A FAB international transfer can travel through one of the bank’s instant country corridors or through the SWIFT network. The route matters: FAB currently lists zero transfer fees for eligible instant transfers to India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, AED 100 for its instant UK and eurozone services, and currency-specific charges of AED 20–50 for many online or mobile SWIFT transfers.
This guide focuses specifically on sending money abroad from a personal FAB account. For account eligibility, branches, cards, savings and the broader customer experience, read our FAB review for expats. If you are considering the bank’s everyday current account, see the dedicated FAB One Account guide.
Last checked: 27 September 2026. Transfer fees, exchange rates, limits and available corridors can change. The final confirmation screen in FAB Mobile and the terms attached to your own account take precedence.
FAB international transfers at a glance
| Question | 2026 answer |
|---|---|
| How do you send? | Through FAB Mobile after adding and activating the beneficiary. |
| Fastest route | Eligible instant corridors to India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, the UK and participating eurozone banks. |
| Instant delivery target | Within 60 minutes, subject to the destination bank and FAB’s checks. |
| Other destinations | SWIFT, generally quoted at one to two working days. |
| Instant transfer fee | Zero FAB transfer fee for the four Asian corridors above; AED 100 for the UK and eurozone corridors. |
| Online/mobile SWIFT fee | Currency-specific, generally AED 20–50 under FAB’s current schedule. |
| Instant transfer daily limit | AED 100,000 across the published corridors, with lower per-transfer limits in the recipient currency. |
| Instant transfer monthly limit | AED 450,000 for India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, the UK and eurozone routes; Pakistan instead publishes a recipient cap of PKR 1.5 million per month. |
| Can extra bank charges apply? | Yes. SWIFT correspondent and recipient-bank fees may be deducted, and foreign exchange affects the final amount. |
The most important practical rule is to review the whole quote before confirming. “Zero transfer fee” does not mean “zero cost”: FAB still converts currencies at the rate shown for the transaction, and the difference between that rate and a mid-market benchmark can matter more than a small fixed fee.
Instant transfer or SWIFT?
FAB instant international transfer
FAB has dedicated person-to-person corridors for six markets. The recipient account must use the supported local currency, the receiving institution must participate in the relevant local payment system, and the payment must remain within the route’s limits.
The instant option is usually the simplest choice when it appears in the app because the fee and expected delivery are easier to understand. It is intended for transfers to individuals. FAB says corporate payments should use SWIFT.
FAB SWIFT transfer
SWIFT is the broader international banking network. It is the route for countries not covered by FAB’s instant services, currencies outside those corridors, eligible business payments and amounts above instant caps. Unlike an instant local rail, a SWIFT payment can pass through one or more correspondent banks before reaching the beneficiary’s bank.
That extra chain creates three uncertainties: how long the payment takes, whether an intermediary deducts a charge and how much reaches the beneficiary. FAB’s published fee is therefore only one part of the transfer cost.
FAB international transfer fees in 2026
Instant corridor fees
| Destination | Supported currency | FAB fee | Published delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | INR | AED 0 | Within 60 minutes |
| Pakistan | PKR | AED 0 | Within 60 minutes |
| Philippines | PHP | AED 0 | Within 60 minutes |
| Sri Lanka | LKR | AED 0 | Within 60 minutes |
| United Kingdom | GBP | AED 100 | Within 60 minutes |
| Eurozone | EUR | AED 100 | Within 60 minutes |
For the UK route, the beneficiary bank must participate in Faster Payments and the account must be in pounds. For the eurozone route, the bank must support SEPA Instant and the account must be in euros. If these conditions are not met, the app may direct you to SWIFT instead.
Online and mobile SWIFT charges
FAB’s currency schedule lists the bank’s own charge for an online or mobile SWIFT transfer. The figures below are expressed in dirhams even though the payment is sent in the named currency.
| FAB fee | Transfer currencies |
|---|---|
| AED 20 | BHD, KWD, OMR, SAR |
| AED 25 | INR, JOD, PKR, PHP |
| AED 30 | DKK, JPY, MAD, NOK, GBP, SEK |
| AED 40 | CHF |
| AED 45 | CAD, EGP, EUR, PLN, KRW, LKR, THB, USD |
| AED 50 | AUD, HKD, ILS, NZD, SGD, ZAR |
FAB’s July 2026 general service guide describes online and mobile foreign-currency transfers as costing up to AED 52.50 and warns that correspondent banks may add charges. The more detailed currency schedule supplies the AED 20–50 breakdown above. Branch telegraphic transfers use a different tariff, so do not assume the mobile price applies at a branch.
What is “Pay In Full”?
The current FAB tariff lists an additional AED 105 for “pay in full” instructions on foreign-currency remittances, while the dedicated online/mobile SWIFT schedule describes a Pay In Full option as AED 100 on top of the normal fee. Because the official documents use slightly different inclusive figures, rely on the amount displayed by the app for your transfer.
This option is designed to reduce deductions from the payment before it reaches the beneficiary. It is not a reason to ignore the quote: a receiving bank can have its own pricing, and currency conversion can still affect the amount credited.
FAB international transfer limits
FAB publishes the following caps for its instant country services:
| Destination | Maximum per transfer | Daily limit | Other published limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | INR 1.5 million | AED 100,000 | AED 450,000 per month |
| Pakistan | PKR 1.5 million | AED 100,000 | Recipient cap of PKR 1.5 million per month |
| Philippines | PHP 500,000 | AED 100,000 | AED 450,000 per month |
| Sri Lanka | LKR 4.25 million | AED 100,000 | AED 450,000 per month |
| United Kingdom | GBP 18,000 | AED 100,000 | AED 450,000 per month |
| Eurozone | EUR 21,000 | AED 100,000 | AED 450,000 per month |
These are service ceilings, not guaranteed personal limits. Your app setting, available balance, account profile, transaction history and security controls can produce a lower maximum. The recipient’s bank may also impose its own cap.
FAB does not publish one universal personal SWIFT limit on the public transfer page. It tells customers whose payment exceeds an instant corridor’s maximum to use SWIFT. Check the personalized transfer limit shown in FAB Mobile before planning a large payment. Elite customers have separate limit-management facilities, so a figure quoted for an Elite relationship should not be presented as the standard allowance for every account.
How to make a FAB international transfer
- Open FAB Mobile and go to transfers. Select an international transfer rather than a UAE local transfer.
- Add the beneficiary. Choose the destination country and enter the recipient’s legal name and banking details exactly as their bank holds them.
- Complete beneficiary activation. Follow the app’s authentication steps. Do not approve an activation you did not initiate.
- Select the account and currency. Choose the account you will debit and the currency the beneficiary should receive.
- Choose the available route. Where eligible, FAB may offer the destination’s instant service. Otherwise, use SWIFT.
- Enter the amount and purpose. Provide an accurate payment purpose and any reference the recipient needs.
- Review the quote. Check the exchange rate, FAB fee, total amount debited, amount expected at destination and any warning about other-bank charges.
- Confirm securely. Authenticate in the app and save the transaction reference and receipt.
- Track the payment. If the recipient does not receive it within the quoted window, use the reference when contacting FAB.
Send a small test payment before a large transfer to a new beneficiary. It costs time and may incur a second fee, but it can prevent a much larger mistake—especially when the account number was copied from an email or message.
Beneficiary details you need
The required fields depend on the country and route, but expect some combination of:
- Beneficiary’s full legal name and address
- Bank name and country
- Account number or IBAN
- SWIFT/BIC for an international bank transfer
- Local routing code where the country uses one
- Recipient currency
- Transfer purpose and payment reference
A correct IBAN can still fail if the beneficiary name is materially different from the bank record. Avoid nicknames, shortened company names and manually “fixing” an account number format. Ask the recipient for instructions generated by their bank, not a screenshot forwarded through an unverified contact.
How long does a FAB international transfer take?
FAB advertises eligible instant-corridor payments as reaching the destination within 60 minutes. That is a target, not an unconditional guarantee. The receiving bank must support the relevant rail, the details must be correct, and the payment must clear fraud, sanctions and compliance screening.
For other countries, FAB says SWIFT transfers generally take one to two working days. The clock can stretch when:
- you submit after a processing cut-off;
- a UAE or destination-country weekend or public holiday intervenes;
- a correspondent bank handles the payment;
- the beneficiary bank requests more information;
- the payment purpose or name triggers manual review;
- the currency requires additional conversion.
For a rent deposit, school fee or property payment, do not schedule the transfer on the final due date. Ask the recipient which value date and reference they require, then allow time to correct a rejected payment.
The real cost: fee, exchange rate and deductions
The total cost of a FAB international transfer has up to four components:
- FAB’s transfer fee. This may be zero, a corridor fee, or the SWIFT currency fee.
- The exchange rate. FAB shows the applied rate before confirmation. The margin embedded in that rate can outweigh the fixed fee on a large transfer.
- Correspondent-bank charges. These can be deducted while a SWIFT payment moves between banks.
- Recipient-bank charges. The beneficiary’s bank may charge for an incoming international payment or conversion.
For a meaningful comparison, obtain quotes for the same source amount and ask: “How much will the recipient receive in their account?” A provider advertising a zero fee can deliver less than one with a fixed charge if its exchange rate is weaker.
If international transfers will be a regular part of your banking, include them in your bank selection rather than treating them as an occasional add-on. Our FAB vs Emirates NBD and Wio vs FAB comparisons explain how the wider account models differ. The best banks in Dubai for expats guide provides a broader shortlist.
Why a transfer can be delayed, rejected or arrive short
The beneficiary is not eligible for the instant route
The country may be supported while the specific bank, account type or currency is not. UK Faster Payments and SEPA Instant depend on the receiving bank’s participation. FAB can therefore route one beneficiary instantly but require SWIFT for another in the same country.
The payment exceeded a limit
Per-transaction, daily and monthly caps work independently. A GBP payment below GBP 18,000 can still fail if you have already used your AED 100,000 daily allowance. Pakistan also has a published monthly recipient limit.
The name or bank details do not match
A transposed digit, wrong SWIFT code or incomplete legal name can cause a rejection or manual repair. FAB or another bank may charge for investigating, recalling or reissuing a payment.
Compliance needs more information
International payments are screened. A bank may ask for an invoice, sale agreement, salary evidence, source-of-funds document or explanation of the relationship with the recipient. Respond through an official FAB channel and never send banking credentials by email.
Fees were deducted in transit
If a SWIFT beneficiary receives less than expected, ask for the payment message and fee breakdown. The difference may come from a correspondent, the receiving bank or conversion. Compare this with the charging option selected in the app before assuming FAB made an error.
The Complete Dubai Relocation Toolkit brings your banking, deposits, housing, visa, insurance and first-month costs into one practical system, so an international transfer is scheduled before the payment deadline rather than after it.
When should you compare another transfer service?
FAB can be convenient when your salary and main account are already there, an instant corridor serves your recipient, or you need the traceability of a bank-to-bank payment. Comparison is particularly worthwhile when:
- the transfer is large enough for the exchange-rate margin to dominate;
- you send money repeatedly and small pricing differences compound;
- the recipient needs an exact amount after all deductions;
- your beneficiary is outside the six instant markets;
- the app’s personal limit is below the amount due;
- you need a specialist currency or payment route.
Compare regulated providers on destination availability, receiving amount, delivery time, cancellation rules and support—not marketing slogans. New UAE residents should also consider how long account activation and beneficiary setup take. Our guide to opening a bank account in Dubai explains the usual documents and setup sequence.
Frequently asked questions
How much does FAB charge for an international transfer?
It depends on the route. Eligible instant transfers to India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka have a zero FAB transfer fee. FAB lists AED 100 for its UK and eurozone instant services. Online or mobile SWIFT fees generally range from AED 20 to AED 50 by currency, before optional Pay In Full and possible other-bank charges.
What is the FAB international transfer limit?
FAB publishes AED 100,000 per day for each instant corridor, with destination-specific per-transfer caps. Most also have an AED 450,000 monthly limit. FAB does not publish one universal public SWIFT limit for every personal customer; check the personalized limit in FAB Mobile.
How long does a FAB international transfer take?
Eligible instant transfers are advertised as arriving within 60 minutes. SWIFT transfers generally take one to two working days, but weekends, correspondent banks, incorrect details and compliance checks can cause delays.
Can I transfer money internationally through FAB Mobile?
Yes. FAB provides in-app flows for adding a beneficiary, making an international transfer and sending a SWIFT transfer. Your available routes and limits depend on the destination, currency, beneficiary and account profile.
Are FAB international transfers free?
Some are free of FAB’s explicit transfer fee, but not all. Four instant Asian corridors publish a zero FAB fee. UK and eurozone instant transfers cost AED 100, and SWIFT has currency-based fees. Even a zero-fee transfer includes currency conversion, so compare the exchange rate and final recipient amount.
Can I send more than AED 100,000?
The public instant routes have a daily cap of AED 100,000. FAB tells customers to use SWIFT for amounts above an instant corridor’s limit, subject to their personal transfer allowance, available funds and compliance approval.
Why did the recipient receive less?
The difference can come from correspondent-bank fees, a recipient-bank charge or currency conversion. Review the fee option and rate on your receipt. For SWIFT payments, ask FAB for a trace if the deduction is unexplained.
Is Pay In Full worth using?
It can be useful when the beneficiary must receive as close as possible to a specified amount, because it is intended to reduce intermediary deductions. FAB charges an additional fee for the option. Confirm the app’s displayed price and remember that a receiving bank’s own charge may still apply.
Our verdict
FAB’s strongest international-transfer proposition is its instant corridor network. The four zero-fee Asian routes can be convenient for personal remittances, while the UK and eurozone services exchange a higher fixed fee for a published 60-minute target. SWIFT gives FAB broad global reach, but its true cost is less predictable because exchange-rate margins and other banks can matter more than FAB’s AED 20–50 fee.
Choose the route only after the beneficiary is active and the app shows the final quote. For a new recipient, verify the details independently and send a test amount. For a large or recurring payment, compare the net amount delivered by at least one alternative before confirming.