How to choose the best way to send money to Ethiopia
There is no single best money transfer to Ethiopia. Here is how to compare licensed services on total cost, delivery method, speed, limits, and support so you get the most birr home safely.
The best service is the one that gets the most birr to your family, in a way they can use, from a provider you can trust. Fees and rates change, so compare on a few things rather than one advertised number.
Compare the total cost, not the fee
Add the fee to the exchange rate you are offered. A low fee with a poor rate can deliver less birr than a higher fee with a fair rate. Look at the final amount your recipient receives.
Match the delivery to your recipient
Choose bank deposit, cash pickup, or mobile money based on what is convenient for the person receiving. Speed matters, but only if the money lands somewhere they can reach.
A low fee with a poor rate can deliver less birr than a higher fee with a fair rate.
Check limits, documents, and support
Confirm the sending limits, the identity documents you will need, and whether there is support you can reach if a transfer is delayed. And of course, confirm the provider is licensed by the National Bank of Ethiopia before you send.
Licensed services with a location in the DMV
These services appear on the National Bank of Ethiopia's licensed list and have a storefront or office in the DC area. Confirm the details with the service before you send. See every service we checked, and how, on the licensed money transfer list, or browse the send money home directory.
- Dahabshiil5983 Columbia Pike Ste 100, Falls Church, VA 22041
- FastPay8701 Georgia Ave Suite 606, Silver Spring, MD 20910
- Selam Express8205 Fenton St, Silver Spring, MD 20910
- Remitly
- Ria Money Transfer
- Western Union
Frequently asked
Is the cheapest service always best?
Not necessarily. The cheapest headline fee can come with a worse exchange rate or a delivery method your recipient cannot use. Compare the total birr delivered and the fit for your family.
More in this guide: sending money home
- How to send money to Ethiopia from the US safely (2026 guide) (the full guide)
- Is my money transfer service licensed in Ethiopia?
- Ways to send money to Ethiopia
- Sending money to a telebirr wallet in Ethiopia
Or browse every TiruList guide.
Sources
- [1]National Bank of Ethiopia (licensed financial institutions) Link
Keep reading
All articlesDiaspora Life
How to send money to Ethiopia from the US safely (2026 guide)
A plain guide to sending money to Ethiopia from the US: use a service licensed by the National Bank of Ethiopia, understand cash pickup vs bank and mobile money, know what affects the cost, and avoid unlicensed transfers.
Diaspora Life
Ways to send money to Ethiopia
Compare the main ways licensed services deliver money in Ethiopia: bank deposit, cash pickup, and mobile money like telebirr, so you can pick what your recipient can actually use.
Diaspora Life
Is your money transfer service licensed?
The National Bank of Ethiopia licenses every company allowed to move money into Ethiopia. Search the official list before you send, and see the licensed services people in the DMV actually use.
The TiruList directory
Everything Habesha in the DMV, in one place.
Restaurants, churches, markets, services, and events, vouched for by the community.