🔄 Live INR to SAR Converter

Send Money from India to Saudi Arabia – INR to SAR Remittance Guide 2026

Saudi Arabia is home to over 2.5 million Indian expatriates — one of the largest Indian communities outside India. While the dominant remittance flow is from Saudi Arabia to India (NRI workers sending earnings home to their families), there is a meaningful reverse flow as well: Indian residents sending money to Saudi Arabia for relocation expenses, business payments, family support, or student costs. This guide covers every aspect of sending INR to SAR from India, including RBI regulations, TCS charges, banking details, and the best transfer services.

💡 SAR peg: Like the UAE Dirham, the Saudi Riyal (SAR) is pegged to the US Dollar — at 3.75 SAR per USD. This means INR/SAR rate movements track INR/USD movements, and there is no independent Saudi riyal volatility to worry about.

Why Would Someone Send Money from India to Saudi Arabia?

While the India-Saudi Arabia corridor is dominated by inward remittances from Indian workers in KSA, there are several legitimate scenarios where Indian residents need to send money outward to Saudi Arabia:

Professionals Relocating to Saudi Arabia

Thousands of Indian engineers, doctors, IT professionals, accountants, and managers relocate to Saudi Arabia each year under work visas. The Saudi Vision 2030 initiative has dramatically expanded job opportunities for skilled expatriates across sectors including technology, healthcare, construction, finance, and hospitality. Individuals moving to Saudi Arabia often need to transfer initial funds — for advance rent, security deposits, and settling-in costs — before their first Saudi salary is received.

Business Payments to Saudi Counterparties

India and Saudi Arabia have significant bilateral trade, particularly in petroleum products, chemicals, plastics, textiles, and engineering goods. Indian businesses importing goods from Saudi Arabia or paying Saudi-based service providers need to make outward remittances governed by India's FEMA regulations and the LRS framework.

Education in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has been investing heavily in its university sector, and some Indian students pursue programmes at Saudi institutions, particularly in engineering, medicine, and Islamic studies. Tuition and accommodation costs denominated in SAR need to be funded from India under LRS education purpose codes.

Family Maintenance for Indians with Saudi Relatives

Some Indians have family members — spouses, children, parents — who are Saudi residents or citizens. Sending maintenance support to such relatives is permitted under LRS.

The SAR–USD Peg: What It Means for Your Transfer

The Saudi Riyal has been pegged to the US Dollar at 3.75 SAR per 1 USD since 1986 — one of the most enduring currency pegs in the world. This peg is backed by Saudi Arabia's enormous foreign exchange reserves and oil revenues. For someone converting INR to SAR:

To estimate SAR received: divide the current USD/INR rate by 3.75. For example, at USD/INR = 84.00, you get approximately 84 ÷ 3.75 = 22.4 SAR per ₹1,000 (or 0.0224 SAR per rupee).
INR/SAR volatility is entirely driven by the INR/USD rate — Saudi-specific news does not affect the exchange rate.
The SAR peg is considered extremely stable — there is no credible market expectation of any change to the 3.75 peg.

LRS Rules: Sending Money from India to Saudi Arabia

All outward remittances from India to Saudi Arabia are regulated under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS). Key regulatory requirements:

Annual Limit and Documentation

Annual LRS limit: USD 250,000 equivalent per individual per financial year (April–March)
PAN card: Mandatory for all LRS transactions without exception
Form A2: Purpose declaration form completed at the time of remittance
Supporting documents: Vary by purpose (employment letter for relocation, invoice for business payments, admission letter for education)

TCS on Outward Remittances

Purpose	TCS Rate	Threshold
Education (loan-funded)	0.5%	Above ₹7 lakh/year
Education (own funds) / Medical	5%	Above ₹7 lakh/year
Maintenance, gifts, travel, investment, other	20%	Above ₹7 lakh/year

⚠️ TCS is not a final tax. It is credited to your PAN and offset against your income tax liability when filing your ITR. Always retain TCS deduction certificates from your bank or transfer service.

Saudi Banking: What You Need to Know

Saudi banks use the IBAN format for account numbers. A Saudi IBAN is 24 characters long, starting with "SA" followed by 22 digits. Always obtain the exact IBAN from the recipient — ask them to copy it directly from their Saudi bank's online banking portal or a recent bank statement.

Major Saudi banks include Al Rajhi Bank, Saudi National Bank (SNB), Riyad Bank, Arab National Bank, and SABB (Saudi British Bank). All accept incoming international SWIFT transfers. The SWIFT code of the recipient's bank is required for transfers initiated via SWIFT from Indian banks.

Saudi banking hours are Sunday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM Saudi Arabia Standard Time (SAST, UTC+3). Transfers initiated on Thursday after banking hours, Friday, or Saturday will be processed on the following Sunday.

Best Services for INR to SAR Transfers

Service	Rate Quality	Transfer Time	Notes
Wise India	Near mid-market — best available	1–2 business days	Digital, transparent fees
Western Union India	Competitive for cash pickup	Minutes to hours	Good for SAR cash pickup in KSA
Instarem	Competitive	1–3 business days	Digital transfer to SAR bank account
HDFC / ICICI / SBI SWIFT	Bank rate (2–3.5% margin)	2–5 business days	High compliance, high cost
BookMyForex	Good — 1–1.5% margin	2–3 business days	Competitive for larger transfers

Step-by-Step: How to Send Money from India to Saudi Arabia

Confirm the purpose is permitted under LRS and prepare the required supporting documents
Get the recipient's Saudi IBAN (24 characters, starting with SA) and the bank's SWIFT/BIC code
Compare rates on the day of transfer across Wise, Instarem, and your bank — use the live rate above as your benchmark
Create or log in to your chosen platform and complete KYC if required (first-time users typically need PAN + Aadhaar or Passport)
Enter transfer details accurately: amount, recipient IBAN, SWIFT code, full beneficiary name as registered with Saudi bank, and purpose
Complete Form A2 purpose declaration and upload supporting documents
Fund the transfer from your Indian bank account via NEFT/IMPS/UPI as directed by the platform
Note the transaction reference number for tracking and dispute resolution if needed
Confirm receipt with the Saudi beneficiary — Saudi banks typically send an SMS notification when funds are credited
Retain all documents including TCS certificate for your annual ITR filing

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the SAR ever change its peg against the USD?

The SAR–USD peg has been in place since 1986 and is backed by Saudi Arabia's vast sovereign wealth. There is no realistic market expectation of any change to the 3.75 peg. For your INR to SAR conversion planning, the only variable is the INR/USD rate.

Can I send SAR to a Saudi bank account from India?

Yes — you can instruct your Indian bank or a digital platform to send funds in SAR to a Saudi IBAN. Alternatively, you can send USD which is then converted to SAR at the Saudi bank's rate (which is very close to the peg). Some services offer the option to send in either currency.

Is there a limit on how much I can send from India to Saudi Arabia?

The LRS annual limit of USD 250,000 equivalent applies to all outward remittances. For most individual purposes (relocation, maintenance, education), this limit is more than sufficient. Businesses making trade payments may need to use separate non-LRS commercial remittance routes with their bank.

What documents does a Saudi employer typically need before I can receive a salary?

This is a separate matter from remittance from India. To receive a Saudi salary, you typically need an Iqama (Saudi residency permit), a Saudi bank account, and your employment contract registered with the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources. Your Indian transfer is for pre-arrival or initial costs only.

Disclaimer: LRS rules, TCS rates, and banking regulations are subject to change. This guide is for educational reference only. Always verify the latest requirements with your bank or a qualified financial advisor before initiating any international transfer.