Sending money from the UAE to Nepal: the payments stack
Sending AED 735 from the UAE to Nepal cost 3.41% of the amount on average in Q3 2025, across 17 services in the World Bank's Remittance Prices Worldwide survey. Payouts in Nepal typically run over connectIPS, NCHL-IPS (via National Payments Interface); between now and the end of 2027 there are 7 weekdays when banks in the UAE are closed but Nepal keeps paying out, so the payout balance has to be funded before them.
| Average cost to send | 3.41% of AED 735 (Q3 2025, World Bank RPW) source |
| Money transfer operators | 3.33% across 15 services |
| Banks | 4.06% across 2 services |
| Collect in UAE | Aani, UAEFTS, IPI (Immediate Payment Instruction), UAEDDS (UAE Direct Debit System) |
| Pay out in Nepal | connectIPS, NCHL-IPS (via National Payments Interface), RTGS |
What it costs to send AED 735
The World Bank surveyed 17 services sending from the UAE to Nepal from 15 August 2025 to 22 August 2025. The average total cost, fees plus the FX margin, was 3.41% of the amount sent; money transfer operators averaged 3.33% and banks 4.06%. source
Bank and operator averages are worked out from the survey's provider types.
The send side: the UAE
- Under the Exchange Business Regulation (Circular 7/2025, effective 26 June 2025) a Category I licence covers currency exchange, remittances and WPS salary processing, Category II covers currency exchange and remittances, Category III currency exchange only, and Category IV remittances through digital channels only, with no cash-in or cash-out and currency conversion only within the digital remittance. source
- Exchange businesses that are limited liability companies need minimum paid-up capital of AED 25 million and a bank guarantee to the CBUAE of AED 50 million for Categories I to III or AED 25 million for Category IV; a Category IV licensee must be a limited liability company, and the CBUAE can allow 100% non-UAE ownership for that category. source
- The Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes Regulation (Circular 15/2021) has four licence categories; cross-border fund transfer services are available under Category I and Category II, Category I adds payment token services, and Category IV covers payment initiation and account information services. source
Licences, sponsor banks, collections, ramps and KYC providers: sending from the UAE.
The payout side: Nepal
| Payout partner | What it does in Nepal | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IME Remit | Nepal-licensed remittance company working with international remittance partners; beneficiaries collect cash at IME counters and agents (45,000+ nationwide agents), receive bank account deposits or receive into the Khalti by IME wallet. | source |
| Prabhu Money Transfer | Nepal-registered remittance company with international branches and agents, paying cash pickup against a control number and depositing directly to bank accounts at almost all Nepali financial institutions. | source |
| Nium · our guide | Pays out NPR to bank accounts and wallets, in real time to listed banks or next day subject to cut-off, with a maximum of NPR 2,000,000 per transaction and extra beneficiary documents required by the partner bank above NPR 1 million. | source |
| Thunes · our guide | Its pay network lists Nepal among its Asia Pacific payout markets. | source |
Licensing, local banks, stablecoin ramps, FX and KYC in Nepal: launching payments in Nepal.
Payout rails in Nepal
| Rail | Operator | What matters for payouts | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| connectIPS | Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL), licensed by NRB as a payment system operator | Real-time account-to-account transfers available 24x7. Regular per-transaction limits are NPR 2,000,000 on web, NPR 200,000 on the mobile app and NPR 50,000 through PSPs; between 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM the web limit is NPR 200,000 per transaction. Banks can set lower limits. | source |
| NCHL-IPS (via National Payments Interface) | Nepal Clearing House Limited | Non-real-time direct credits: the debit is immediate but beneficiary accounts are credited once nostro settlement completes at NRB, currently in sessions at 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM. NPI exposes both connectIPS and NCHL-IPS through APIs, with a batch limit of 10,000 transactions. | source |
| RTGS | Nepal Rastra Bank | Hosted by NRB for high-value and urgent interbank payments and net settlement of other systems, supporting NPR, USD, EUR, GBP and JPY, with the business-day schedule set by NRB's RTGS operating procedure. | source |
Holiday gaps to plan for, to December 2027
Weekdays when one side of the corridor is closed. On the 7 dates when the UAE is closed and Nepal is open, the payout balance has to already hold enough to cover them. On the 29 dates when Nepal is closed, instant rails may still pay out.
| Date | UAE | Nepal | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 9 Nov 2026 | Open | Tihar holiday | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Tue 10 Nov 2026 | Open | Tihar holiday | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Open | Tihar holiday | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Thu 12 Nov 2026 | Open | Tihar holiday (day after Bhai Tika) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Wed 2 Dec 2026 | National Day (Eid Al Etihad) | Open | Prefund Nepal the day before: no funding from the UAE, payouts continue |
| Thu 3 Dec 2026 | National Day (second day) | Open | Prefund Nepal the day before: no funding from the UAE, payouts continue |
| Thu 24 Dec 2026 | Open | Dhanya Purnima, Udhauli Parwa, Yomari Punhi | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Open | Christmas Day | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Wed 30 Dec 2026 | Open | Tamu Lhosar | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day | Open | Prefund Nepal the day before: no funding from the UAE, payouts continue |
| Mon 11 Jan 2027 | Open | Prithvi Jayanti (National Unity Day) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 15 Jan 2027 | Open | Maghe Sankranti (Maghi Parwa) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 19 Feb 2027 | Open | National Democracy Day | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 8 Mar 2027 | Open | International Women's Day | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Tue 9 Mar 2027 | Eid Al Fitr (Ramadan 30 or Eid day 1) | Gyalpo Lhosar | Both closed |
| Wed 10 Mar 2027 | Eid Al Fitr | Id-ul-Fitr | Both closed |
| Thu 11 Mar 2027 | Eid Al Fitr | Open | Prefund Nepal the day before: no funding from the UAE, payouts continue |
| Mon 22 Mar 2027 | Open | Phagu Purnima (Terai districts) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Wed 14 Apr 2027 | Open | Nepali New Year 2084 | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Thu 15 Apr 2027 | Open | Ram Navami | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 17 May 2027 | Eid Al Adha (day 2) | Bakr Id (Id-ul-Azha) | Both closed |
| Tue 18 May 2027 | Eid Al Adha (day 3) | Open | Prefund Nepal the day before: no funding from the UAE, payouts continue |
| Thu 20 May 2027 | Open | Buddha Jayanti | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Tue 17 Aug 2027 | Open | Rakshabandhan (Janai Purnima) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Wed 18 Aug 2027 | Open | Gai Jatra (Kathmandu Valley and Newar community) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Wed 25 Aug 2027 | Open | Shri Krishna Janmashtami | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 1 Oct 2027 | Open | Ghatasthapana | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Wed 6 Oct 2027 | Open | Dashain holiday (Fulpati) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Thu 7 Oct 2027 | Open | Dashain holiday (Maha Ashtami) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 8 Oct 2027 | Open | Dashain holiday (Maha Navami) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 11 Oct 2027 | Open | Dashain holiday (Ekadashi) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Tue 12 Oct 2027 | Open | Dashain holiday (Dwadashi) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 29 Oct 2027 | Open | Tihar holiday (Laxmi Puja) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 1 Nov 2027 | Open | Tihar holiday (day after Bhai Tika) | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Thu 4 Nov 2027 | Open | Chhath Parwa | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Thu 2 Dec 2027 | National Day (Eid Al Etihad) | Open | Prefund Nepal the day before: no funding from the UAE, payouts continue |
| Fri 3 Dec 2027 | National Day (second day) | Open | Prefund Nepal the day before: no funding from the UAE, payouts continue |
| Mon 13 Dec 2027 | Open | Dhanya Purnima, Udhauli Parwa, Yomari Punhi | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Thu 30 Dec 2027 | Open | Tamu Lhosar | Nepal banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
Full calendars: United Arab Emirates and Nepal. Size the buffer with the corridor runway calculator.
Funding the corridor
- First Abu Dhabi Bank moved its UAE offices to a Monday to Friday working week with a Saturday and Sunday weekend from 3 January 2022, following UAE Government and CBUAE guidelines, in line with the federal government's Saturday and Sunday weekend. source
- Islamic public holidays (Eid Al Fitr, Arafah Day, Eid Al Adha, Hijri New Year and the Prophet's birthday) are set by moon sighting, and under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 a public holiday is not moved when it falls on a weekend or another holiday; National Day is 2 and 3 December. source
- A licensed remittance company must bring foreign currency into Nepal from abroad as pre-funding through the banking system. If it pays beneficiaries before reimbursement, it must hold an unconditional foreign currency guarantee from a foreign bank, or a cash deposit from the foreign partner, covering the entire amount, and be reimbursed in foreign currency. source
- Remittance companies must take their commission in foreign currency, and foreign currency received as remittance can be held in a foreign currency account at a bank or financial institution until the time NRB prescribes. source
- From 6 April 2026 NRB directed all licensed banks and financial institutions and Nepal Clearing House Limited to close on Saturdays and Sundays, with office hours of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday (9:00 am to 4:00 pm from Kartik 16 to Magh 15). source
Running the corridor
Polynopsis shows every balance on both sides of this corridor in one live position: the collection accounts in UAE, the payout partners and banks in Nepal and any stablecoin in between. It warns before the Nepal balance runs dry, holidays included. See how it works.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to send money from the UAE to Nepal?
The World Bank's survey put the average total cost of sending AED 735 at 3.41% in Q3 2025, across 17 services. Money transfer operators averaged 3.33%.
Which rails pay out in Nepal?
Local payouts run over connectIPS, NCHL-IPS (via National Payments Interface), RTGS.
When do I need to prefund Nepal payouts ahead of holidays?
Between now and December 2027 there are 7 weekdays when the UAE is closed and Nepal is open, the first on Wed 2 Dec 2026. The payout balance has to cover those days before they start.
Related corridors
Sources
- World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide dataset · World Bank
- Cabinet Resolution No. (27) of 2024 Concerning the Public Holidays in the State · UAE Legislation
- Public holidays · The Official Portal of the UAE Government
- List of Holidays for 2083 B.S. (effective 14 Apr 2026 to 13 Apr 2027) · Nepal Rastra Bank
- Government and Public Holidays in 2083 · Ministry of Home Affairs, Nepal
Know where all your money is.
Polynopsis gives cross-border payment teams one live position across every bank, payout partner, exchange and wallet, including money in flight, and warns before a corridor runs dry.
About Polynopsis
Polynopsis is liquidity management software for cross-border payment companies. The name joins poly, many, and synopsis, a seeing together: one live view of money spread across many banks, payout partners, exchanges and stablecoin wallets, including money in flight, with a warning before any corridor runs dry.
Why it is called Polynopsis · About Polynopsis · Glossary · Corridor runway calculator