How to send money to Micronesia in 2026: US dollars, a bank with deposit insurance, land leases and a business permit
In 2026 Micronesia pays in US dollars, and the country's main bank has been insured under US rules since 1986. We explain how to send money to Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap and Kosrae, what the $3.3 billion compact with the USA gives, how a foreigner leases land and opens a business and which papers to attach to a transfer.
Money is sent to Micronesia in US dollars: the country has no currency of its own. The country's main bank, headquartered in Kolonia on Pohnpei, has been insured by the US federal deposit insurance system since 1986, and branches of a bank from Guam also work in all four states - Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap and Kosrae. From the USA a transfer goes in dollars with no exchange, and from other countries through a correspondent bank in the USA.
| Transfer | What works on 9 October 2026 | When it arrives |
|---|---|---|
| dollars from the USA, Guam and Hawaii | to an account at a branch in any of the 4 states, with no exchange | 1-2 business days |
| euros, yen, Australian dollars | exchanged into dollars at the sender's bank, then through a bank in the USA | 2-4 business days |
| support for family | to the recipient's account on Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap or Kosrae | 1-4 business days |
| an investment in a business | to the company's account after the foreign investment permit | on the deal schedule |
Checked on 9 October 2026 against the register of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
A bank in Kolonia insured under US rules: $245 million in deposits
According to the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, on 30 June 2026 the country's main bank held $245 million in deposits and $278 million in assets. A deposit in it is insured just as in any US bank: up to $250,000 per depositor.
There are branches in each of the four states, and the islands are hundreds of kilometres of ocean apart, so a recipient on Chuuk or Yap does not need to fly to the capital to receive money. A manager will tell you which branch details to give in the transfer.
The stone discs of Yap were carved from limestone on the islands of Palau, about 400 km to the south-west, and carried across the sea on rafts towed by canoes. Quarrying stopped in the early 1900s, and today the stones are a sign of a village's wealth, while goods and services are paid for in dollars.
We will help you send money to Micronesia
Mistakes cost more than fees: a transfer to the wrong branch of the four states, euros exchanged twice on the way to Pohnpei, money sent to a company account before the foreign investment permit 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 Micronesia 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.
$3.3 billion over 20 years under the compact with the USA
Micronesia is linked to the USA by the Compact of Free Association. A new version was signed in 2023, and the US act amending the compacts took effect on 9 March 2024: the country is due about $3.3 billion for 2024-2043, in budget grants and contributions to a trust fund.
Under the compact, citizens of Micronesia live and work in the USA without a visa. So the main flow of money into the country is transfers to family from the USA, Guam and Hawaii, and the country's banks are used to them.
Land and business: a lease for a term and a foreign investment permit
The Constitution of Micronesia reserves land ownership for citizens and for companies wholly owned by them. A foreigner takes land on a long-term lease, and the term is set by the state constitution: on Pohnpei up to 25 years with the right of renewal under state law, on Yap up to 100 years.
A foreigner may run a business with a foreign investment permit, issued by the national ministry or by the state authorities under their own law. Money is transferred to the company's account after the permit is granted, and the bank will ask for a copy. If the deal is complex, there are usually more options than it seems: a manager will choose a route.
The capital of the country is Palikir on Pohnpei, described on the Palikir page.
Papers for a transfer to Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap and Kosrae
Up to $10,000. The branch will accept the transfer by its payment purpose: support for family, study, rent.
$10,000-100,000. The bank will check the money under US banking rules and ask for a 6-month statement and a document on income, a property sale or a gift.
From $100,000. You will need the deal contract and a pack on the origin of wealth; details are in proof of source of funds and moving home sale proceeds abroad, and moving capital is on the capital relocation page. A manager will work out in the chat the terms for a large transfer.
From Palikir to the USA, Palau and the Philippines
Transfers back go where family lives: to the USA, including Guam and Hawaii, money leaves in dollars with no exchange. To Palau and the Marshall Islands it also goes in dollars. In the Philippines the recipient's bank exchanges dollars into pesos.
Sending money to nearby countries
- How to send money to Palau
- How to send money to the Marshall Islands
- How to send money to Nauru
- How to send money to Kiribati
- How to send money to the Philippines
- How to send money to Japan
All countries and moving capital step by step are in the capital relocation section.
FAQ
Is the US dollar the currency of Micronesia?
Is a deposit at Micronesia's main bank insured?
Can a foreigner buy land in Micronesia?
Do you need a permit to invest in a business in Micronesia?
How far away did Yap's stone money come from?
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.
Check transfer termsHow we handle a transfer: 4 stages → · Country rules checked