UAE: No more free remittances? Emirates NBD says 6 countries exempted from new rule
Sending money from the UAE to India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and three other countries via Emirates NBD DirectRemit service would remain free of charge, Khaleej Times can confirm.
This comes following an email sent by Emirates NBD to its clients on Friday informing them that starting September 1, 2025, customers will be charged Dh26.25 (inclusive of VAT) for international transfers made via the app or online banking, including those done through DirectRemit.
A quick call by Khaleej Times to Emirates NDB call centre, however, confirmed that sending money to India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, UK, and Egypt – either through online banking or the mobile app – would remain free of charge.
There will be no fees for sending money to these six countries with a minimum transfer of Dh100 through the app via DirectRemit service, the bank agent clarified.
DirectRemit is a digital money transfer service that allows Emirates NBD customers to make remittances to India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Egypt, and UK in less than 60 seconds.
No bank account required
Meanwhile, there are apps like Botim, Careem Pay, e& money, and Taptap Send that offer free to minimal fees when sending money from the UAE to other countries.
Some require no registration fees, no minimum balance, and no bank account required. Customers only need an active UAE mobile number, a debit or credit card, and/ or an active UAE bank account with online banking access.
The apps can also be used not only to send money globally and locally but also to pay bills and merchants, as well as to send money directly to a mobile wallet.
Third largest sender of money
The UAE is the third-largest sender of remittances in the world, after the US and Saudi Arabia. Last year, Indian expats based in the UAE sent $21.6 billion to India, equivalent to 19.2 per cent of the total dollar inflows, ranking the UAE as the second-largest source of global remittance after the US.
In 2024, Filipino workers in the UAE, meanwhile, sent approximately $1.52 billion in cash remittances to the Philippines, according to Statista.
The total remittances sent by overseas Filipinos to the Philippines surged to an all-time high of $38.34 billion in 2024, with top sources coming from the US, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the UAE, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Philippine Central Bank).
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