How to Send Money Back Home From the UAE
Table of contents
Author: Artiom Pucinskij
We only list companies that are trustworthy and appropriately licensed. Our aim is to give you a comprehensive view of the regulated money transfer marketplace.
DisclosureMoneyTransfers aims to help users find the best money transfer provider for their needs. To support our free service, we may earn a commission from some of the providers listed in our search results. The commission may also impact the ordering of the providers shown. Our reviews are independent from this and are based on our editorial policy, research and testing of dozens of remittance providers on the market.
Table of contents
For regular transfers to family, a low-cost app like Remitly or Wise usually gets the most to them.
If your family needs cash, an exchange house or Western Union is the best option.
Banks are also an option, but usually are much more expensive compared to the above options.
To get the best deal on AED transfers home, I suggest running a live search using the form below.
Search Now & Save On Your Transfer
Instantly view live exchange rates, fees & features.
At a glance
Here are the best ways to send money home:
Remitly: the best all-rounder for most people sending to family in Asia
Wise: the cheapest way to reach a bank account, at the mid-market rate
Western Union: the best for cash pickup, when your family has no bank account
Taptap Send: the lowest fees to Africa
Aspora: the best pick for India
Al Ansari Exchange: the best option for cash, in person, or if you don't have a UAE bank account
The ways to send money home
There are six main ways to send money from the UAE:
Method | Cost | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Digital apps (Wise, Remitly, Taptap Send) | Low | Minutes to same day | Regular transfers to a bank account |
Wallets and super-apps (Botim, Careem Pay) | Low | Minutes | Sending from your phone without a bank |
Exchange houses (Al Ansari, LuLu) | Medium | Minutes to same day | Cash deposit, salary card |
Cash pickup (Western Union) | Medium | Minutes | Family with no bank account |
Currency broker (OFX or Regency FX) | Medium | 1 to 3 days | Large transfers |
Bank transfer (SWIFT) | High | 1 to 3 days | Nothing |
Hawala transfers
It's legal in the UAE only through a CBUAE-registered provider.
Unregistered operators are illegal and leave you with no protection if something goes wrong.
The apps and exchange houses above cover the same corridors, so there's rarely a reason to use it.
Best apps and services to send money home
The best 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.
"Taptap Send faciliates money transfers to bank accounts & mobile money wallets on popular networks with competitive rates."
"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."
"Remitly focuses on sending money to friends and family in Asia, Africa and South America. Wide coverage and well-suited to regular transfers home."
.svg)
"Aspora (formerly Vance) is built for Non-resident Indians sending money to India with zero markup, low flat fees, and on-time transfers."
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 payout to a bank account or mobile wallet.
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:
"Taptap Send faciliates money transfers to bank accounts & mobile money wallets on popular networks with competitive rates."
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. You can send money pretty much anywhere with low fees.
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:
"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."
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.
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:
"Remitly focuses on sending money to friends and family in Asia, Africa and South America. Wide coverage and well-suited to regular transfers home."
Western Union
Western Union has a huge network of agents across the world.
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 much cheaper because of their promo offers.
Here’s how much you will get with Western Union for various destinations:
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.
"Aspora (formerly Vance) is built for Non-resident Indians sending money to India with zero markup, low flat fees, and on-time transfers."
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.
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.
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 Remitly, TapTap, 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.
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:
Lower daily and monthly transfer limits
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:
Salary and prepaid cards
Cards like C3Pay, e& money and Payit hold your wages and can be used to fund your transfer online or pay at an exchange house.
Cash at an exchange house
Walk into Al Ansari, LuLu or another branch with your Emirates ID and send cash over the counter.
Wallet apps
Botim, Careem Pay and e& money let you send straight from a balance on your phone.
But you’ll need to top up your balance first.
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:
Timing helps
When a currency like the Egyptian pound or Pakistani rupee weakens against the dirham, your money buys more on the other side.
It’s usually better to wait a day or two to see if the rate improves.
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, 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:
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.
Find the best AED transfer deal
Fill in the form below and we'll show you the best deals on money transfers from UAE right now.Our methodology & why trust us
We looked at every provider that lets a UAE resident send money home, then picked the ones that do it well.
Every option on this page is licensed to operate here.
Most are regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), and some by the DFSA in the DIFC.
We also checked each one can actually onboard a UAE resident and take a local payment, not just advertise the corridor.
From there, we compared:
Exchange rate and fees using our live comparison engine
Payout options including bank, cash, or mobile wallet
Speed to the main corridors
Ease of use and support
We rate apps, exchange houses and wallets side by side.
We also include the big local names like Al Ansari and Botim even where we earn nothing from them, because leaving them off would be wrong.
Rates and fees update weekly from our comparison engine and the providers' own data.
Instant Money Transfer From the UAE
How fast your money transfer arrives depends mostly on how the money reaches the other end.
Mobile Money Transfer in the UAE
This will depend on the destination, but here are the most popular options:
Send Money Now, Pay Later in the UAE
Botim and Payit are live now and offer SNPL, while Planet9 is taking sign-ups but hasn't launched yet.
Best Money Transfer Apps in the UAE
We've tested and compared money transfer apps for years and track their fees daily. Here are the best ones for sending money from the UAE.
Best Money Transfer Services in the UAE
It’s simpler and more natural to use banks and walk-in exchange houses for international transfers, but there are many online money transfer services in the UAE that do it better, faster, and much cheaper.
Contributors
Please share your experience with …