Send money from the UK to India
Check today's pound to rupee rate, see how many rupees your family will receive, and find out what it costs, how long it takes and what details you need.
Key facts
- On 2 Nov 2026, 06:10 GMT, £1 was worth ₹127.19 at the mid-market rate.
- Sonic Wallet sends pounds from the UK to bank accounts in India.
Rate last updated:
How many rupees will arrive?
Mid-market rate: £1 = ₹127.1934. Converted at the mid-market rate, before any fee or margin. You will see the exact fee and exchange rate before you confirm a transfer.
Send money to IndiaHow to send money from the UK to India
Create your account
Sign up and verify your identity with a passport, UK driving licence or national identity card. Every UK money transfer provider has to check who you are.
Add your recipient
Enter their full name exactly as their bank holds it, their account number and the 11-character IFSC code of their bank branch.
Choose how much to send
Enter the amount in pounds. You see the exchange rate, the fee and the exact number of rupees before you confirm.
Pay and track your transfer
Confirm and pay for the transfer, then follow it in the app until the money reaches the account in India.
How can money be received in India?
Your recipient doesn't need to sign up or collect anything: the money is paid straight into their account.
Bank account
Any savings or current account at an Indian bank. Indian banks credit incoming payments through IMPS, which runs 24 hours a day and is usually instant, or NEFT, which settles every half hour, every day of the year.
NRE and NRO accounts
Non-resident Indians can receive money from abroad in an NRE or NRO account. Interest on an NRE account is tax-free in India, and the money can be moved back out of India freely.
How much does it cost to send money to India?
Every transfer has two costs: the transfer fee, and the exchange-rate margin, which is the gap between the rate you get and the mid-market rate. A transfer advertised as fee-free can still cost more than one with a fee if its exchange rate is worse.
According to the World Bank, sending £120 from the UK to India cost 1.91% of the amount on average in the third quarter of 2025: an average fee of £1.58 plus an exchange-rate margin of 0.59%.
The fairest way to compare providers is to look at how many rupees arrive for the same number of pounds.
| You send | At the mid-market rate |
|---|---|
| £100 | ₹12,719.34 |
| £500 | ₹63,596.68 |
| £1,000 | ₹1,27,193.35 |
Pound to rupee conversion table
Over the last 30 days, £1 has been worth between ₹125.50 and ₹128.16. Over the last year, £1 has been worth between ₹115.42 and ₹130.59.
| British pounds | Indian rupees |
|---|---|
| £1 | ₹127.19 |
| £5 | ₹635.97 |
| £10 | ₹1,271.93 |
| £20 | ₹2,543.87 |
| £50 | ₹6,359.67 |
| £100 | ₹12,719.34 |
| £200 | ₹25,438.67 |
| £250 | ₹31,798.34 |
| £500 | ₹63,596.68 |
| £1,000 | ₹1,27,193.35(1.27 lakh) |
| £2,000 | ₹2,54,386.71(2.54 lakh) |
| £5,000 | ₹6,35,966.76(6.36 lakh) |
| £10,000 | ₹12,71,933.53(12.72 lakh) |
Is it safe to send money to India online?
Sending money online is safe when you use a provider authorised or registered by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can check any firm on the FCA Register before you send.
Never send money to someone you have only met online, and be wary of anyone who asks you to pay a fee or tax to release a prize, loan or parcel. Banks, HMRC and the Indian authorities will never ask you to settle a debt by money transfer.
Search the FCA Register
What do you need to send money to India?
From you
- A passport, UK driving licence or national identity card
- Sometimes proof of address, such as a recent bank statement or utility bill
- For large amounts, evidence of where the money came from
About your recipient
- Their full name, exactly as their bank holds it
- Their bank account number
- The 11-character IFSC code of their branch, such as SBIN0001234
How much money can you send to India?
The UK has no legal limit on how much of your own money you can send abroad, and the Reserve Bank of India sets no limit on the amount or number of personal remittances paid into bank accounts. Providers set their own limits and may ask where a large amount came from.
Cash-collection services in India are different: under the Reserve Bank of India's Money Transfer Service Scheme each transfer is capped at US$2,500, and a recipient can receive no more than 30 a year.
Sending money to a particular state
The UK is one of India's biggest sources of money from abroad: 10.8% of the remittances India received in 2023-24 came from the UK, up from 6.8% in 2020-21, according to the Reserve Bank of India.
Guides to sending money to India
- The cheapest way to send money from the UK to India
- How to send money to India with UPI from the UK
- NRE vs NRO accounts: which should you use?
- Do you pay tax on money sent from the UK to India?
- How much money can you send to India from the UK?
- What bank details do you need to send money to India?
- How long does it take to send money from the UK to India?
- When is the best time to send money to India? GBP/INR data
Frequently asked questions
What is the pound to rupee exchange rate today?+
On 2 Nov 2026, 06:10 GMT, £1 was worth ₹127.19 at the mid-market rate. This page updates the rate every hour. Banks and transfer services add a margin to the mid-market rate, so check the rate you are offered before you send.
What is the cheapest way to send money from the UK to India?+
The cheapest option is the one that delivers the most rupees once the fee and the exchange-rate margin are both counted, so compare what your recipient gets rather than the fee alone. Costs vary widely: the World Bank found that sending £120 from the UK to India cost 1.91% on average in the third quarter of 2025.
How long does it take to send money from the UK to India?+
Payments into Indian bank accounts through IMPS usually arrive within minutes, on any day of the week, and NEFT payments settle every half hour around the clock. International SWIFT payments from UK banks can take 1 to 5 working days.
Can I send money to India using UPI from the UK?+
Yes, if your provider supports UPI payouts: you pay the recipient's UPI ID instead of entering their account number. Since 2023, the National Payments Corporation of India has also let non-resident Indians use UPI on NRE and NRO accounts registered to a UK mobile number (+44).
What details do I need to send money to a bank account in India?+
You need the recipient's full name as their bank holds it, their account number and the IFSC code of their bank branch. Indian bank accounts don't have an IBAN or a sort code.
What is an IFSC code? Do Indian banks use sort codes?+
India doesn't use sort codes or IBANs. Instead, each bank branch has an 11-character IFSC code, such as SBIN0001234: the first four letters identify the bank, the fifth character is always zero and the last six identify the branch.
Is there a limit on how much money I can send to India?+
There is no UK legal limit, and the Reserve Bank of India doesn't limit personal remittances paid into bank accounts. Providers set their own limits and may ask about the source of large amounts. Cash-collection transfers are capped at US$2,500 each.
Do I pay tax on money I send to India?+
There is no tax on sending money from the UK, but large gifts can count towards inheritance tax if you die within 7 years, unless an exemption applies, such as the £3,000 annual exemption or regular gifts made from your income. In India, gifts from close relatives are tax-free for the recipient, while gifts from non-relatives worth more than ₹50,000 in a financial year are taxable. This is general information, not tax advice.
Can I send money from the UK to my own NRE account?+
Yes. NRE accounts are designed to receive money from abroad. Interest on an NRE account is tax-free in India, and the balance and the interest can be moved back out of India at any time.
Why is the rate I am offered different from the rate on Google?+
Google and this page show the mid-market rate: the midpoint between the prices at which banks buy and sell a currency. Transfer providers add a margin to that rate, so the rate you are offered is usually lower. Sonic Wallet shows you its rate and the exact rupee amount before you confirm.
Is it safe to send money to India online?+
Yes, if you use a provider authorised or registered by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can check any firm on the FCA Register before you send money.
When is the best time to send money to India?+
Nobody can reliably predict exchange rates, so the best time is usually when your family needs the money. The rate doesn't change at weekends, when currency markets are closed. Our analysis of the last year of pound to rupee rates shows how much the rate moves.
Sources
- Changing Dynamics of India's Remittances: Sixth Round of India's Remittances Survey (2023-24), Reserve Bank of India Bulletin, March 2025
- Remittance Prices Worldwide: United Kingdom to India, World Bank
- FAQs on remittances: Rupee Drawing Arrangement and Money Transfer Service Scheme, Reserve Bank of India
- Master Direction: Money Transfer Service Scheme, Reserve Bank of India
- NEFT frequently asked questions, Reserve Bank of India
- Circular NPCI/UPI/OC-161/2022-23: UPI for non-resident accounts with international mobile numbers, National Payments Corporation of India, January 2023
- Inheritance Tax: rules on giving gifts, GOV.UK
- Tax treatment of gifts received by an individual or HUF, Income Tax Department, Government of India
- Financial Services Register, Financial Conduct Authority
Written by Sonic Wallet editorial team · Last reviewed: 1 November 2026