Remitly in the UAE: Complete Guide to Licensing, Fees & Setup
Remitly just secured full CBUAE licensing in July 2026. Here's how it actually works for UAE residents — fees, setup, and what changed.
Remitly secured a Stored Value Facilities license from the Central Bank of the UAE in July 2026 — one of the first international remittance companies to hold this specific license category. Here's what that actually means, plus everything else worth knowing before you use it to send money abroad.
Remitly's new UAE license, explained
On July 9, 2026, Remitly Global received a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license paired with Exchange Business Category IV authorization from the Central Bank of the UAE — making it one of the first international remittance companies to secure this specific license combination. Before this, Remitly operated in the UAE under its existing foreign regulatory approvals rather than a dedicated local license. The distinction matters: local licensing means Remitly can now build and launch products specifically designed for UAE customers, rather than running the same global product built for every market. What those UAE-specific products will actually look like hasn't been disclosed yet.
Why this matters for the corridors it actually serves
The UAE moves an estimated $50 billion across borders every year, and India, Pakistan, and the Philippines together receive around half of all outward remittances sent through UAE exchange houses. A locally licensed Remitly means the company has more room to build pricing or payout options tailored to specific corridors rather than a one-size-fits-all global product — worth watching for over the coming months, though nothing corridor-specific has been announced as of this post.
How Remitly actually works for UAE residents
Remitly supports transfers to more than 175 destinations, with upfront disclosed fees and exchange rates shown before you confirm. Unlike Wise, Remitly supports multiple delivery methods beyond bank deposit — cash pickup and mobile wallet delivery (including eSewa and Khalti for Nepal specifically) are both available, which is Remitly's main practical advantage over bank-to-bank-only competitors.
Remitly's speed tiers
Remitly offers two speed options on most corridors: an Economy tier that takes 3-5 business days at a lower cost, and an Express tier that can deliver in minutes to a few hours for a slightly higher price. Which one makes sense depends entirely on whether you're planning ahead or handling something urgent — Economy for a routine monthly transfer, Express when the money is needed today.
Using Remitly to send money to Nepal specifically
For the Nepal corridor, Remitly's main advantage is flexibility on the receiving end — cash pickup and direct eSewa or Khalti wallet delivery, useful if your recipient doesn't have a bank account. If you're deciding between Remitly and Wise specifically for Nepal, our full comparison covers the corridor-specific detail, and our eSewa transfer guide walks through wallet delivery step by step.
Frequently Asked Questions
See also: Wise UAE complete guide · Wise vs Remitly comparison · Remitly Nepal review
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About the author
Aryan Mehta
Senior Remittance Analyst · Remit Seas
Aryan has spent 8 years tracking cross-border payment corridors across the Gulf and Southeast Asia. Before Remit Seas, he worked in FX operations at a UAE exchange house and has personally sent money on 11 corridors. He writes about exchange rate margins, provider fee structures, and how remittance senders can keep more of what they earn.
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