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The short answer
To send from Emirates NBD to Nigeria by SWIFT you need the recipient's name exactly as the Nigerian bank holds it, their 10-digit NUBAN account number, the bank's SWIFT code and, for a dollar transfer to a domiciliary account, the bank's correspondent details. Emirates NBD's schedule of charges (undated, read Oct 2026) lists two free international transfers a month under SHA and OURS, then AED 68.25 each, and a USD 25 correspondent charge when you choose OURS on a dollar transfer.
What a SWIFT transfer from Emirates NBD actually is
A SWIFT transfer is a bank-to-bank payment message. Emirates NBD sends an instruction to the Nigerian bank, usually through one or more correspondent banks that hold accounts for each other in the currency being sent. That is different from an exchange house or an app, which collects your dirhams in the UAE and pays your recipient in Nigeria through its own partners. The SWIFT route is the one to use when you want dollars to land in a Nigerian domiciliary account, or when you need a bank-issued record of a larger payment such as school fees or a property instalment.
The message itself carries fixed fields: the ordering customer (you), the beneficiary, the beneficiary's bank, any intermediary bank, a remittance note and a charges code. The BNZ specification for the MT103 message lists the charges field as mandatory, with three values: OUR, where the sender pays all charges; SHA, where the sender pays their own bank and the beneficiary bears the rest; and BEN, where the beneficiary bears all charges. Emirates NBD's own documents use the spelling OURS.
The details the Nigerian bank needs
Ask your recipient to send the details from their bank app or a statement rather than typing them from memory. A wrong digit or a name that does not match is the most common reason a transfer is delayed or returned.
- Beneficiary name
- Exactly as the Nigerian bank holds it. GTBank's inward transfer page asks for the name "as captured on BASIS", its core banking system.
- Account number
- The 10-digit NUBAN. The CBN standard, as reported by BusinessDay, says each NUBAN is 10 digits and unique within the institution.
- Bank name and SWIFT code
- Use the head-office code the bank publishes. For example, Wise's SWIFT directory lists GTBINGLAXXX for GTBank's head office and notes that not every branch has its own code.
- Correspondent bank (dollar transfers)
- The Nigerian bank's own account with its correspondent bank and that bank's name or SWIFT code. GTBank says these are in its "disposal instructions", not on the page itself.
- Purpose
- GTBank says individual inflows from individual remitters abroad must state a purpose, in line with CBN rules.
Nigeria does not use IBANs. If the Emirates NBD form insists on one, use the field for the account number and enter the NUBAN; if the form will not accept it, call the bank rather than inventing a number. Our guide to the details a Nigerian bank needs goes through each field in more depth, and the Nigeria library has bank-by-bank pages such as GTBank's SWIFT and sort codes.
What Emirates NBD charges, from its own schedule
The figures below come from two Emirates NBD documents we read in October 2026. Neither is dated on the page, and the schedule we opened may not be the one for your account type, so check the schedule for your own account before relying on them.
| Item | What the Emirates NBD document says |
|---|---|
| International transfer, branch or online (including DirectRemit) | Two free transactions a month under SHA and OURS; each additional transaction AED 68.25 |
| OURS on a USD transfer via a direct correspondent | USD 25 correspondent charge |
| OURS on an AED transfer outside the UAE | AED 105, paid as correspondent charges to the UAE Central Bank |
| Intermediary bank involved | "Additional charges may apply" |
| Recall and cancellation | Up to AED 26.25 |
| Investigations and tracers | No charges applicable |
| VAT | All fees and charges are stated as inclusive of VAT |
Two points matter. First, OURS does not always mean the full amount arrives: the schedule itself says receiving or intermediary banks may deduct their own charges. Second, the bank's fee is only part of the cost. If you pay in dirhams and the transfer goes out in dollars, Emirates NBD converts at its own rate, and the gap between that rate and the mid-market rate is a cost even though it is not listed as a fee. Our explainer on SHA, BEN and OUR covers how each code plays out on a Nigerian account.
Steps
- Get the beneficiary name, NUBAN, bank SWIFT code and, for dollars, the correspondent details in writing from the recipient or their bank.
- Confirm with the recipient that the account can receive the currency you are sending: a naira account and a dollar domiciliary account have different numbers.
- In the Emirates NBD app or online banking, add the beneficiary as an international payee, choose the currency, and enter the purpose.
- Choose the charges option. OURS costs you more up front but reduces deductions on the way; SHA or BEN means the recipient may receive less than you sent.
- Review the conversion rate and the total debit before approving, and save the confirmation.
- Share the payment confirmation with your recipient so their bank can match it if anything is queried.
If the money does not arrive
SWIFT transfers to Nigeria often take a few working days because they pass through correspondents in different time zones. If nothing has arrived after the time your bank quoted, ask Emirates NBD for a trace; its schedule lists investigations and tracers as free of charge. A recall is a separate request and is listed at up to AED 26.25, but it only works if the Nigerian bank has not yet credited the account or the recipient agrees to return the funds. See our guide to tracing a SWIFT transfer to Nigeria for what to ask for.
Where Pryme fits
Some readers keep a dollar, pound or euro balance outside the UAE as well. A Pryme account can be opened from any country and holds NGN, USD, GBP and EUR with local details for each; money stays in the currency it arrived in until you choose to Swap it, and the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's activities are carried out through regulated partners. See the multicurrency account.
Questions people ask
Does Emirates NBD charge for international transfers?
Its schedule of charges, read in October 2026, lists two free international transfers a month under SHA and OURS, then AED 68.25 for each additional one, VAT inclusive. Check the schedule for your own account type.
What is the Emirates NBD SWIFT charge with OURS for dollars?
Its correspondent charges document lists USD 25 for a USD transfer routed through a direct correspondent, with possible extra charges if an intermediary bank is involved.
Can I send dirhams straight to a Nigerian account?
Nigerian accounts hold naira or, for domiciliary accounts, dollars, pounds or euros. Send in a currency the receiving account holds, and ask the bank before sending anything else.
What SWIFT code do I use for a Nigerian bank?
Use the head-office code the bank itself publishes. Many branches do not have their own code.
Sources
- Emirates NBD: Personal banking schedule of charges (PDF, undated, read Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Emirates NBD: Correspondent bank charges for international transfers (PDF, undated, read Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- BNZ: SWIFT MT103 message specification (Nov 2021) · accessed Oct 2026
- GTBank: Foreign currency inward transfer (FX inflow) (undated) · accessed Oct 2026
- Wise: GTBank SWIFT code directory (read Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- BusinessDay: CBN extends uniform account number to OFIs (2020) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.