# PayPal withdrawals in UAE



## mb_miller (Sep 27, 2013)

Hi Everyone,
Been considering the move to UAE (Dubai) for a while now, and have a quick question that I can't seem to find the answer to.

PayPal and also PayPal fees.

I understand that you cannot withdraw directly from PayPal to a UAE bank account. I've then heard that withdrawing using other methods is pretty heavy in regards to fees and transaction fees.

Does anyone have any experience in this? For example can you use a foreign bank account to withdraw to, while still declaring that income in the UAE?

Thanks in advance!


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## Geordie Jetsetter (Jan 2, 2014)

So, what you're saying is, can you use your ebay/pay pal account to take payments into a UK bank and not pay tax on it as you're out of the country?

Just because you're out of the UK DOES NOT mean you're not liable for tax there.


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## Malbec (Jan 2, 2014)

AFAIK you do do not have declare overseas income whether it has been received or not in UAE. As long as you are a resident in UAE and do not spend more than 183 days in UK, then you are not liable for income taxes in UK unless they have been earned locally within UK, e.g. rental income.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
As far as i know - if you move to UAE and then get agreement with HMRC that you are not resident for tax purposes - you could then live and work in UAE as well as send your Paypal balances to a 
UK bank account.
After all - this is in effect, the same as walking into a UAE money exchange with a wad of dirhams and getting that converted & electronically transferred to a UK account.
The key to all this is establishing without doubt that you are non resident for tax purposes - then keeping this status.
Of course - this is just my opinion and you need to get professional advice from a suitably qualified ( and insured!) expert.
Best of luck
Steve


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

You can only withdraw $500 per day and that's only to a card that will accept it, many of the banks here eg HSBC don't. Costs around $5 if I remember.

You can't put any money into your PayPal account from a UAE bank account and if anything should go wrong such as your $500 never clearing, you're up the swanny. 

From both PayPals side and you'd be as well signing semaphore in Mandarin for all the help you'll get from the bank.


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## mb_miller (Sep 27, 2013)

Hi everyone,
Thanks for your responses, some great info! 

Just to clarify - I run my own small business and deal with people internationally so everyone pretty much pays using PayPal. I would be looking at basing myself in Dubai permanently, returning to the UK for holidays etc. I would ensure that I wasn't a tax resident in the UK and declaring my earnings living in the UAE.

As Mr Rossi mentions it seems a bit of a minefield, that was the main reason I asked about using a foreign bank account rather than a UAE one to withdraw to. As my main source of income would come through PayPal (or a large chunk of it), I really need a foolproof withdrawl process. If anyone has any further tips I'd really appreciate it


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## Geordie Jetsetter (Jan 2, 2014)

Pay it into your \UK account and either transfer it to your UAE one or withdraw it using an ATM.

Simples. As a meerkat once said.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

mb_miller said:


> Hi everyone,
> Thanks for your responses, some great info!
> 
> Just to clarify - I run my own small business and deal with people internationally so everyone pretty much pays using PayPal. I would be looking at basing myself in Dubai permanently, returning to the UK for holidays etc. I would ensure that I wasn't a tax resident in the UK and declaring my earnings living in the UAE.
> ...


Hi, 
I used to run a business for around 4 years that collected more than £1000 per day through Paypal. I used to transfer money to my UK bank accounts on a daily basis - without any major problems.
This would still probably be your best bet - then just withdraw cash here through ATM or use banks transfers.
One tip on Paypal that i always did - if i was transferring £1000 on 15th of the month - i would actually transfer £1000.15 i.e the pence amount corresponded to the date.
This made it easier to track and trace the incoming amounts into my bank account and you could easilty spot missing or delayed transfers (often a later transfer would arrive in my bank account before a previously sent one!)
I had a premium business account - the fees were lower.
Hope above helps!
Cheers
Steve


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## mb_miller (Sep 27, 2013)

thanks everyone - problem solved


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Slight thread drift but when running an EBAY business here how did you get around the problem of the expensive and decidedly unreliable postal service to/from Dubai?


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## Noldor (Dec 27, 2014)

Mr Rossi said:


> You can't put any money into your PayPal account from a UAE bank account and if anything should go wrong such as your $500 never clearing, you're up the swanny.


This is not correct I think.
I've been putting money from my RAKbank account to my paypal without a problem, however I'm not able to withdraw to the RAKbank Mastercard and have to use my NBD Visa card for that.


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