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Home › From abroad › UK to Pakistan

Sending money from the UK to Pakistan

Short answer Send through a bank or a firm the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) has authorised, and check it on the FCA’s Financial Services Register before you pay. The money can reach a bank account by IBAN (International Bank Account Number), a cash counter or a mobile wallet, depending on the provider. On the Pakistan side, SBP EPD Circular Letter No. 12 of 2026 requires banks and exchange companies to keep qualifying home remittances “free-of-cost for the senders and beneficiaries”. SBP sets the minimum eligible transaction at USD 200. The circular does not cover what a UK provider charges; the provider must show its fees and exchange rate before you pay.

At a glance

APP’s list of the main sources in FY26 puts the UK third, after Saudi Arabia and the UAE. SBP’s own release text was not available to us; the figures are as reported. More: Remittances reached US$41.6bn in FY26; Pasban rewards start October 1.

Providers that publish Pakistan payouts

This table lists firms whose own pages state that they pay out in Pakistan and whose FCA reference we could confirm from the firm’s own published statement. It is not exhaustive and is not a ranking. We do not list fees or exchange rates: they change with the amount, the payment method and the payout, and each provider shows them before you pay.

Provider (UK entity) FCA status and reference Payout options in Pakistan, as the provider states Source
Wise (Wise Payments Limited) Electronic money institution, FCA reference 900507 Bank account (“receive to local bank accounts”) Payouts ↗ · FCA reference ↗
WorldRemit (WorldRemit Ltd) Authorised under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 and Electronic Money Regulations 2011, registration number 900891 Bank account (by IBAN); cash pickup; mobile wallet (Easypaisa and JazzCash) Payouts ↗ · Wallets ↗ · FCA reference ↗
MoneyGram (MoneyGram International Limited) Payment institution, FCA reference 502639 “cash pickup, bank account or digital methods”, depending on availability Payouts ↗ · FCA reference ↗

Source: the providers’ own pages linked in each row · checked 2026-09-28

Other firms also send to Pakistan from the UK. We left out two whose Pakistan payouts are published: Remitly, because its FCA reference differs between sources, and Western Union, because we found no FCA reference number published by the firm. Whatever provider you use, look it up on the FCA Firm Checker ↗ under the name on your receipt.

Your protection in the UK

The FCA’s guidance for customers of payment firms says:

  • Check authorisation. “All non-bank payment service providers (such as APIs, EMIs and SPIs) must be authorised or registered with us.” A money remitter is, in the FCA’s words, “a type of API” (authorised payment institution). An EMI is an electronic money institution.
  • No FSCS cover. If a non-bank provider fails, “your money won’t be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)”. EMIs and APIs must instead safeguard it, in a separate account or with insurance. Small payment institutions (SPIs) “don’t have to safeguard your money”.
  • See the full price first. In its review of remittance firms, the FCA listed as good practice showing the exchange rate, total fees in GBP and the amount the recipient receives before the transfer. It called it poor practice to describe a transfer as zero-cost “despite charging a markup” on the rate.

Source: FCA: Using payment service providers ↗, FCA: international payment pricing transparency ↗ · checked 2026-09-28

What the receiver needs to give you

  • Bank: the full name of the receiver’s bank
  • SWIFT/BIC: the bank’s code (see SWIFT codes of Pakistani banks)
  • IBAN: the receiver’s 24-character Pakistani IBAN
  • Account title: exactly as on the account

SWIFT codes for large banks: Meezan Bank, HBL, UBL, MCB Bank, Allied Bank.

For cash pickup, the provider gives you a reference number to pass on. WorldRemit, for example, says the collector needs photo ID (CNIC, passport or Pakistani driving licence) and the 11-digit reference starting with “PAK”. For a wallet, the receiver gives you the registered mobile number. What the receiver can use in Pakistan: Receiving money from abroad and Wallets.

Exchange rate

SBP publishes a daily M2M revaluation rate ↗ sheet. It includes GBP as well as USD; for example, the sheet for June 12, 2026 ↗ lists GBP beside USD, EUR, AED and SAR. SBP says the rates “are issued for Authorized Dealers to revalue their books daily” and that the GBP rate is derived from the USD/PKR rate and the pound’s rate against the dollar. It is a reference, not the rate your transfer is converted at. Compare it with the rate your provider shows before you pay.

Pasban Remittance Reward Scheme

SBP’s Governor announced the Pasban Remittance Reward Scheme on September 25, 2026. The terms below are as reported by APP and Dawn; we did not find the official terms and conditions.

  • APP reported that prizes are split by region: “50% for the GCC, 15% for the UK, 15% for Europe, 10% for North America, and 10% for other countries”. The first prize is open to all regions.
  • Dawn reported that the receiver must get at least US$100 “into an eligible bank account or wallet in each of the three months of a quarter”, and that cash collected over the counter does not qualify.
  • APP reported that the scheme starts on October 1, 2026.

Details: Receiving money from abroad.

Warning SBP’s public poster says transfer of foreign currency “through Hawala/Hundi operators is illegal”. It advises using “only State Bank authorized banks and exchange companies” and keeping the “system generated official receipt”. In the UK, use a firm you can find on the FCA register. In Pakistan, report illegal operators to the FIA at complaints@fia.gov.pk.

Tracking and complaints

Sending side (UK). Keep the provider’s reference number and track the transfer in its app or website. Complain to the provider first. The FCA says payment and e-money firms “must normally respond to certain complaints within 15 business days”, with a final response within 35 business days. If you are unhappy with the answer, the Financial Ombudsman Service ↗ is free; contact it “within 6 months of receiving a final response”.

Receiving side (Pakistan). The receiver uses the paying bank’s tracker with the reference number, for example HBL’s Remittance Tracker on hbl.com or Meezan Bank’s Home Remittance Tracker ↗. A complaint goes to the bank first; if it does not respond within 45 days, or the receiver is unhappy with the outcome, to the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan. PRI’s call centre is +9221-111-727-774.

Source: FCA: How to complain ↗, SBP: Sunwai FAQ ↗, PRI ↗ · checked 2026-09-28

Questions

Is sending money from the UK to Pakistan free?

On the Pakistan side, qualifying remittances of at least USD 200 must stay free for sender and beneficiary. Your UK provider sets its own fee and exchange rate and must show them before you pay.

How do I check that a UK money transfer firm is legitimate?

Search its name on the FCA Firm Checker or Financial Services Register and confirm it has permission for payment services. SBP says transfers through hawala or hundi operators are illegal.

Is my money protected if the UK provider goes bust?

Not by the FSCS. E-money institutions and authorised payment institutions must safeguard customer money; small payment institutions do not have to.

Does SBP publish a pound-to-rupee rate?

Yes, in its daily M2M revaluation sheet for banks. It is a reference rate, not the rate your provider uses.

Related

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