How to send money to Timor-Leste in 2026: the US dollar with no exchange, a 23-character account number and crediting on the payment day
Timor-Leste has lived on the US dollar since 2000, so a transfer reaches an account with no currency exchange. We show how the 23-character account number is built, until what hour Dili time banks make same-day payments and what papers to prepare for a transfer from $10,000 in 2026.
In short
- The US dollar has been Timor-Leste's official currency since 2000, and a transfer arrives with no exchange.
- An account number has 23 characters: the country letters, the bank code and the number.
- A domestic payment submitted before 16:00 Dili time is credited the same day.
- Since 26 October 2025 Timor-Leste has been the 11th member of ASEAN.
In detail
Timor-Leste has lived on the US dollar since 2000, so money from abroad reaches an account with no exchange: a transfer takes 1-3 business days, and within the country banks credit a payment on the same day if it is submitted before 16:00 Dili time. An account number in the country has 23 characters, and since 26 October 2025 Timor-Leste has been the 11th member of ASEAN.
| Method | In 2026 | Currency | Timing | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A bank transfer from abroad to an account | works | US dollars | 1-3 business days | a 23-character account number, an 8- or 11-character bank code, the name |
| A transfer between banks within the country | works | US dollars | the same day if submitted before 16:00 Dili time | a 23-character account number and the name |
| A transfer to an account or e-wallet over the national payment network | works | US dollars | at once | the account or wallet number |
| A money transfer system | works | US dollars | from minutes to a day | the recipient's name and ID document |
The country has no exchange rate of its own: Timor-Leste's currency is the US dollar. The table was checked on 8 October 2026, dollar sums are rounded up.
The dollar and the centavo: Timor-Leste's money
The US dollar became Timor-Leste's official currency in 2000, even before independence, and remains so now. Only the coins are the country's own: since 10 November 2003 the central bank has issued centavos equal to US cents. The country is open to trade: since 30 August 2024 it has been the 166th member of the World Trade Organization.
For a transfer this means one thing: if the money is sent in dollars, there is no exchange at all. If the sender's bank debits it in another currency, the exchange happens there, and it is that bank's rate that needs comparing:
| Sending currency | Where the exchange happens | What to compare the rate with |
|---|---|---|
| US dollars | no exchange | only the fees of banks on the way |
| Euros | at the sender's bank | 1.1177 dollars per euro on 7 October 2026 |
| Another currency | at the sender's bank | the central bank rate of the sending country |
The euro rate is the European Central Bank rate on 7 October 2026.
Money is sent to Timor-Leste for living and contract work, renting a home in Dili and studies. If it is sent in dollars, the account receives the same sum minus the fees of banks on the way.
Need an exact sum credited in Dili, or your bank does not send payments there directly? A manager will calculate the transfer and choose a legal route together with the exchange rate and the tariffs of the sending bank.
A 23-character number and payments before 16:00 Dili time
Under a 2014 central bank circular an account number in Timor-Leste has 23 characters: two country letters, two check digits, a 3-digit bank code, a 14-digit number and 2 more check digits. The recipient gets it from their bank and passes it to the sender together with the name and the 8- or 11-character bank code.
Since 30 April 2015 payments between banks within the country have gone through the central bank settlement system and are credited on the same day. The system schedule in Dili time in 2026:
| Dili time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 08:30 | the system opens and accepts payments |
| 10:00-11:00 and 14:00-15:00 | batch settlement of small payments |
| 16:00 | the main cut-off for client payments |
| 16:30 | the final cut-off for client payments |
| 17:00 | end of day |
Dili is 9 hours ahead of Greenwich: a payment submitted to the bank before 16:00 Dili time is seen by the recipient on the same day. Besides settlement between banks, the country has a national payment network: it moves money between accounts and e-wallets of different banks at once, without waiting for the end of the day.
Life in the capital is described in the Dili guide.
We will help you send money to Timor-Leste
Mistakes cost more than fees: money sent in euros and exchanged into dollars at an unfavourable rate, a wrong digit in the 23-character account number and a returned payment, a transfer submitted after 16:00 Dili time and credited a day later, a bank in Dili with no papers on the origin of the money. We will help you avoid them: we choose a legal transfer route from your country, prepare documents on the origin of the money for the bank in Timor-Leste and carry out the transfer through licensed partners through to crediting.
Details and the cost are with a manager in the chat: the calculation depends on the amount, the currency and the sending country.
A transfer to Timor-Leste from $10,000: what a bank in Dili will ask
A bank in Timor-Leste asks about the money in more detail as the sum grows. Data for 2026:
| Amount | The question from a bank in Dili | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $10,000 | the recipient and the purpose | details and a short explanation |
| $10,000-$100,000 | where the money comes from | six-month statements, an income certificate or an employment contract |
| From $100,000 | the whole path of the money | a property sale contract or a contract of work, a tax return, statements |
What goes into a package of papers on the money is described in proof of source of funds, sending a large sum abroad and moving home sale proceeds abroad.
Going to Dili to work on a contract or investing $100,000 or more in a local business? A specialist will prepare documents on the origin of the money for the bank in Timor-Leste and carry out the transfer through licensed partners through to crediting; options for moving capital are on the capital relocation page.
From Timor-Leste abroad: studies, work and family
From Timor-Leste money is sent for studies and to relatives working abroad:
- Australia - Australian dollars to an account
- Portugal - euros to a 25-character account
- South Korea - an incoming transfer with no limit on the amount
- United Kingdom - bringing in your own money is not taxed
Sending money to neighbouring countries
- Indonesia - rupiah at the bank rate
- Singapore - Singapore dollars in minutes
- Philippines - pesos or dollars in 1-3 business days
- Brunei - a currency on a par with the Singapore dollar
- Ecuador - also settles in US dollars
- Australia - an account before arrival and transfers by phone number
Moving all your capital is on the capital relocation page.
FAQ
Do dollars need to be exchanged when sending money to Timor-Leste?
How many characters are in an account number in Timor-Leste?
Until what hour do banks in Dili make a payment on the same day?
Can money be sent from an account to an e-wallet at another bank?
Since what year has Timor-Leste been a member of ASEAN?
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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