Do you know what the cheapest method for sending money from the UAE is? The answer depends on the country you’re sending money to and the amount you have to transfer.
You can use banks or alternative money transfer services but finding the best way to send dirhams will cost you time and money. We at Time Doctor have created special tables to help you deal with the taxes and hidden fees banks and other popular transaction companies charge you. Most of these service providers have an upfront fee. Very often, in addition to the charge, there will be a hidden currency conversion fee.
For example, if you use Skrill (Table), you’ll pay a 41-dirham fee plus a 50-dirham exchange rate charge for sending 1,000 dirhams to India. The tables below will help you calculate the common charges for sending money from the UAE to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines.
| Table 1: Sending 1000 Dirham from the UAE to the Philippines | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer method | Fees to send 1000 AED | Hidden currency conversion cost | Total fees | Time for the transfer to arrive |
| OFX* | 0 | 20 | 20 | 1-2 days |
| Wall Street | 15 | 8 | 23 | 1-3 days |
| MoneyGram (fast) | 15 | 12 | 27 | In Minutes |
| IME | 20 | 8 | 28 | 1 day |
| Xpress Money | 20 | 11 | 31 | 3-5 days |
| Exchange4free | 0 | 31 | 31 | 3-5 days |
| Western Union (fast) | 25 | 10 | 35 | In Minutes |
| WorldRemit | 34 | 5 | 39 | 1 day |
| Travelex | 0 | 56 | 56 | 3-5 days |
| Al Ansari Exchange | 20 | 52 | 72 | 1-3 days |
| Skrill | 41 | 50 | 91 | 3-5 days |
| Table 2: Sending 1000 UAE Dirham from the UAE to India | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer method | Fees to send 1000 AED | Hidden currency conversion cost | Total fees | Time for the transfer to arrive |
| IME | 15 | 2 | 17 | 1 day |
| Wall Street | 15 | 3 | 18 | 1-3 days |
| OFX* | 0 | 20 | 20 | 1-2 days |
| MoneyGram (fast) | 15 | 10 | 25 | In Minutes |
| Western Union (fast) | 15 | 10 | 25 | In Minutes |
| Xpress Money | 15 | 10 | 25 | 3-5 days |
| Al Ansari Exchange | 20 | 6 | 26 | 1-3 days |
| Exchange4free | 0 | 33 | 33 | 3-5 days |
| WorldRemit | 34 | 5 | 39 | 1-2 days |
| Remit2India | 64 | 6 | 70 | 2-4 days |
| Travelex | 0 | 84 | 84 | 3-5 days |
| Skrill | 41 | 50 | 91 | 3-5 days |
Note:
- Minimum transfer amount of 500 AED for OFX.
| Table 3: Sending 1000 UAE Dirham from the UAE to Pakistan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer method | Fees to send 1000 AED | Hidden currency conversion cost | Total fees | Time for the transfer to arrive |
| IME | 0 | 10 | 10 | 1 day |
| Wall Street | 0 | 10 | 10 | 1-3 days |
| OFX* | 0 | 20 | 20 | 1-2 days |
| MoneyGram (fast) | 15 | 5 | 20 | In Minutes |
| Xpress Money | 0 | 25 | 25 | 3-5 days |
| Al Ansari Exchange | 20 | 9 | 29 | 1-3 days |
| Exchange4free | 0 | 36 | 36 | 3-5 days |
| Western Union (fast) | 25 | 15 | 40 | In Minutes |
| Skrill | 41 | 50 | 91 | 3-5 days |
| Travelex | 0 | 101 | 101 | 3-5 days |
Note:
- Worldremit can also send money from UAE to Pakistan but through Mobile Airtime service. This service has been providing by almost every telecommunication company in Pakistan which are; Mobilink, Telenor, Ufone, Warid and Zong.
- Most Importantly, recipients will get 75% of the top-up value because Pakistan deducts tax locally.
- Minimum transfer of 500 AED for OFX.
| Table 4: Sending 1000 UAE Dirham from the UAE to Bangladesh | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer method | Fees to send 1000 AED | Hidden currency conversion cost | Total fees | Time for the transfer to arrive |
| Wall Street | 15 | 1 | 16 | 1-3 days |
| MoneyGram (fast) | 15 | 2 | 17 | In Minutes |
| IME | 15 | 2 | 17 | 1 day |
| OFX* | 0 | 20 | 20 | 1-2 days |
| Xpress Money | 15 | 9 | 24 | 3-5 days |
| Western Union (fast) | 15 | 13 | 28 | In Minutes |
| Exchange4free | 0 | 33 | 33 | 3-5 days |
| Al Ansari Exchange | 20 | 17 | 37 | 1-3 days |
| WorldRemit | 34 | 6 | 40 | 2-4 days |
| Skrill | 41 | 50 | 91 | 3-5 days |
| Travelex | 0 | 125 | 125 | 3-5 days |
| Table 5: Total Cost of Sending Money including HIDDEN Fees | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer method | To Philippines | To India | To Pakistan | To Bangladesh |
| Wall Street | 2.3% | 1.8% | 1% | 1.6% |
| IME | 2.8% | 1.7% | 1% | 1.7% |
| MoneyGram (fast) | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.7% |
| OFX* | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Xpress Money | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% |
| Western Union (fast) | 3.5% | 2.5% | 4% | 2.8% |
| Al Ansari Exchange | 7.2% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 3.7% |
| Exchange4free | 3.1% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.3% |
| WorldRemit | 3.9% | 3.9% | Not available | 4% |
| Remit2India | Not available | 7% | Not available | Not available |
| Skrill | 9.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| Travelex | 5.6% | 8.4% | 10.1% | 12.5% |
Note:
- Minimum transfer of 500 AED for OFX.
Rob Rawson is a co-founder of Time Doctor which is software to improve work productivity and help keep track of what your team is working on, even when working remotely.