Send money from the UAE to the Philippines
A shortlist of providers verified to serve this route — including straight to GCash — and exactly how the pesos reach the Philippines.
AED
PHPOur comparison engine doesn't price UAE-origin transfers yet. Instead, here's a shortlist of providers verified to move money on this corridor — confirm their live rate and fee on their own site before you send.
Indicative options · not a live quote
Sending money from the UAE to the Philippines
Our live price comparison can't quote UAE-origin transfers yet, but money genuinely moves on this route every day — around 780,000 Filipinos live in the UAE, one of the largest Overseas Filipino Worker communities anywhere, with roughly 450,000 in Dubai alone. The UAE is among the top sources of money sent home to the Philippines, worth about US$1.5 billion a year. The providers below are verified to operate this corridor, and several pay straight into a GCash wallet. Rates and fees are set by each provider and must be confirmed on their own site before you send.
| Provider | Payout method | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | GCash/Maya wallet, bank deposit or cash pickup | Minutes (wallet/cash) to same day | Visit site |
 | GCash wallet, bank deposit or cash pickup | Minutes to same day | Visit site |
 | GCash wallet, bank deposit or cash pickup | Minutes (cash/wallet) to same day | Visit site |
 | GCash wallet, bank deposit or cash pickup | Minutes to same day | Visit site |
 | Bank deposit or cash pickup | Minutes to same day | Visit site |
Most money sent from the UAE to the Philippines arrives straight in a GCash wallet (or Maya), credited in minutes using the recipient's mobile number, or is collected as cash at a pawnshop counter like Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan or M Lhuillier. Money can also go direct to a bank account at BDO, BPI or Metrobank over the InstaPay network. The Philippines doesn't use IBANs, so a bank deposit just needs the recipient's name, bank and account number. The headline fee is only part of the picture — what really decides the cost is the margin added to the exchange rate, so always compare the pesos that actually arrive, not just the upfront fee.
Why UAE to the Philippines shows no live prices yet
Currency Expert's live comparison engine prices transfers that start in the UK and a handful of other major sending countries, where the providers we connect to operate. None of those providers currently quote transfers that start in the UAE, so the route comes back empty even though real services move money on it every day.
Until we can pull live UAE rates, this page lists providers verified to serve the corridor rather than a live price table. Treat the page as a shortlist, not a quote — and always confirm the rate and fee on the provider's own site before you commit.
How the money reaches the Philippines
You have plenty of choice on this route. The most popular option is a GCash wallet, credited in minutes using the recipient's name and mobile number; Maya works the same way. Cash pickup is hugely popular too — collected at Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan or M Lhuillier counters — while bank deposits go to BDO, BPI, Metrobank and others over the InstaPay (instant) and PESONet networks. The Philippines doesn't use IBANs, so a bank deposit only needs the recipient's name, bank and account number.
GCash and cash pickup are usually the fastest; bank deposits over InstaPay are near-instant, while larger PESONet transfers are credited within the same business day.
What sending money to the Philippines really costs
The headline fee is only part of the cost. On any transfer, the bigger number is usually hidden inside the exchange rate — so it's worth knowing where each slice goes before you send.
The exchange-rate margin
The gap between the real mid-market rate and the rate you're offered. On this route it can run from under 1 percent with the sharpest services to several percent with the priciest. Because the dirham is pegged to the US dollar, the peso rate mostly tracks the dollar — but the margin is still where most of the cost hides.
Zero-fee promos
Some app-based services advertise no transfer fee, then make it back on the exchange rate. A zero fee is only a good deal if the rate is fair — so always check the pesos that actually land.
VAT on the fee
In the UAE, the 5 percent VAT applies only to a fixed transfer fee, not to the exchange-rate margin or the money you send. It's a few fils on the flat fee, so it barely moves the total.
Tax and rules on each side
Sending from the UAE
The UAE charges no personal income tax and has no exchange controls, so you can send money abroad freely as family support or a gift. You'll need a valid Emirates ID to remit, and providers run standard identity checks. The 5 percent VAT applies only to a fixed transfer fee, never to the amount you send.
Receiving in the Philippines
The Philippines does not tax money received for family support — living expenses, education and medical help sent by an OFW are treated as tax-exempt support. Money received as payment for services, or large gifts from non-relatives, can be taxable. Amounts of foreign currency over the equivalent of US$10,000 carried in as cash must be declared to Customs, but that doesn't apply to electronic transfers.
Funding your transfer without overpaying
Paying from a UAE bank account or a debit card is usually the cheapest way to fund a transfer. Funding with a credit card is often treated by the card issuer as a cash advance, which can trigger a one-off fee and interest from day one with no grace period — quietly making a cheap-looking transfer expensive. Check how your card treats the payment before you use it, and have your Emirates ID to hand for the identity check.
Scams to watch on this route
Most traps target the recipient with a fake message or a fake windfall. These few rules are worth passing on to whoever you're sending to.
The GCash "verification" scam
Rule: to receive money you never need to share your GCash MPIN or a one-time code. Anyone calling or texting "from GCash" asking for your PIN or OTP is a fraudster — never share it.
Prize and "raffle" texts
Rule: never pay a "tax" or "fee" to claim a prize you didn't enter for. Genuine money never requires you to pay first to receive it.
Family "emergency" requests
Rule: an urgent money request that appears to come from a relative may be an impersonator. Confirm directly on a number you already know before sending anything.
Confirm before you send
Rule: check the recipient's name, GCash number or bank account against details they sent you in writing, and use a licensed provider rather than a stranger offering a "better rate" off-platform.
How most people send money from the UAE to the Philippines
For most people sending money from the UAE to the Philippines, the simplest route is a verified provider paying into the recipient's GCash wallet, or a cash pickup at Cebuana, Palawan or M Lhuillier — fast, familiar and easy to collect. Because we can't show a live quote here yet, treat this page as a vetted shortlist — then judge each option by the pesos that actually arrive after the rate margin, and confirm the recipient's details before you send.
UAE to Philippines transfers: frequently asked questions
Our live comparison engine prices transfers that start in the UK and a few other major sending countries. It doesn't yet quote transfers that start in the UAE, so instead of an empty table we list providers verified to serve the corridor. Confirm the live rate and fee on each provider's own site before you send.
Yes. Several providers on this route pay straight into a GCash wallet, usually within minutes — including LuLu Exchange, Al Ansari, Western Union and GCC Exchange. You just need the recipient's full name and their registered GCash mobile number. GCash is the most popular way for Filipino families to receive money, and Maya works the same way.
For GCash or Maya, the recipient's full name and their registered mobile number. For cash pickup, their full name as on their ID plus a reference number. For a bank deposit, their name, bank and account number — the Philippines doesn't use IBANs. You'll also need your own valid Emirates ID to send.
GCash and cash pickups are usually available within minutes. Bank deposits over InstaPay are near-instant, while larger PESONet transfers are credited within the same business day. The provider will show an estimated delivery time before you confirm.
At a huge network of pawnshop and remittance counters, most commonly Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Express Pera Padala and M Lhuillier. Your recipient brings a valid government photo ID and the transaction reference number to collect. Cash pickup is usually available within minutes of you sending.
No. Money sent to support family — living costs, education, medical help — is treated as tax-exempt support in the Philippines. The UAE also charges no tax on the amount you send abroad. Only money received as payment for services, or large gifts from non-relatives, can be taxable.
It's one of the first names people think of, and it doesn't work in this direction. You can't pay for a Wise transfer with dirhams.
Wise's own currency list is split in two. AED sits in the column headed "you can only send money to these currencies", not in the list of currencies you can send from. Its UAE links point at the UK service, because there is no UAE sending flow behind them.
So Wise isn't an option for money leaving the UAE. It works the other way round: someone abroad, paying in a currency Wise does send from, can use it to send money to a UAE account.
Paying from a UAE bank account or a debit card is usually cheapest. Avoid funding with a credit card where you can — issuers often treat it as a cash advance, adding a one-off fee and interest from day one. And always compare the exchange-rate margin, not just the upfront fee, since the margin is where most of the cost hides.
Our sources & how we keep this current
Last reviewed: 1 July 2026. We re-check the providers and rules on this corridor regularly, and will switch this page to a live price table as soon as our engine can quote UAE-origin transfers.
Affiliate disclosure: the "Visit site" links to some providers are affiliate links. Currency Expert may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you open an account through them. It never changes which providers we list or the order they appear in.