What bank details do I need to send money to the Maldives?
Ask the recipient’s bank for its written instructions for receiving MVR. A provider that pays through a local bank may request different details from a provider using SWIFT. Confirm the account holder, bank identifier, account number and any mandatory payment reference before requesting a price.
International bank transfers to the Maldives
Before setting up a beneficiary, find out whether the payment will arrive as a local bank deposit or an international wire. Ask for the receiving bank’s instructions for that method and for MVR. Check whose name should appear on the account, especially when paying a solicitor or a business.
Sending money online to the Maldives
When comparing a bank app with an online transfer service, enter the same total budget in both. Check how you can fund the payment, when the exchange rate becomes binding and whether the provider can tell you the final amount in MVR before you confirm.
How to pay an exact amount in MVR
For tuition, rent or an invoice, start with the sum the recipient needs to receive. Request a price for delivering that amount and ask who covers any deductions along the way. For a recurring payment, check when the rate is set for each instalment.
Before you send the first payment
Rent or a deposit. Ask the landlord which reference identifies your tenancy. For a deposit due on a specific date, check when the funds must reach the account and keep the bank confirmation with your lease.
Paying a supplier. Check whether the invoice requires payment in MVR. If it does, ask for a quote for the exact invoice total and agree who will cover any deductions before approving it.
Family support. If your recipient budgets in MVR, compare the cost of delivering the same monthly amount. Check whether the provider fixes the exchange rate when you schedule the payment or when it sends it.
Currency facts
On a payment worth 10,000 MVR at the market rate, a rate 1% lower would deliver 100 MVR less before fees.
Transfer guides
How much will arrive?
Give each provider the same total budget, including fees, and ask how much will arrive in MVR. Check whether intermediary or receiving-bank fees can still be deducted. For a fixed invoice, work backwards from the exact amount due and compare the total you would pay.
Working to a deadline
Ask for the date the beneficiary can use the funds. Confirm the funding deadline in your time zone and whether a weekend, local holiday or identity check changes the estimate. For a first payment, complete any checks before agreeing a delivery date with the recipient.
Invoices and large transfers
Check the provider’s transfer limit and your bank’s funding limit separately. Ask which documents are needed for this payment, such as an invoice or proof of the source of funds. For new or amended supplier details, call the supplier on a number already in your records before authorising payment.
Regular payments
For rent, pensions or family support, decide which amount must stay fixed each month: the sum leaving your account or the sum received in MVR. Ask when the rate is set for each payment, how to change the instruction and what happens if the funding date falls on a holiday.
Tracking a delayed payment
Keep the quoted rate, receipt, payment reference and expected arrival date. If the deadline passes, ask the sending provider to trace the transfer and give the recipient the reference for their bank. If any account detail is wrong, contact the provider immediately before sending further funds.