How to send money to the Marshall Islands in 2026: US dollars, Majuro banks, the US compact fund and land leases
In 2026 the Marshall Islands pay in US dollars, and a transfer to Majuro needs no exchange. We explain which of the two banks to choose, what the $2.3 billion compact with the USA gave the country, why land is leased with the consent of the chief and the head of the clan and which documents each amount needs.
Money is sent to the Marshall Islands in US dollars, the country's currency, so the recipient loses nothing on exchange. Majuro has the country's local bank and a branch of a bank from Guam, where deposits are insured by the US federal deposit insurance system. From the USA money goes as an ordinary dollar transfer, and from Europe and Asia through a correspondent bank in the USA.
| Method | Works on 9 October 2026 | Time |
|---|---|---|
| transfer from the USA in dollars | to an account in Majuro, no exchange | 1-3 business days |
| transfer from Europe or Asia | dollars through a correspondent bank in the USA | 2-5 business days |
| money for family on Ebeye and the outer atolls | to the recipient's account at the country's bank | 1-5 business days |
| renting land or a house | under a lease approved by the landowners | by the lease date |
Table checked on 9 October 2026 against the US federal deposit insurance register and US government data.
Two banks in Majuro: a local one and a branch from Guam
In September 2025 the country's parliament passed the law on the Marshall Islands monetary authority, the country's first central bank. It took over bank supervision, and by law the US dollar remains the official currency.
The local bank receives transfers from abroad through correspondent banks in the USA. The branch of the bank from Guam is the only one on the islands where deposits are insured under US rules: up to $250,000 per depositor.
The recipient is better off with the bank where they already have an account: salaries and benefits in the country are also paid in dollars. A manager will help you choose the bank and route for your amount.
Majuro Atoll is the country's capital and business centre; more about the town is on the Majuro page.
We will help you send money to the Marshall Islands
Mistakes cost more than fees: euros exchanged into dollars at a correspondent bank's poor rate, a transfer to the wrong bank in Majuro, rent paid before all the landowners have signed and a large sum with no papers on its origin. We will help you avoid them: we will choose the route and currency of the transfer, gather source-of-funds documents for the bank in Majuro and carry out the transfer through licensed partners until it is credited.
Details and cost are with a manager in the chat: a lot depends on the amount, the currency and the purpose of the transfer.
The compact with the USA: $2.3 billion and a trust fund of more than $1.3 billion
The Marshall Islands renewed the Compact of Free Association with the USA on 16 October 2023, and the US amendments act took effect on 9 March 2024. For 2024-2043 the country is due about $2.3 billion.
The first $372 million arrived in July 2024: $200 million to the trust fund, $132 million to the Kwajalein Atoll development fund, and $20 million each for climate and health. In total the USA will pay $700 million into the trust fund over the first four years, and the country's finance minister put the fund at more than $1.3 billion.
Under the compact, citizens of the Marshall Islands live and work in the USA without a visa, so most transfers to Majuro come from family in the USA.
Land is leased with the consent of the chief and the head of the clan
There is no state land on the islands: all land belongs to clans under customary law. Under the constitution a plot may be sold, mortgaged or leased only with the consent of the paramount chief, the head of the clan and the senior person among those who work the land. Companies and foreigners lease land, and it can be sublet only with the landowners' written consent.
Rent for land is transferred after all the owners have signed the lease. If there are many signatures and the deal is urgent, there are usually more options than it seems: a manager will suggest the order of payments.
Rent for a house in Majuro is paid under an ordinary lease with the owner, by transfer to their account.
A transfer to Majuro: papers by amount
Up to $10,000. The bank will process the transfer by its purpose: to family, for rent, for study.
$10,000-100,000. A bank in Majuro will ask for a 6-month statement and a paper on the origin of the money: a sale contract, an income certificate or a deed of gift.
From $100,000. A pack on the origin of wealth and the deal contract are prepared; details are in proof of source of funds and sending large sums abroad, and moving capital is on the capital relocation page. A manager will work out in the chat what a large transfer will cost.
From Majuro to the USA, Japan and the neighbouring islands
Money goes to the USA in dollars, back to where it comes from: to family and for study. Suppliers are paid in Japan, and the recipient's bank exchanges dollars into yen. Dollars go to Micronesia and Palau with no exchange, while in Kiribati the recipient's bank will credit them in Australian dollars.
Sending money to nearby countries
- How to send money to Micronesia
- How to send money to Kiribati
- How to send money to Nauru
- How to send money to Palau
- How to send money to Tuvalu
- How to send money to the Philippines
All countries and moving capital step by step are in the capital relocation section.
FAQ
Is the US dollar the currency of the Marshall Islands?
How many banks accept transfers in Majuro?
Do the Marshall Islands have a central bank?
How much will the Marshall Islands receive under the compact with the USA until 2043?
Do you need a chief's consent to lease land in the Marshall Islands?
We will suggest the best way to send your money
We will choose a transfer method for your amount and country, prepare the documents on the origin of the money for the bank, make the transfer through licensed partners and follow it until the money is credited. Ask your question in the chat - the manager will suggest the best terms and the cost. The legal side with banks and government bodies is handled by Murblz specialists and locally licensed partners.
Details and cost are with the manager in the chat. Describe your situation and we will reply right away.
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