MMomoCalc
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🇪🇹

Receive Money in Ethiopia

The best apps to send money directly to your mobile money wallet in Ethiopia. Fees, speed, and operators compared.

Annual inflows
$1.0–1.5B
% PIB
~2–3% of GDP
Top sources
United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel, United Arab Emirates

Supported Mobile Wallets

📱 telebirr (Ethio Telecom)📱 M-Pesa Ethiopia (Safaricom)

Apps to send to Ethiopia

AppFeeSpeedSend from
🌍WorldRemitFlat feeMinutesUK, US, CA, AU, AE
🏦Western UnionFXMinutes to 1 dayUK, US, CA, AU, AE
💸RemitlyFlat feeMinutes to 3 daysUK, US, CA, AU, AE
💡 Key fact
M-Pesa Ethiopia + Dahabshiil partnership (June 2024) enables Ethiopian diaspora to send directly to M-Pesa wallets.

How receiving works in Ethiopia

The rail that credits the wallet. In Ethiopia, funds arrive on telebirr (Ethio Telecom) or M-Pesa, with crediting via dedicated partnerships rather than an open interbank rail. The M-Pesa Ethiopia–Dahabshiil partnership lets the diaspora send straight to M-Pesa wallets.

The real cost: moving the funds out. Receiving costs the recipient nothing; the cost sits at withdrawal, on telebirr's or M-Pesa's schedule. In a strict FX regime, the rate applied at conversion often matters more than the fee itself. See the Ethiopia fees page.

Limits and receive flow. telebirr applies tiered limits, up to ETB 300,000 per day for fully verified accounts. The main sources are the US, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the UAE — a very active Gulf route.

Send from a specific country

🇺🇸United States→🇦🇪UAE→

Frequently Asked Questions

What apps can I use to send money to Ethiopia mobile wallets?+
The most popular apps are Sendwave, LemFi, WorldRemit, TapTap Send and Remitly. They deliver directly to telebirr (Ethio Telecom), M-Pesa Ethiopia (Safaricom) in Ethiopia, in minutes.
Do I need to pay any fees to receive money on my wallet in Ethiopia?+
Generally no - recipients do not pay fees on international inbound transfers.
What is the maximum amount I can receive in Ethiopia?+
telebirr: tier-based limits. Max ETB 300,000/day for fully verified accounts.
How long does it take to receive money from abroad?+
Most apps (Sendwave, LemFi, TapTap Send, WorldRemit) deliver in minutes. Remitly Express is also fast. Remitly Economy and Wise take 1-3 business days.
Is there a government tax on receiving international money in Ethiopia?+
No government tax applies to international inbound transfers in Ethiopia as of 2026.
How is the money credited to the wallet in Ethiopia?+
In Ethiopia, funds arrive on telebirr (Ethio Telecom) or M-Pesa, with crediting via dedicated partnerships rather than an open interbank rail. The M-Pesa Ethiopia–Dahabshiil partnership lets the diaspora send straight to M-Pesa wallets.
How much does it cost to cash out received money in Ethiopia?+
Receiving costs the recipient nothing; the cost sits at withdrawal, on telebirr's or M-Pesa's schedule. In a strict FX regime, the rate applied at conversion often matters more than the fee itself. See the Ethiopia fees page.
View domestic fees in Ethiopia →