25,000.
AED
Currency pair
They get (after fees)
Transfer fee
FX rate
Markup
Delivery time
AED / EGP
E£49,210.00
AED 0.00
14.0600
0.54%
Minutes
AED / ETB
ETB 164,500.00
AED 0.00
47.0000
-6.17%
Minutes
AED / EUR
€833.00
AED 0.00
0.2380
0.44%
Minutes
AED / INR
₹91,000.00
AED 5.00
26.0000
0.35%
Minutes
AED / LKR
Rs 312,550.00
AED 0.00
89.3000
0.71%
Minutes
AED / MYR
RM 3,850.00
AED 0.00
1.1000
0.85%
Minutes
AED / PHP
₱58,975.00
AED 0.00
16.8500
0.75%
Minutes
AED / PKR
Rs 263,900.00
AED 0.00
75.4000
0.10%
Minutes
AED / UGX
UGX 3,657,500.00
AED 0.00
1045.0000
2.07%
Minutes
AED / USD
$945.00
AED 0.00
0.2700
0.85%
Minutes
AED / XAF
FCFA 531,216.00
AED 0.00
151.7760
3.26%
Minutes
Last updated at 26/09/2026
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Careem Pay
Careem Pay is worth checking for Plus members sending over AED400 to the Philippines.
That payment has no separate transfer fee for Plus members, compared with AED15 for non-members above the threshold.
Below AED400, the Philippines fee is AED5 for Plus members and AED20 for non-members, so membership does not remove every charge.
Careem Plus currently costs AED29 monthly, meaning two eligible AED15 savings exceed the membership price by only AED1 before rate differences.
This makes it a decent option for someone already using Plus benefits, rather than buying a subscription solely for one remittance.
Other low transfer fees include AED5 below AED1,000 to India and AED10 below AED1,000 to the UK or Europe after welcome pricing.
Aspora
I like Aspora for India transfers with Google's exchange rate and a separate fee.
It supports a UAE card or linked bank account and can send up to AED150,000 per transfer after Emirates ID verification.
Lulu International Exchange executes the payment and onboards UAE customers through Aspora, giving the app a local remittance route.
Aspora uses the live Google exchange rate, but its transfer fee varies and still forms part of the final AED cost.
That makes the recipient amount more useful than treating a familiar reference rate as proof of a free transfer.
For a larger India payment, a better rate can outweigh a separate fee, so compare the final INR amount with TapTap Send or Al Ansari.
Here's what you will get when sending money from UAE with Aspora:
AED
Currency pair
They get (after fees)
Transfer fee
FX rate
Markup
Delivery time
AED / INR
₹91,316.78
AED 0.00
26.0905
0.00%
Minutes - 24 hours
Last updated at 26/09/2026
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Al Ansari Exchange
Al Ansari accepts cash, salary cards and other local payment methods.
It accepts AED cash, bank transfer, UAE-issued cards, WPS or PayPlus cards and Aani, with the final method confirmed in the channel.
The service charge ranges from AED0 to AED25.24 before 5% VAT, while the exchange rate and possible bank charges remain separate.
For Pakistan, the charge is AED21 below AED740 and there is no service charge above AED740, although currency conversion still affects delivery.
LuLu Exchange is a useful branch alternative, charging AED19.50 including VAT below AED1,000 for India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Nepal.
Above AED1,000, that LuLu fee becomes AED26.50 including VAT, while a Philippines transfer costs AED21 including VAT before considering the exchange rate.
This is what you can expect to get with Al Ansari Exchange (online) when sending AED abroad:
AED
Currency pair
They get (after fees)
Transfer fee
FX rate
Markup
Delivery time
No results, please ensure you have currencies selected
e& money
e& money makes more sense for larger transfers from an existing wallet.
Its standard international transfer fee is AED15.75 including VAT, although individual destinations can have a lower temporary or normal price.
The exchange-rate margin and possible correspondent charges sit outside that fee, so compare the recipient amount after choosing the payout method.
You can add money through a UAE bank, eligible card, mobile money wallet payment or cash QR at participating agents and kiosks.
Cash and card loading can create separate costs, which need adding before comparing e& money with a bank-funded Taptap quote.
The AED15.75 standard fee is 3.15% of AED500 but 0.315% of AED5,000, before any exchange-rate cost.
A new beneficiary has an AED5,000 limit for the first 24 hours, while monthly fund-out across payments and transfers is capped at AED25,000.
UAE customers can pay by debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, while the destination determines bank and cash delivery options.
A credit-card issuer can add another charge, so compare a debit-funded repeat quote before assuming the introductory price represents normal cost.
First transfer exchange-rate offers and zero-fee transactions expire under their route terms, making the ordinary fee and rate the useful long-term test.
The examples below show Economy prices, so check whether the final quote includes an introductory offer before budgeting for repeat transfers.
Zero-fee destinations include India, the UK, Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Egypt, with Egypt limited to Emirates NBD Egypt.
The minimum is AED100, and the service remains restricted to the named DirectRemit country and partner-bank combinations available in online or mobile banking.
An indicative exchange rate or possible recipient deduction can still make another quote cheaper despite DirectRemit's zero transfer fee.
Other routes can use regular international transfer pricing, while selected EUR, AUD, SGD and HKD DirectRemit payments cost AED26.25 including tax.
I would use it to avoid opening another account when the in-app recipient amount competes with TapTap Send or an exchange-house quote.
A zero-fee transfer can deliver less than one charging a fee if its exchange rate is worse.
This hypothetical India example uses the same AED1,000 total budget, with the fee deducted before conversion and no recipient deductions.
Example
Fee and INR per AED
Recipient gets
No-fee option
AED0 fee, rate20.00
INR20,000
Separate-fee option
AED10 fee, rate20.30
INR20,097
The second option delivers INR97 more despite charging a fee, which is why I focus on the final amount received.
Cost to check
Example
Practical effect
Exchange rate
TapTap Send, DirectRemit and zero-fee Al Ansari routes
Can outweigh the saved transfer fee
Membership
Careem Plus costs AED29 monthly
Useful mainly when you already subscribe or make enough eligible transfers
Funding charge
Salary cards and credit cards can add fees
Include it in the total AED debit
VAT basis
Al Ansari quotes before VAT, LuLu and e& money include it
Compare fees on the same tax basis
Recipient deduction
Bank and correspondent charges can apply
Recipient may receive less than the headline conversion
Lock a quote when its total AED debit and recipient amount work for you, rather than trying to predict the next exchange-rate movement.
Are UAE banks cheaper than transfer apps?
Emirates NBD DirectRemit can be cheaper for an existing customer on its named zero-fee routes, provided the exchange rate remains competitive.
For destinations outside DirectRemit, a regular bank transfer can add sending and intermediary charges that reduce the recipient amount.
Compare the bank's final recipient amount with a few money transfer apps above and one exchange house using identical funding and payout methods.
How to get the lowest money transfer cost
Match the recipient method
Compare bank deposit, cash collection or wallet delivery only against the same outcome, since each method can have different pricing.
Use the normal price
Remove welcome discounts from repeat decisions, then check the ordinary transfer fee, exchange rate and membership cost.
Include funding charges
Add any bank, salary-card, credit-card or cash-loading fee to the AED amount paid for the transfer.
Compare the recipient amount
Use the same AED debit and check how much reaches the recipient after fees, conversion and possible deductions.
Confirm and track
Check the beneficiary details and delivery estimate before paying, then keep the receipt until the recipient confirms the amount.
Use a current comparison for your destination and amount, then check any local wallet or exchange-house quote that suits your payment method.
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Our methodology & why trust us
I selected these options for specific cost advantages, while our comparisons show available quotes at the stated amounts and destinations.
Our research checks standard and introductory prices, exchange rates, VAT, funding costs, possible bank deductions and the relevant UAE service.
The data in our tables updates weekly, while your final quote depends on the destination, amount, funding method, recipient option and customer checks.
We may earn commission from some companies, but commercial agreements do not influence their position or what I write about them.
With 6+ years of hands-on experience in international money transfer services, Artiom has tested and analyzed dozens of companies, services, and apps firsthand. From sending money between the UK, EU, US, JP, and ID, to helping friends and family transfer large amounts abroad, he combines deep personal experience with industry insight.
He has worked on content and product at MoneyTransfers.com since 2019, with a focus on FX rates, transfer apps & companies, and comparison tools. His work has been featured in Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Decrypt, PoundSterling, and more.
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