Send Money To Pakistan
Transfer Options
Bank transfer- Debit card (UK only)
- BPAY (Australia only)
- Direct debit (U.S. only)
Features
0.4% margin for new customers referred by iCompareFX- Fee-free transfers
- Scheduled transfers
- Online and phone transfers
Best For
Pay no fees for personal transfers- Get competitive exchange rates
- Lets you schedule transfers with ease
Trading in some currencies possible only over the phone- Website access only in English
Transfer Options
- Bank Transfer
- BPAY (Australia)
Features
- Fee-free transfers
- Competitive exchanges rates
- Limit orders
- Multilingual website and customer service
Best For
- No fees for personal transfers
- Accepts payments in several currencies
- Target specific rates using limit orders
- No debit or credit card payments
- No scheduled transfers
Transfer Options
- Bank Transfer
- Debit / Credit card
- Google / Apply Pay
- POLi (Australia)
Features
- Bank account transfers and cash transfers
- Mobile airtime and mobile wallets top up
- Home delivery of transferred funds
- Multicurrency WorldRemit Wallet
- Multilingual website
Best For
- Transfers to cash pickup locations
- Transparent rates and fees
- Low minimum transfer amount
- No hedging tools
- No scheduled transfers
Transfer Options
- Bank Transfer
- Credit Card
- Debit Card
- Country specific alternatives
Features
- Transparent fee structure
- Send money to email addresses
- Multicurrency account with debit card
- Multilingual website & app
Best For
- User friendly mobile app
- Multi-currency account
- Travel debit card
- No scheduled transfers
- No dedicated account manager
Transfer Options
- Bank transfer
- Debit card
- Credit card
- Bank debit
Features
Best For
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How to send money to Pakistan
What you need to send money to Pakistan
You will need to provide details from a valid ID document such as your passport or driver's license. Keep your credit/debit card or bank account details handy, as you will need these to pay for your transfer. You will also need to provide the recipient's Pakistani bank account details.
Ways to receive money in Pakistan
The recipient in Pakistan may receive money from overseas:
- Into a bank account
- By visiting a cash pick-up center
- As a mobile airtime or mobile wallet top up
Bank account
The most cost-effective way to send money to Pakistan is transferring it directly into the recipient's bank account. How long the transfer takes to process depends on your service provider, the mode of payment, and the recipient's bank. Most of the country's prominent banks allow incoming international fund transfers. These include Standard Chartered Pakistan, Habib Bank Limited (HBL), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), MCB Bank, and United Bank Limited (UBL).
What you need to send money to a Pakistani bank account.
The information you need includes the name of the recipient, a bank account number or an IBAN, and a SWIFT code.
- Bank account numbers in Pakistan may have 12 to 20 to digits.
- International Bank Account Numbers (IBANs) in Pakistan have 24 characters: Within an IBAN, the account number is represented by the last 16 digits.
- You need to provide the recipient bank's SWIFT code when sending money to Pakistan from overseas. Example - the SWIFT code for UBL in Jinnah Avenue, Karachi is UNILPKKA741.
Cash pick-up
Transfers to cash pick-up locations tend to attract higher fees in comparison to bank account transfers. WorldRemit and Remitly provide this service in Pakistan. Here are addresses of some cash pick-up centers in Pakistan.
| WorldRemit cash pick-up locations in Pakistan | |
Karachi: Allied Bank Limited, Main Clifton Road, Karachi | National Bank of Pakistan Saddar Karachi, Karachi |
Lahore: Allied Bank Limited 3-4 Tipu Block, Garden Town Kalma Chowk, Lahore | National Bank of Pakistan Ayubia Market, Chaudhry Anwar Ali Road, Block A, Muslim Town, Lahore |
| Remitly cash pick-up locations in Pakistan | |
Karachi: Allied Bank Limited Lucky Cement Branch, Hyderabad Motorway, Karachi | Allied Bank Limited Maripur Road, Karachi |
Lahore: Allied Bank Limited Shadman Market Road, Shadman, Lahore | Allied Bank LImited Sarfaraz Rafiqui Road, Cantt, Lahore |
What is required for cash pick-up in Pakistan
Your service provider will need the recipient’s name as well as the location from where the recipient wishes to collect the transferred funds. The recipient may collect the money by presenting a valid form of ID along with a transaction/reference number.
Safety tips for picking up cash in Pakistan
Instances of street crime in Pakistan are not uncommon. If you plan to collect cash from a physical location, you should exercise basic precautions. Consider taking someone along if you plan to collect a large sum.
Remain vigilant when using public transport, in crowded areas, and when travelling to and from the airport, because thieves are known to steal bags, passports, jewelry, mobile phones, and laptops. Larceny, pick-pocketing, and thefts are fairly common in trains and buses at all times of the day. While congested commercial areas and low-income residential areas are prone to higher levels of crime, they take place in affluent neighborhoods as well.
Credit card fraud is common in Pakistan, so use your card carefully and never leave it out of sight. You may be targeted by thieves if they think you are wealthy, so refrain from wearing expensive watches and jewelry, or displaying expensive gadgets.
There are high levels of lawlessness in rural Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and most parts of Balochistan, so reconsider travelling to these areas unless necessary.
Mobile airtime top-up options
You may use the services of WorldRemit or Azimo to top up mobile airtime of different service providers in Pakistan. These include Mobilink, Telenor, UFone, Warid, and Zong. WorldRemit also lets you send money to JazzCash mobile wallets in Pakistan.
FAQs
Best way to send money to Pakistan
The best way to send money to Pakistan is through a specialist money transfer company, directly into the recipient's bank account. Benefits include lower costs, quicker turnaround times, and better customer service compared to traditional banks. Some of the leading companies that let you send money to Pakistan include OFX, WorldRemit, XE, SendFX and TransferWise. The best way to send cash or mobile credit top up is through WorldRemit.
Cheapest way to send money to Pakistan
The cheapest way to send money to Pakistan is directly to a recipient's bank account. Sending cash or topping up mobile credit can incur additional costs. These costs can be hidden in weaker exchange rates and/or come in the form of upfront fees.
The cheapest way to send money to a Pakistani bank account from most countries would be through OFX and TransferWise, and through SendFX from Australia and New Zealand.
How much money can I transfer to Pakistan?
The Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947 regulates Pakistan’s foreign exchange policy. There are no restrictions on inward remittances in foreign currencies. In Pakistan, any authorized dealer is free to purchase different kinds of financial instruments that are payable in foreign currencies, or drawn in Pakistani rupees through non-resident rupee accounts.
Is PayPal available in Pakistan?
The simple answer is yes and no. PayPal does not work in Pakistan and you cannot open a PayPal account in Pakistan. However, you may use PayPal services in Pakistan if you have a bank account in any of the countries it operates. Residents of Pakistan may also use U.S. bank account details from their Payoneer accounts to get verified PayPal accounts. Incidentally, the government of Pakistan is keen to get PayPal services in the country.
Residents of the U.S., Canada, the UK, and the European Union may use the services of Xoom, a PayPal company, to transfer money to Pakistan.
Can I send money to Pakistan through PayPal?
No. You cannot send money to Pakistan through PayPal. However, XOOM, a PayPal company, allows you to send money to Pakistan. XOOM supports sending money to a Pakistani bank account and supports cash pickup. This service is available for residents of the U.S., Canada, the European Union and the UK.
How can I transfer money to Pakistan?
You may transfer money directly into the recipient's bank account, send it to a cash pickup center, or top up mobile wallets or mobile airtime. WordRemit provides all these services.
How can I send money from India to Pakistan?
Most leading banks in India let their customers send money to Pakistan. Some of the top money transfer companies that allow transfers from India to Pakistan include TransferWise, Skrill, Westren Union and MoneyGram.
While transferring money to a Pakistani bank account is typically the most cost-effective, you may also get the recipient to collect the transferred money from a cash pickup center.
How much cash can I take to Pakistan from the UK?
When travelling from the UK to Pakistan, you need to file a declaration if you are carrying €10,000 (or its equivalent in GBP) or more in cash. The same limit applies if you are travelling as a family. You need to file this declaration up to 72 hours prior to your travel.
Pakistan has no other limits on the amount of money you may transfer into the country.
Can we send money to Pakistan through Western Union?
Yes, you can send money to Pakistan through Western Union. Depending on where you live, you may pay for your transfer online or by visiting a Western Union location. The recipient may receive the funds directly into a Pakistani bank account or by visiting a cash pickup center.
Does Western Union work in Pakistan?
Yes, Western Union works in Pakistan. It has an extensive agent network in the country and it also facilitates bank account transfers.
Is TransferWise legal in Pakistan?
Yes. TransferWise is legal in Pakistan. You may use its services to send money to Pakistan, but not from Pakistan. TransferWise transfers PKR directly into Pakistani bank accounts, with an upper limit of PKR 980,000 per transfer. However, TransferWise does not transfer money to businesses in Pakistan. All PKR transfers through the company require the sender and recipient to be private individuals.
The TransferWise Borderless account (not available to Pakistani residents) lets customers hold and manage funds in around 50 currencies, including PKR.
Which Pakistani bank is best for international transactions?
Standard Chartered Pakistan is favored by many people who carry out international transactions. Other leading alternatives include Habib Bank LImited (HBL), MCB Bank Limited, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), United Bank Limited (UBL), and Allied Bank.
Is Payza available in Pakistan?
Payza is not available in Pakistan. The Payza business was shut down by U.S. authorities in March 2018.
Convert USD to PKR
Expect to receive between PKRs29002.05 and PKRs29177.82 when sending money from USD to PKR at today's exchange rate.
Compare that to sending money overseas through retail banks. Expect to receive approximately PKRs27830.25, not including additional banking fees. That is an average saving of PKRs1259.69.
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