Send money from Afghanistan to Pakistan
Afghanistan's banking system has been largely cut off since 2021, so there is no reliable formal way to send money out. This corridor runs on the hawala network. Here's the one regulated route, an honest account of hawala, and how rupees arrive in Pakistan.
AFN
PKROur engine doesn't price Afghanistan-origin transfers, and Western Union and MoneyGram pay money into Afghanistan, not out of it. The safest route is to have the transfer funded from outside Afghanistan. The dominant real channel is hawala, covered honestly below with its risks.
Indicative options · not a live quote
How money actually moves from Afghanistan to Pakistan
Since 2021, Afghanistan's formal banking sector has been largely cut off from the international system, and Western Union and MoneyGram operate there for receiving money, not sending it out. So there is no reliable formal product to send from Afghanistan to Pakistan. In practice this corridor runs on the hawala network, the centuries-old system of money dealers (in Kabul, the Sarai Shahzada market is the hub), which is fast and cheap but entirely unregulated. The safest route, where it's possible, is to have the transfer funded from outside Afghanistan by a relative or contact abroad, and paid out in rupees in Pakistan. Pakistan is also tightening its rules on informal cross-border transfers, so this page explains both routes honestly, with the risks and the changing rules on the Pakistani side.
| Provider | Payout method | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A sender abroad uses a regulated service to pay out rupees to a Pakistani bank account or a wallet (JazzCash, Easypaisa) | Minutes to same day | Visit site | |
| Hand afghani cash to a hawaladar; a counterpart in Pakistan pays out rupees by cash, bank or mobile wallet | Same day to 1-2 days | No single provider |
The honest starting point is that Afghanistan's banks have been largely cut off from the international system since 2021, and the household-name services, Western Union and MoneyGram, run there for paying money in, not sending it out. So there is no reliable formal way to send from Afghanistan to Pakistan. What actually carries this corridor is the hawala network: money dealers who take afghani cash on one side and have a counterpart pay out rupees on the other, settling between themselves later. It is fast, cheap and deeply established, but it is unregulated, offers no recourse if a dealer fails, and Pakistan is tightening enforcement against informal cross-border transfers. Where it's possible, the safer route is to have the money funded from outside Afghanistan and sent through a regulated service into a Pakistani bank account or a JazzCash or Easypaisa wallet. This page is honest about both.
Why there's no formal way to send out of Afghanistan
When the government changed in August 2021, Afghanistan's central bank lost access to its overseas reserves and its correspondent-banking links, and international banks pulled back. The formal banking sector has been largely cut off from the international system ever since, and the economy runs heavily on cash. Western Union and MoneyGram resumed service, but for paying money into Afghanistan, not sending it out. So there is no reliable formal product to move money from Afghanistan to Pakistan, which is why our engine returns nothing for this route.
Into that gap steps the hawala network, a trust-based system of money dealers that predates modern banking and, in Afghanistan, handles the large majority of financial transactions. Kabul's Sarai Shahzada market is the country's financial hub. Hawala is genuine and widely used for family support, but it is unregulated, offers no consumer protection, and some dealers have historically been sanctioned. Treat this page as an honest map of the corridor: one safer regulated route where you can use it, and an honest account of the hawala reality.
The two routes that actually work
Here are the realistic ways money moves on this corridor, safest first.
Fund it from outside Afghanistan (safest)
Where it's possible, this is the clean route. A relative or contact in the UK, EU, Gulf or elsewhere sends from a bank account through a regulated service that already serves Pakistan, and the recipient receives rupees to a Pakistani bank account or a JazzCash or Easypaisa wallet, usually within minutes to a day. It's traceable, protected, and avoids the risks of the informal network. Use it whenever you can arrange it.
Hawala / sarrafi (the dominant real channel)
You hand afghani cash to a hawaladar in Afghanistan, and a counterpart dealer in Pakistan pays out rupees to your recipient against a code, by cash, bank deposit or mobile wallet. The two dealers settle between themselves later, so no money physically crosses the border. It's fast, often cheaper than formal channels, and deeply established, but it is unregulated, has no recourse if a dealer defaults, and Pakistan is tightening enforcement against informal transfers. Use a well-known dealer, keep records, and never overcommit to one you don't know.
How the money reaches Pakistan
On the Pakistani side, payout is well developed. Alongside cash pickup and bank deposit, mobile wallets JazzCash and Easypaisa are everywhere and are often the quickest way for a recipient to get and use the money. Here's how the options compare.
Whichever payout you use, confirm the recipient's full name and their account or wallet number exactly, and never share a pickup code until the recipient is ready to collect. Note that Pakistan now requires biometric verification for over-the-counter agent cash-outs, so the recipient will need their ID and registered fingerprint to collect at a counter.
What it really costs to send
The cost on this corridor is mostly hidden in the exchange rate and in the risk you take on, not shown as a clear fee. Here's where it goes.
The exchange-rate margin
Hawala dealers make much of their money on the afghani-to-rupee rate rather than a stated fee, so the margin is where the real cost sits. Ask exactly how many rupees will arrive for a given amount of afghani, and compare that figure, not a headline commission.
Commission on top
There is usually a commission as well as the rate margin. It's often small, which is why hawala persists, but combined with the rate it can still add up, so get both numbers before you commit.
The risk of no recourse
The real price of the informal route is the chance of loss: a dealer who defaults or disappears, a disputed pickup, or funds caught up in an enforcement action. There is no formal protection. That risk is the true cost, and it's why the funded-from-abroad route is worth arranging where you can.
Rules on each side
Sending from Afghanistan
There is no functioning formal outbound-transfer system and no consumer protection. Hawala dealers are nominally required to register, but enforcement is weak, and some money dealers have historically been sanctioned, so choose carefully. Keep records showing any money is genuine family support, and understand that informal transfers carry sanctions and anti-money-laundering exposure that sits outside your control.
Receiving in Pakistan
Genuine foreign remittances received through normal banking channels are generally not taxed as income in Pakistan, but the authorities are tightening controls on informal inflows, and over-the-counter agent cash-outs now require biometric verification. Large or clearly informal inflows may draw questions, so where possible use a regulated channel and keep a simple record of what the money is for.
Getting it right, and staying safe
The safest advice on this corridor is simple: if a relative or contact outside Afghanistan can fund the transfer, let them, and send through a regulated service into a Pakistani bank account or a JazzCash or Easypaisa wallet. If you must use hawala, use a well-established dealer rather than a stranger, get the rate and commission in writing, keep the pickup code safe until your recipient is ready, and don't move a large sum through a dealer you can't vouch for. Whatever the route, confirm the recipient's details, and start with a small test amount the first time you use a new dealer or service.
Scams to watch on this route
A cash-based, informal corridor is where fraud gathers. These rules are worth keeping in mind.
Dealer default or disappearance
Rule: the biggest risk in hawala is a dealer who takes your afghani and never pays out in Pakistan. There is no recourse, so use a known, established dealer and don't overcommit to one you can't vouch for.
Hidden rate manipulation
Rule: watch for a poor afghani-to-rupee rate dressed up as a "low fee". Ask exactly how many rupees will arrive, and compare that, not the commission.
Fake pickup codes and impersonation
Rule: never share a pickup code until your recipient is ready to collect, and confirm the recipient's identity, because impersonation at collection is a common trick.
Sanctioned or flagged dealers
Rule: some Afghan money dealers have been sanctioned. Avoid unknown shops, and be aware that funds moved through a flagged dealer can be caught up in enforcement on the Pakistani side.
How most people send money from Afghanistan to Pakistan
Because Afghanistan's banks are cut off and Western Union and MoneyGram only pay money in, most money on this corridor moves through the hawala network: afghani cash handed to a dealer, rupees paid out to the recipient in Pakistan by cash, bank or a JazzCash or Easypaisa wallet. It's fast and cheap but unregulated, with no recourse, and Pakistan is tightening its rules. Where it's possible, the safer route is to have the money funded from outside Afghanistan and sent through a regulated service. Treat this page as an honest guide: prefer the regulated route where you can, use only a trusted dealer if you can't, and always start with a small test amount.
Afghanistan to Pakistan transfers: frequently asked questions
No. Since services resumed in Afghanistan in 2021, Western Union and MoneyGram have operated there for paying money in, not for sending it out. So you cannot use them to send from Afghanistan to Pakistan. There is no reliable formal outbound product; the corridor runs mainly on the hawala network, and the safer alternative is to have the transfer funded from outside Afghanistan.
Where it's possible, have the transfer funded from outside Afghanistan. If a relative or contact in the UK, EU, Gulf or elsewhere sends from a bank account through a regulated service that serves Pakistan, the recipient receives rupees to a Pakistani bank account or a JazzCash or Easypaisa wallet, usually within minutes to a day. It's traceable and protected, unlike the hawala network that otherwise carries this corridor.
You hand afghani cash to a hawala dealer (hawaladar) in Afghanistan, often in a market like Kabul's Sarai Shahzada, and a counterpart dealer in Pakistan (in Peshawar, Quetta or Karachi) pays out rupees to your recipient against a code, by cash, bank deposit or mobile wallet. No money physically crosses the border; the two dealers settle between themselves later. It's fast and cheap, often same day to a couple of days, but it is unregulated, with no recourse if a dealer defaults.
Hawala is a long-established system widely used for genuine family support, but it is unregulated and offers no consumer protection: if a dealer defaults or disappears, there is no recourse. Some Afghan money dealers have historically been sanctioned, and Pakistan is tightening enforcement against informal cross-border transfers. If you use it, choose a well-known, established dealer, get the rate and commission in writing, and keep records. Where you can, the regulated funded-from-abroad route is safer.
Genuine foreign remittances received through normal banking channels are generally not taxed as income in Pakistan. However, the authorities are tightening controls on informal inflows, and over-the-counter agent cash-outs now require biometric verification, so the recipient will need their ID to collect at a counter. Large or clearly informal inflows may draw questions, so use a regulated channel where possible and keep a simple record of what the money is for.
Our live comparison engine prices transfers that start in the UK and a few other major sending countries, not Afghanistan, and there is no formal outbound product for us to price. So instead of a live table we give an honest guide to the one regulated route and the hawala network, with the risks and the changing Pakistani rules spelled out.
Our sources & how we keep this current
Last reviewed: 8 July 2026. This is a hawala-dominated, fast-changing corridor with tightening rules on the Pakistani side, so we re-check the routes and rules here regularly, and will switch to a live price table if a formal Afghanistan-origin route ever becomes available to price.
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