For kababayan living in the UK
Send more home.
Fly home for less.
Clear, honest guides to sending money to the Philippines, flights from the UK, balikbayan boxes and everyday life here. Written in plain English, with the fees and the small print laid out.
Free to use. Some links earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. How we make money
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What do you need help with today?
Five guides, each built around the questions kababayan in the UK ask most.
Send money to the Philippines
Bank transfer, GCash, Maya or cash pickup: how to compare providers on the exchange rate as well as the fee, so more pesos arrive for the same pounds.
Compare ways to send →Fly home
Airlines and routes from London, Manchester and beyond, and when to book for Christmas.
Flight guides →Balikbayan boxes
UK cargo companies, box sizes, delivery times and what you can and can’t send.
Box guides →Travel essentials
eSIMs, travel insurance for visiting family, eTravel and what to pack.
Get ready →UK life
Filipino shops, restaurants, churches and events across the UK.
Find a taste of home →Sending money
Three things decide how many pesos arrive
“No fee” doesn’t always mean the cheapest. Check all three before you send.
The exchange rate
Providers add a margin to the real (mid-market) rate. On a large transfer, a small gap in the rate can cost more than the fee.
The transfer fee
Some charge a flat fee, some a percentage, some nothing on certain amounts. Compare the total cost, not the headline.
How it’s collected
Bank account, GCash or Maya wallet, or cash pickup at a pawnshop or remittance centre. Speed and cost differ for each.
Going home for Christmas?
Start planning now
Sea-freight balikbayan boxes usually take several weeks to arrive, and December fares to Manila tend to climb as the month gets closer. Our checklists help you plan both in good time.
- Book flightsCompare direct and one-stop routes
- Ship your boxCheck the last cargo date for Christmas
- Sort your SIM and insuranceReady before you land
UK life
Find a taste of home
Where to buy ube and pandesal, eat a proper sinigang, hear Mass in Tagalog and celebrate Independence Day.
Explore UK lifeWhy trust us
Straight answers, openly paid for
We show the numbers
Fees, rates and delivery times, with the date we last checked them.
We say how we earn
Some links pay us a commission. It never changes your price, and we explain it on every page that has them.
We know both sides
Written in the UK by a team that also runs a small resort in El Nido, Palawan.