Posted June 2nd, 2023
How to Send Money from the UAE to India: Tips for Affordable and Safe Transfers

Indians and the UAE seem to have a thing for each other. According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indians form the largest ethnic community in the country and roughly 30% of the entire population.
Whether you have just arrived from India or you did so 10 years ago, finding a career to make a better living is probably at the top of your list. Along with that goal, you'll likely be similar to the millions of other Indians in the UAE who regularly need dependable and affordable remittance services to send money from the UAE to India.
Due to its expanding economy, which offers plenty of career opportunities for those seeking a high standard of living and job advancement, the United Arab Emirates has become a hub that is very attractive for Indian expats.
As reported by Khaleej Times, an English daily newspaper published in Dubai, the UAE hosts the largest number of Indians abroad, at around 3.5 million.
Such a high population of Indian expats living in the UAE makes using reliable tools to send money from the UAE to India an important fact of life here.
In this article, we will discuss the best method for sending money to India from the UAE, along with instructions on how to use this service. We'll cover:
- Common ways of sending money from the the UAE to India
- What makes HubPay so convenient
- How to send money from the UAE to India with HubPay
[Looking for a cost-efficient, trusted, and easy way to send money from the UAE to India? HubPay offers international money transfers with multiple additional services such as bill payments and airtime recharge. You can join for free on Apple and Google Play.]
Common ways of sending money from the UAE to India
Which is better? Should you send money via wire transfer, internet banking, Western Union, or cash transfer?
Instead of Googling how to send money from the UAE to India and getting lost in many answers, we gathered the top three methods you can rely on.
Exchange houses
Most expats in the UAE use exchange houses to send money home. Exchange houses provide international money transfer services without requiring a local bank account, making the process easier for newcomers.
However, despite their accessibility, exchange houses apply higher fees on international transfers, vary in exchange rates, and the transfer process might take up to several days to complete. This instability in dealing with exchange houses pushes many people away from using their services; when it comes to transferring money, people look for reliable and fast service providers.
Banks
For international money transfers, banks have traditionally been the preferred option for expats.
Several licensed banks offer international money transfer services in the UAE. They provide secure money transfers, but the remittance service can be more expensive due to higher margins and transaction costs.
Banks typically set their own foreign exchange rates in advance, which can differ from interbank rates. A typical remittance would also take several working days to complete. Depending on the international relations between countries, some banks in the UAE offer no upfront fees, and others provide a monthly remittance without any transaction fees.
One of the drawbacks of bank remittance is the possibility of human error with the paperwork. This can lead to additional delays for money transfers and, sometimes, remittance rejections.
Online money transfer platforms
Another method for expats to send money from the UAE to India is online platforms providing secure and affordable online money transfer services. Online platforms are the fastest way to send money abroad, and some offer dirham money transfers, which have lower transaction costs.
HubPay is a trustworthy, easy-to-use mobile app, allowing for a quick and cost-effective money transfer. Additionally, it offers other services like utility payments and airtime recharge.
What makes HubPay so convenient
Several reasons make HubPay a hassle-free option for those who want to send money from the UAE to India.
No waiting time
HubPay provides a seamless way to send money online anytime, anywhere via a mobile application. A time-efficient money transfer can be completed without requiring a round trip or a long remittance processing time. This can greatly help expats to send money home without sacrificing their productivity at work or asking for time off to make round trips to banks or exchange houses.
Cost-effective
Every dirham counts when sending money to loved ones in India. HubPay is a low-cost international money transfer service that offers competitive exchange rates with no hidden fees.
Internal chat
Most international money transfers will take some time to complete, and both the sender and recipient will anxiously await transaction status alerts.
In addition to handling the transfer quickly, HubPay provides an internal chat feature allowing both parties to chat instantly and confirm the remittance amount without leaving the app.
Add-on services
HubPay also offers the following additional services:
- ● International mobile recharges: Expats can recharge their phones and those of their loved ones in India on the HubPay app.
- ● International bill payments: Indian expats can use HubPay to pay utility bills in India and the UAE from the comfort of their mobile phones.
How to send money from the UAE to India with HubPay
Follow these easy steps to use HubPay effectively:
Get the HubPay app
The HubPay mobile application is available for both IOS and Android. Download the version compatible with your mobile phone from the respective app store.
Free signup to HubPay
Using HubPay requires signing up using a phone number. Open the app, click Create a New Account, and provide the required information.

HubPay will ask you to confirm your identity as part of the UAE’s know-your-customer (KYC) requirements. Scan your emirates ID using your phone's camera to complete the account creation process.

Secure your account
HubPay offers two mechanisms to secure your account. The first method is the use of a one-time password (OTP). Whenever you attempt to sign in, the app will send an OTP to your registered phone number. Without this OTP, no one can access your account.

The second one is Biometrics. Here, you can scan and save a picture of your face. You can then login with your face capture.

After setting up the HubPay account, link a bank account
Now the HubPay account is set and ready to connect to your bank account. You can do this in the following ways:
- Open the HubPay app and login into your account; on the homepage, click Add Money, and a new pop-up tab, called Link to Your Bank Account, will appear.

2. In the Link to Your Bank Account tab, click Get Started.

3. Once you click on Get Started, a new tab appears; click on Set up Payments on this tab.

4. Select your bank and enter your bank details. HubPay integrates your bank account with your HubPay account, eliminating the need to transfer funds to your HubPay account each time you want to send money home.

Charge your HubPay mobile wallet
You can quickly add money in AED to your HubPay mobile wallet after completing the bank account linking process. Simply, use the “+” symbol located in the app’s top right corner, and enter the amount of money you want to add. Once you have reviewed and approved the payment amount, it will be immediately added to your HubPay mobile wallet. You can repeat this process whenever you want to add money to your wallet.


You’re now all set up to remit INR to loved ones in India
After selecting India as the destination nation, HubPay will show current foreign currency exchange rates and transfer fees. You won’t be charged any hidden fees, and you’ll know exactly how much money in Indian rupees (INR) the recipient will receive in exchange for the dirhams you send.
After clicking the blue Send Money button at the bottom of the homepage, you'll need to enter the recipient's bank details (such as their account number). The money will be instantly transferred to the recipient’s account after you review the transaction details and click Confirm.
Using the additional features
Add-on services
A special section called Add-on Services at the bottom of the homepage offers two additional payment options that let you pay bills and recharge mobile phones in India and the United Arab Emirates.
Internal chat
Through the chat feature in the HubPay app, you can directly communicate with the recipient and converse in real-time.
Past transactions
Through the Transaction tab on the home page, you can view the status of every transaction you’ve made. It offers an estimated completion time for the transaction in progress and full details on past ones.
Banks and exchange houses have disadvantages that might cause headaches when sending money from the UAE to India. In the meantime, online money transfer platforms seem to address many issues and outperform other money transfer methods.
[Are you looking for an affordable, reliable, and simple way to send money from the UAE to India? Download HubPay for free on Apple store and Google Play store and enjoy cost-effective, fast, and seamless international money transfers as well as additional services such as bill payments and airtime recharge.]
Takeaways
- Making international money transfers from the UAE to India is common since Indians form 30% of the UAE population.
- In the United Arab Emirates, banks, exchange houses, and online platforms are the three preferred methods of sending money abroad.
- HubPay is among the most efficient, reliable, cost-effective, and simple methods for sending money abroad from the UAE to India.
- HubPay uses biometrics and one-time passwords (OTP) to offer the highest level of security to users.