How to Send Money Back Home From the UAE

The ways to send money home

There are six main ways to send money from the UAE:

Best apps and services to send money home

The best money transfer option depends on where you're sending, how your family receives it, how much you are sending, and how you want to deposit the money.

Cheapest to Africa & South Asia

8.5

Taptap Send

Fees

Exchange Rate Markup

Exchange Rate

Minutes

Visit

"Taptap Send faciliates money transfers to bank accounts & mobile money wallets on popular networks with competitive rates."

Cheapest to Europe

9.2

Wise

Fees

0.1% - 2.6%

Exchange Rate Markup

0%

Exchange Rate

Minutes - 24 hours

Visit

"Over 15 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."

Fastest cash transfer

8.2

Remitly

Fees

None

Exchange Rate Markup

0.1% - 1.3%

Exchange Rate

Minutes - 3 days

Visit

"Remitly focuses on sending money to friends and family in Asia, Africa and South America. Wide coverage and well-suited to regular transfers home."

Cheapest to India

8.6

Aspora

Fees

£/€3

Exchange Rate Markup

0%

Exchange Rate

Minutes - 24 hours

Visit

"Aspora (formerly Vance) is built for Non-resident Indians sending money to India with zero markup, low flat fees, and on-time transfers."

Biggest branch network

7.1

Al Ansari Exchange

Fees

Exchange Rate Markup

Exchange Rate

Visit

Best for in-person transfers

8.1

Western Union

Fees

None

Exchange Rate Markup

0.2% - 1.5%

Exchange Rate

1 - 5 days

Visit

Best for salary cards

6.3

Lulu Exchange Read review

Fees

Exchange Rate Markup

Exchange Rate

Visit

Offers Pay Now, Send Later

?

Botim

Fees

Exchange Rate Markup

Exchange Rate

Visit

Best for small transfers

?

Careem Pay

Fees

Exchange Rate Markup

Exchange Rate

Visit

TapTap Send

TapTap Send keeps fees very low, often zero, and takes a small margin instead.

It's DFSA-regulated and already has a large base of UAE users.

It focuses on transfers to Africa and South Asia, with payouts to a bank account and mobile wallet.

In fact, TapTap Send has one of the biggest selections of withdrawal methods on the marker.

In my opinion, it is the best service for mobile money transfers (including digital wallets, and mobile money).

The main downside is that it doesn’t have big coverage in the EEA, so if that’s where you’re sending Wise is a better option.

Here’s how much you will get with TapTap Send for various destinations:

Wise

Wise gives you the real mid-market rate but charges a fee starting from 0.31%.

The main advantage of Wise is its online coverage and simplicity.

You can send money pretty much anywhere with low fees, this is usually why you see it as the best money transfer app almost everywhere.

However, no doubt it offers a great service, but in my opinion it's not the best service in the UAE, since a lot of the features are limited.

But I do think it comes down to how much your recipient gets (which depends on many factors). If Wise happens to offer the most for your destination, I would use it.

All transfers are funded using online methods like bank transfer, cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay and similar.

This is its main disadvantage too. If you need to send cash, Western Union, MoneyGram, Al Ansari or similar are better options.

It's now CBUAE-approved, so UAE residents can open an account and send abroad.

Here’s how much you will get with Wise for various destinations:

Remitly

Remitly offers multiple ways to tailor your transfer, from speed to delivery.

Just like with Wise, most transfers are funded online, but unlike Wise you can send money for cash pickup or delivery.

It also lets you pick Express or Economy option, which defines the speed:

• Express is faster but costs more

• Economy is cheaper but a bit slower

Its coverage is also big, similar to Wise. But generally it is a bit more expensive compared to Wise and TapTap Send.

In my opinion, it’s a good option if you want money delivered fast (within a day), especially if its for cash delivery.

And, Remitly also made it to our list of instant money transfer services as well.

It's DFSA-regulated in the DIFC and you sign up with your Emirates ID.

Here’s how much you will get with Remitly for various destinations:

Al Fardan Exhcnage (Western Union)

Western Union has a huge network of agents across the UAE, provided by Al Fardan Exchange.

It’s best used for small transfers, and allows deposits online or in cash.

Great for those who want to handle money transfers in-person.

It’s similar to Al Ansari and LuLu Exchange, but on small transfers (AED 1,000 - 2,000) it works out to be cheaper because of their promotions and offers.

I think it's a great alternative to exchange houses, especially for first-time small transfers.

Aspora

Aspora offers the best fees and exchange rates for transfers to India.

It is specifically aimed at NRIs sending money home.

All companies on this page can send money to India, but Aspora is by far the cheapest option.

Here’s how much you will get with Aspora for various destinations:

It runs on LuLu Exchange's licensed network, so the money moves through a regulated UAE channel.

All transfers are handled online and your receiver will get money deposited directly to their bank account.

If you are sending money only to India, there’s no one better. Their fees are just that good and the app is really easy to use.

If you’re sending money anywhere else, TapTap, Remitly or Wise are better options. And if you need cash deposits or payouts, Remitly, Al Ansari, and Western Union are better options.

Al Ansari Exchange

Al Ansari is the biggest exchange house, with branches all over the UAE.

You don't need a bank account, and can pay with cash, a card, or your Payplus salary card if you're paid through WPS.

Your family can collect cash, take a bank deposit, or get door-to-door delivery where there's no account nearby.

The app usually beats the branch rate, and you sign up with UAE PASS without going in.

The downside is that it uses much higher exchange rate markup compared to online options like Wise or TapTap Send.

Here's how much you can expect to receive with Al Ansari when sending money abroad:

In my opinion, it is convenient for one-off transfers, but if you’re making recurring payments home, Wise and TapTap Send will save you money in the long run.

LuLu Money

LuLu Money is an app from LuLu Exchange, one of the largest networks in the UAE with salary card deposit options.

You can send AED in the app or over the counter in-person.

Similar to Al Ansari, it’s convenient and familiar, but is more expensive compared to other online only companies like TapTap Send or Wise.

It's strongest on the big Asian corridors and reaches most countries for bank deposit, cash pickup or wallet payout.

Botim

Botim started as a calling and messaging app, and many already have it.

It now handles money transfers as well, so if you already use it, it might be a convenient option for small one-off transfers.

You can fund from a card or wallet balance and send to the main Asian corridors, with no bank account needed.

And it is one of the few companies that offer Send Money Now, Pay Later (SNPL) services, where you can take credit to send money and pay it off later.

It has lower daily and monthly limits compared to Wise or TapTap, so if you’re sending multiple times a month or larger amounts monthly, there are better options.

Careem Pay

Careem Pay is the wallet inside the Careem app.

Similar to Botim, if you already use it for rides or delivery, it is a convenient option.

But it has all the same drawbacks as Botim:

1. Lower daily and monthly transfer limits

2. Slightly more expensive than other options

I suggest checking how much you will get with Careem Pay, and then running a comparison to see if a money transfer app is a better option for you.

Sending money home without a UAE bank account

There are many ways you can send money home without a bank account from the UAE:

What does it cost

Two things make up the cost:

• The fee which is usually shown upfront

• The exchange rate margin which is worked into the receive amount and hidden

The margin is the gap between the real mid-market rate and the rate you're given, and it's usually the bigger cost.

So a provider advertising "zero fees" isn't always cheaper.

Here are the cheapest options to send money home:

Are international money transfers safe?

Yes, as long as you use a licensed provider.

Every legitimate service in the UAE is regulated, under one of two main frameworks:

• CBUAE licenses banks, exchange houses and many money transfer apps

• DFSA regulates providers based in the DIFC free zone

A money transfer provider isn't a bank, so your balance isn't covered by a deposit-protection scheme.

What protects you is the licence, knowing about the money transfer restrictions, and the rule that customer money is held separately from the company's own.

Large or one-off transfers home

Sending money home isn't always a monthly transfer.

If you're moving savings back, funding a property, or making a large one-off payment, a remittance app or an exchange house isn't the best.

The limits are low and you get no real support if you have any questions.

For large transfers (AED 100,000+), it is better to use currency brokers.

These come with account managers that guide you through the transfers, negotiate the exchange rate, and help you with any issues.

Here are the best currency brokers for sending large amounts of AED home:

Last updated at 17/08/2026

AED USD

Mid Market Rate AED 1 = $0.2723

Transfer Amount AED 7,500

1

Taptap Send

2

OFX

3

Wise

Al Ansari Exchange

They get

Exchange rate

FX markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

$2,032.50

0.2710

0.48%

Debit card

AED 0.00

Visit

$2,028.93

0.2705

0.65%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

Visit

$2,024.45

0.2723

0.00%

Bank transfer

AED 64.38

Visit

$2,038.04

0.2717

0.22%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

AED GBP

Mid Market Rate AED 1 = £0.2009

Transfer Amount AED 7,500

1

OFX

2

Wise

3

CurrencyFair

They get

Exchange rate

FX markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

£1,496.87

0.1996

0.65%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

Visit

£1,493.81

0.2009

-0.01%

Bank transfer

AED 63.17

Visit

£1,493.52

0.1995

0.69%

Bank transfer

AED 12.44

Visit

AED INR

Mid Market Rate AED 1 = ₹26.0293

Transfer Amount AED 7,500

1

Aspora

2

Taptap Send

3

OFX

Al Ansari Exchange

They get

Exchange rate

FX markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

₹195,219.60

26.0293

0.00%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

Visit

₹195,000.00

26.0000

0.11%

Debit card

AED 5.00

Visit

₹193,950.67

25.8601

0.65%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

Visit

₹193,448.54

25.7931

0.91%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

AED PKR

Mid Market Rate AED 1 = Rs 75.4748

Transfer Amount AED 7,500

1

Taptap Send

2

OFX

3

Wise

Al Ansari Exchange

They get

Exchange rate

FX markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

Rs 568,500.00

75.8000

-0.43%

Debit card

AED 0.00

Visit

Rs 562,381.75

74.9842

0.65%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

Visit

Rs 560,840.37

75.5874

-0.15%

Bank transfer

AED 80.24

Visit

Rs 565,875.00

75.4500

0.03%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

AED PHP

Mid Market Rate AED 1 = ₱16.7587

Transfer Amount AED 7,500

1

OFX

2

CurrencyFair

3

Wise

Al Ansari Exchange

They get

Exchange rate

FX markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

₱124,873.49

16.6498

0.65%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

Visit

₱124,675.00

16.6340

0.75%

Bank transfer

AED 4.77

Visit

₱124,342.88

16.7462

0.07%

Bank transfer

AED 74.86

Visit

₱123,825.00

16.5100

1.50%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

AED EGP

Mid Market Rate AED 1 = E£13.6988

Transfer Amount AED 7,500

1

Taptap Send

2

OFX

3

Wise

Al Ansari Exchange

They get

Exchange rate

FX markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

E£102,075.00

13.6100

0.65%

Debit card

AED 0.00

Visit

E£102,072.98

13.6097

0.65%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

Visit

E£101,151.60

13.6813

0.13%

Bank transfer

AED 106.58

Visit

E£99,900.00

13.3200

2.80%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

AED BDT

Mid Market Rate AED 1 = ৳33.3564

Transfer Amount AED 7,500

1

Taptap Send

2

Wise

3

Xe

Al Ansari Exchange

They get

Exchange rate

FX markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

৳250,650.00

33.4200

-0.19%

Debit card

AED 0.00

Visit

৳246,598.17

33.4205

-0.19%

Bank transfer

AED 121.35

Visit

৳243,858.75

32.5145

2.56%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

Visit

৳250,500.00

33.4000

-0.13%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

AED NPR

Mid Market Rate AED 1 = Rs 41.4647

Transfer Amount AED 7,500

1

Taptap Send

2

Wise

3

Xe

Al Ansari Exchange

They get

Exchange rate

FX markup

Cheapest payment method

Transfer fee

Rs 309,375.00

41.2500

0.52%

Debit card

AED 0.00

Visit

Rs 306,826.00

41.5721

-0.26%

Bank transfer

AED 119.43

Visit

Rs 299,822.25

39.9763

3.66%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

Visit

Rs 309,562.50

41.2750

0.46%

Bank transfer

AED 0.00

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Either way, I suggest running a quick search based on how much you’re sending, where you’re sending, and how you want to pay/withdraw money.