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Sending money to a telebirr wallet in Ethiopia

How mobile money like telebirr works for receiving money in Ethiopia, when it is a good choice, and how to send through a licensed service that delivers to a wallet.

By TiruListUpdated 2 min read

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The Ethio Telecom office building in Addis Ababa with blue city buses parked in front
Ethio Telecom in Addis Ababa. Its telebirr service is one of the mobile money wallets transfers can reach. Photo: Francisco Anzola, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Mobile money has made receiving money in Ethiopia much easier. If your family uses a wallet such as telebirr, a licensed service can deliver straight to their phone.

Check the licensed money-transfer list

How it works

You send through a licensed remittance provider and choose mobile money as the delivery method. The funds arrive in the recipient's wallet, which they can use to pay, save, or cash out. No bank account is required.

The Addis Ababa light rail line running along Haile Gebreselassie Avenue, seen from above
The light rail along Haile Gebreselassie Avenue, Addis Ababa. Photo: Ben Welle, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

When mobile money is a good choice

It suits recipients who have a phone but no convenient bank branch, and it is often fast. Confirm your recipient already has an active wallet and share the correct phone number tied to it.

A wide view over Addis Ababa under grey rainy-season skies, with a pond and towers in the distance
Addis Ababa in the rainy season. Photo: Mjr74, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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

Does my recipient need a bank account for telebirr?

No. Mobile money wallets work from a phone without a bank account, which is one reason they are popular for receiving remittances.

Can I send to telebirr from the US?

Yes, through a licensed service that offers mobile money delivery. Confirm the provider is NBE-licensed and that your recipient's wallet is active.

More in this guide: sending money home

Or browse every TiruList guide.

Sources

  1. [1]National Bank of Ethiopia (licensed financial institutions) Link

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