How long does a SWIFT transfer from United Arab Emirates to Nepal take?
Over 1.5 million Nepalese workers are based in the UAE, driving substantial remittance flows. Nepal receives nearly USD 9 billion annually in remittances — equivalent to approximately 25% of GDP. AED wires from the UAE route via SWIFT to a Nepalese bank (Nabil Bank, NIC Asia, Everest Bank) or via an Indian correspondent bank. The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) requires documentation for inward FX, and the conversion to NPR takes place at the beneficiary bank. Nepal's RTGS infrastructure is less mature than neighbours, so some payments route via correspondent banks in India, adding a day. GPI coverage is improving. Use Ohmyfin to track your UETR.
Details
Settlement path: UAEFTS → NRB SWIFT / correspondent. Currency pair: AED → NPR.
The three most common causes of delay on this corridor are: (1) Nepal Rastra Bank FX documentation requirement, (2) Limited RTGS infrastructure in Nepal routing via correspondent, and (3) AED-to-NPR conversion via USD intermediate step.
If the payment has not arrived within 4 business days, ask your sending bank to file an MT199 payment enquiry citing the UETR and the holding bank's BIC shown on the Ohmyfin GPI tracker.
Key facts
- Typical settlement: 1 business day
- 95th-percentile: 4 business days
- Currency pair: AED → NPR
- Settlement system: UAEFTS → NRB SWIFT / correspondent
- Top delay cause: Nepal Rastra Bank FX documentation requirement
How to track a delayed transfer — step by step
- Get the UETR from your sending bank — Ask your bank for the MT103 payment confirmation. The UETR (Unique End-to-end Transaction Reference) is in field 121 — a 36-character UUID formatted as 8-4-4-4-12 hexadecimal characters.
- Track the payment on Ohmyfin — Paste the UETR into the free Ohmyfin tracker at ohmyfin.org. You will see which bank is currently holding the payment and its live SWIFT GPI status code (ACSP, ACWP, RJCT, etc.).
- Identify the holding bank and delay cause — On the United Arab Emirates–Nepal corridor, the most common delay causes are: Nepal Rastra Bank FX documentation requirement; Limited RTGS infrastructure in Nepal routing via correspondent; AED-to-NPR conversion via USD intermediate step. The GPI tracker shows exactly which bank last acknowledged the payment.
- Ask your bank to file an MT199 enquiry — If the payment has been static for more than 24 hours, ask your sending bank to send an MT199 payment investigation message quoting the UETR and the holding bank's BIC. SWIFT GPI service levels require banks to respond within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a SWIFT transfer from United Arab Emirates to Nepal take?
Most SWIFT transfers on the United Arab Emirates–Nepal corridor credit the beneficiary within 1 business day. In 95% of cases the payment arrives within 4 business days. The most common delay is nepal rastra bank fx documentation requirement.
What causes delays for United Arab Emirates–Nepal payments?
The three most common delay causes are: Nepal Rastra Bank FX documentation requirement; Limited RTGS infrastructure in Nepal routing via correspondent; AED-to-NPR conversion via USD intermediate step.
What should I do if my United Arab Emirates–Nepal SWIFT transfer is late?
Track the UETR on Ohmyfin — the GPI status shows exactly which bank is holding the payment. If delayed beyond 4 business days, ask your sending bank to file an MT199 payment enquiry citing the UETR and the holding bank's BIC.
Which clearing system is used for United Arab Emirates–Nepal payments?
The dominant settlement path is UAEFTS → NRB SWIFT / correspondent. The currency pair is AED → NPR.
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