Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)
Do I need a licence for money transfer or remittance in the UAE?
Content reviewed 2026-08-14 · How we check sources
Short answer
Yes, if your company itself provides a regulated domestic or cross-border funds-transfer service onshore. Funds transfer is within the CBUAE retail-payments perimeter, while traditional exchange-house/remittance models can also engage the CBUAE exchange-business framework.
What this means
The exact route depends on who receives the customer instruction, who handles the money and how the transfer is executed. A software or distribution partner is not automatically the regulated remittance provider.
Cross-border products should also map foreign-exchange, correspondent and partner roles rather than assuming one payment licence covers every remittance function.
Official sources
CBUAE — Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes Regulation ↗Ask with your entity, activity and regulator.
Regulatory research, not legal advice. This answer has the scope and review date shown above; your institution decides applicability.