Compare the best ways to send money from United States to Sri Lanka

Comparing providers offering services between the United States and Sri Lanka based on your specific transfer amount, is the easiest way to get the best price on your transfer.

For USD/LKR

• We found Wise to be the best and easiest option. Sending 3,000 USD to LKR will cost you $21.51 in fees, and your recipient will get 997,198.45 LKR.

• OFX is the cheapest way to send money to Sri Lanka from the United States out of the 7 companies compared.

• Fastest money transfers to Sri Lanka from the United States is with Revolut.

We cover the entire USD-LKR market and have compared 7 providers offering services between the United States and Sri Lanka.

This ensures you will get the most comprehensive options for sending US Dollar to Sri Lanka.

The exchange rate determines the price you will pay when buying Sri Lank Rupee in the United States. A better exchange rate means more US Dollars being sent to Sri Lanka.

The current rate between the US Dollar and Sri Lank Rupee is 334.2937. The USD-LKR exchange rate is always changing.

The total cost of sending money to Sri Lanka from the United States is made up of a combination of mid-market, exchange rates and fees.

• The Mid-Market and Exchange Rates: The current mid-market for USD-LKR is 334.2937 LKR per US Dollar.

• Fees: When sending money you may have to pay fees. OFX costs 0 USD per transfer at the moment, which is the cheapest option of the 7 providers compared. We would recommend searching to ensure you get the correct fee for your transfer amount.

• Amount Received: When comparing providers, the best measure is the amount of Sri Lank Rupee eventually received in Sri Lanka.

Understanding the average, and then waiting a day or two can help you get more LKR for the same amount of US Dollars - but you might end up worse off.

A safer option if you want to get a particular rate is to use a forward contract. This allows you to lock in an agreed exchange rate between the United States and Sri Lanka.

Sending via a bank transfer is the payment method that will get you the best price on a transfer from the United States to Sri Lanka.

Here are your options:

Bank transfers

Bank transfers are often the best and easier way to send money from the United States to Sri Lanka.

By using a money transfer company such as OFX for transfers from the United States to Sri Lanka, you can send money via a bank transfer and benefit from lower fees and more favorable exchange rates than would be offered by a bank. 


Debit and prepaid cards

Sending money from the United States to Sri Lanka with a debit or a prepaid card is easy with Xe.


Xe is a leading money transfer company for debit card payments, and offers transfers from the United States to Sri Lanka.

Credit cards

We recommend avoiding credit card transfers due to high fees, and instead, you should consider a bank transfer or a debit card deposit.

However, if you do need to use a credit card to fund your transfer, use our comparison tool to get the latest deal.

Ensuring you fully understand these regulations will aid in keeping your money safe.

Our directory of worldwide financial regulators contains details on regulation for money transfers between United States and Sri Lanka

Companies offering money transfers between the United States and Sri Lanka will have minimum or maximum thresholds on how much you can send or receive across set timeframes.

Exchange rates and fees for different transfer amounts could change and sending regularly could mean losing out.

That’s why it’s best to compare USD-LKR rates for your specific transfer amount.

For regular transfers to Sri Lanka to the United States, shopping around each time can make a huge difference.

For sending large amounts of USD to Sri Lanka without hitting a threshold, we’d recommended Wise. They offer a combination of rates and fees when sending from the United States to Sri Lanka that is the most competitive, even at larger amounts.

Be sure to check with the recipient and understand any declarations needed on large amounts of money entering Sri Lanka from the United States.

Options for receiving Sri Lank Rupee in Sri Lanka include direct bank deposit, cash pickup, a mobile wallet or receiving money into a multi-currency account.

Not all of the 7 providers offering transfers from the United States to Sri Lanka will support every method for incoming Sri Lank Rupee, so it’s best to check ahead of time.

The most common option is to send directly from the United States to a bank account in Sri Lanka. For most part, this is convenient but does have receiving fees to potentially be aware of.

Wise is the best company for bank transfers between United States and Sri Lanka.

Cash pickup is popular in some parts of Sri Lanka, but not always supported and can be costly compared to cheaper options.

Mobile wallet or P2P services and payment apps like PayPal, Xoom, and CashApp are popular because of convenience, but they come with more limitations and higher costs compared to money transfer providers like Revolut.

When sending Sri Lank Rupees to Sri Lanka, through a money transfer company, you will need to verify your ID when signing up.

The documents you need can vary and in some cases you might need a couple of options.

Generally, government issued ID such as a passport or driver's license are accepted in the United States. If the recipient needs an ID to collect money in Sri Lanka, the same applies there. You may also be able use other ID formats, where these aren’t available.

Large transactions between United States and Sri Lanka can be subject to additional checks such as proof of funds for anti-money laundering purposes. This may also require additional ID checks.

One of the reasons Wise as scored so highly for transfers to Sri Lanka is their easy sign up process in the United States.

As well as proof of funds, when sending large amounts of money between the United States and Sri Lanka there will be tax declarations to consider. This is also potentially due to regular transactions.

Some transfers into Sri Lank Rupee may need to be reported to tax authorities in Sri Lanka and the United States, particularly where inheritance or property purchases are involved.

Tax limits and personal allowances do change in Sri Lanka based on age, income and a few other elements. Everyone’s tax obligations are unique - when in doubt, please contact a tax professional in the United States or Sri Lanka.