How do I send
money home?
I have bills to pay
back home!
Many people head to Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the Middle
East to pay off student loans or other debts. Sending
money home is not difficult. But, you need to set up a
few things back home first.
Bank Account
You
probably already have a bank account in your home
country. If not, set one up. Before you go, ask the
bank for their routing number or routing
address. The routing number - and your bank account
number - are the numbers an overseas bank needs to send
money to your account back home. Some people will call
this "wiring money home" and it is one of several
options for sending money home. It usually costs about
US$25-50, so don't send small amounts or the charges
will eat up too much of your money. Ask your bank if
they charge to receive money. You don't want to be
charged on both ends - if you can avoid it.
You'll need to find a major bank in the town where you
work - or sometimes you'll need to go to the capital
city or a large regional center and find a bank that
does foreign exchange.
International Money Orders - or International Bank
Checks (Cheques)
To
save some money on the charges, some people will get an
international bank check as they often cost as little as
US$3-10. But then you still have to mail the check home
to someone you trust - or your bank - and hope it gets
there okay. Korea and Japan have excellent postal
systems - so no worry there. But, many other countries
have unreliable postal systems and you will need to
gauge the risk of losing the check and getting it
replaced. That can take a long time - perhaps as long
as two or three months - or more.
Note: Banks in some countries will require that you
document your income via bringing your work contract or
at least your passport and work permit - be sure to find
out what is needed before you go. Sometimes this
can be done by having a secretary or colleague at your
school call the bank first.
Cash
Not
recommended, but I have, at one time or another, just
gotten cash and mailed it home to a relative to have it
deposited in my account. If you do this, conceal it
well and don't register it - it needs to look as
inconspicuous as possible to make sure it gets there.
Mail the money only to someone you trust, of course.
I sent the money to my mother. If you can't trust
your mom . . .
