How to send money to Nigeria from UAE with the best AED-NGN rate

The exchange rate is the price you will pay when buying Naira in the United Arab Emirates. A better exchange rate means you send more Nairas to Nigeria.

Currently, the mid-market rate between the UAE Dirham and Naira is 373.0759.

Ensuring a strong combination of fees and exchange rates ensures the best deal on money transfers from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria.

• The Mid-Market and Exchange Rates: Finding a provider as close to mid-market rate as possible will ensure more Naira for your UAE Dirham. The current AED-NGN mid-market rate is 373.0759 NGN per UAE Dirham.

• Fees: Money transfer fees are charged on top the exchange rate and can be set, or a percentage of the total amount of UAE Dirham you’re sending to Nigeria. Paysend currently has the lowest fees for transfers into NGN of just 0 AED. We always recommend searching for your exact send amount for an exact fee.

• Amount Received: The amount received in Naira is the biggest indicator of the total cost of sending money to Nigeria from the United Arab Emirates. The bigger the amount received in Nigeria, the lower the overall cost of sending from the United Arab Emirates.

A better option is to use a forward contract. This allows you to lock in an agreed exchange rate for transfers between the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria for a set amount of time, this can be up to two years in some cases.

Sending through a money transfer company via a debit card will most often be the way to get the best price when sending money from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria.

Here are all the ways to send money from United Arab Emirates to Nigeria:

Bank transfers

Bank transfers are often the better option for money transfers from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria.

Sending money via a bank transfer with a company such as Xe for transfers from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria allows you to benefit from lower fees and more favorable exchange rates than you would get with a traditional bank. 


Debit and prepaid cards

Sending money from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria with a prepaid or a debit card is very simple with Taptap Send.


Taptap Send is a leader in card payments for transfers from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria, competing among a total of 3 active money transfer companies on this route.

Credit cards

We recommend avoiding credit card deposits as it usually means taking a cash advance and using it for the deposit. Instead, use a bank transfer or a debit card deposit to save on fees.

If you have to, we recommend running a comparison to find the best deal for your transfer.

Money transfer companies offering services between the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria have minimum or maximum thresholds on how much you can send or receive. These can be daily, weekly or monthly.

In particular, rates and fees for sending different amounts of UAE Dirham could change. We always recommend comparing AED-NGN rates for your specific transfer amount. Then, with transfers to Nigeria, shopping around each time can make a huge difference - as some providers offer introductory rates.

If you’re worried about transfer limits, for sending large amounts of AED to Nigeria, we’d recommend Xe.

There are different options for receiving Naira in Nigeria. The most popular are direct bank deposit, cash pickup, a mobile wallet or receiving money into a multi-currency account. Not all providers offering transfers from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria will offer every method for incoming Naira, so it’s best to check ahead of time.

Sending directly to a bank account is one of the most common ways to send money from the United Arab Emirates into Nigeria. For most part, this is because it means the recipient has to do very little. Xe is the best company for bank transfers between United Arab Emirates and Nigeria.

And if you need cash right away, check if cash pickup is an option for transfers between the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria.

Mobile wallet services and payment apps like PayPal, Xoom, and CashApp are popular too, but they come with more limitations and higher costs compared to money transfer providers like Paysend.

You will need to verify your ID at the sign up stage when sending from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria through a money transfer company.

Documents needed will vary and in some cases you might need a couple of different forms of ID.

ID can be verified in the United Arab Emirates through a government issued ID such as a passport or driver's license. If the recipient needs ID to collect money in Nigeria, both of these will also likely be accepted. Depending on the company you are using and where the money is going in Nigeria, it’s always best to check ahead just in case.

Larger transactions between the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria are likely to be subject to additional checks such as proof of funds for anti-money laundering purposes. This could slow down the process of sending money if you’re not prepared for them.

One of the reasons Xe scored so highly for large and regular transfers to Nigeria, was their easy sign up process in the United Arab Emirates.

When sending money between the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria there will be tax declarations to consider.

Some transfers into Naira may need to be reported to tax authorities in Nigeria. This is of particular note where inheritance or property purchases are involved.

Personal allowances and tax limits will change in Nigeria based on age, income and personal circumstance. When in doubt, please contact a tax professional in the United Arab Emirates or Nigeria to discuss your individual needs. This will ensure you are not missing any specific tax obligations associated with your transfer.