LocatePhase 1
Where it is stuck
Using the payment order receipt and the transfer reference, we find out whether it is being held by the UAE bank, an intermediary or your bank in Spain.
The fact that changes everything.
Blocked transfer from the UAE to Spain
If a transfer from the UAE has not reached your account or the bank has put it on hold, it is usually asking you for information about the source of the money. Law 10/2010 prevents it from executing transactions it cannot verify (Art. 7(3)). We find out which bank has stopped it and what it needs, and we prepare the response so the transfer is released.
Transfer from the UAE on hold? We’ll tell you what to do
Tell us the amount, the date, the sending bank and the receiving bank, and what they have told you, and we will point you in the right direction.
- Reply within 24 h
- No commitment
- Confidential
- First step
- Find out which bank is holding it
- Bank complaint deadline (payments)
- 15 business days
- UAE documents
- Legalization, not apostille
- Spanish law
- Law 10/2010, Art. 7(3)
How we help
From a held transfer to money in your account
An international transfer can be stopped at the sending bank, at an intermediary bank or at the receiving bank. The first thing is to find out where it is and what is missing.
RequestPhase 2
What exactly is missing
We ask the bank in writing to specify what information or documents it needs to complete the transaction.
No guesswork.
EvidencePhase 3
The source of the money
We gather proof of where the money comes from and of its trail: contracts, pay stubs, sales, your company’s accounts or the exchange history.
A complete chain.
DataPhase 4
The transfer information
We check that the order carries the payer and payee information required by Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 and that it matches your documents.
Name, account and address.
ResponsePhase 5
A dossier for the bank
We send the documents in order, with the public documents legalized and a clear explanation of the transaction.
All in one go.
ComplaintPhase 6
If the bank does not respond
If the deadlines pass without a response, we prepare the complaint to the bank’s customer service department and then to the Bank of Spain.
Through the proper channels.
Common reasons
Why a transfer from the UAE gets stuck
Most blocks are not final: the bank is waiting for information it does not have.
Source
The bank does not know where the money comes from
A large amount, or one that differs from your usual transactions, requires the bank to ask where it comes from.
Crypto
The money comes from selling crypto-assets
If the transfer comes from an exchange or from the sale of crypto-assets, the bank will want to see its full trail.
Data
Information is missing from the order
If the transfer arrives without the full payer or payee information, the bank may hold it until it has that information.
Profile
The transaction does not fit your profile
If the amount does not match what the bank knows about you, it will ask for a documented explanation.
What the law says
A held transfer, by the numbers
Figures from Law 10/2010, Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 and the rules on bank complaints.
Law 10/2010, Art. 7(3)
No transaction
The bank does not execute transactions if it cannot apply due diligence, and it bears no liability for this unless there is unjust enrichment.
Law 10/2010, Art. 19
Refraining
Where there are signs of money laundering, the bank refrains from executing the transaction and reports it to SEPBLAC.
Law 10/2010, Art. 24
Confidentiality
The bank cannot tell you whether it has reported the transaction to SEPBLAC.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1113
Data
The transfer must be accompanied by the payer’s name, account and address, and by the payee’s name and account.
Royal Decree-law 19/2018, Art. 69
15 business days
The time the bank’s customer service department has to respond to a complaint about payment services.
Hague Convention
No apostille
The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention: its public documents need legalization.
Have you been waiting days for a transfer from the UAE?
We tell you which bank has it, what it is missing and how to submit it.
Frequently asked questions
Blocked transfer from the UAE: common questions
Why has the bank blocked my transfer from the UAE?
Almost always because it needs to check where the money comes from before executing the transaction. Law 10/2010 prevents it from executing transactions if it cannot apply due diligence measures (Art. 7(3)). It may also hold the transfer if the order arrives without the full payer or payee information.
How do I know which bank has stopped the transfer?
Ask the sending bank for the payment order receipt and its reference, and ask your bank in Spain whether it has received the transfer. An international transfer can pass through intermediary banks, and each one can ask for information. Knowing where the transfer is is the first step to knowing who you need to respond to.
What documents do banks ask for to release a transfer from the UAE?
Those that prove the source and trail of the money: employment contracts and pay stubs, sale agreements, your company’s accounts, statements from the originating account and currency exchange receipts. UAE public documents need legalization, because the UAE does not use the Apostille.
How long can the bank hold my money?
Law 10/2010 does not set a deadline for the bank to review the documents: the block lasts until it can complete due diligence. That is why it is best to respond with everything in one go. If the bank does not reply, you can complain to its customer service department, which must respond within 15 business days for payment services.
What if the money comes from selling crypto-assets in the UAE?
The bank will want to see the full trail: how you bought the crypto-assets, with what money, and the sale that generated the transfer. If your account has also been blocked, see what to do about a bank account blocked over crypto.
Will the bank tell me the exact reason?
Not always. Article 24 of Law 10/2010 prohibits it from disclosing that it has reported information to SEPBLAC or that it is examining the transaction. What you can do is ask it to specify which documents it needs.
Can the bank send the transfer back to the UAE?
If it cannot apply due diligence, the bank does not execute the transaction and may end the relationship with the customer (Art. 7(3)). In practice, a transfer that is not accepted may end up being returned to the bank that sent it. Providing the documents in time keeps it from getting to that point.
Can I complain if the block drags on?
Yes. First to the bank’s customer service department: 15 business days for payment services (Article 69 of Royal Decree-law 19/2018) and one month for other matters. If it does not respond or you disagree with its answer, to the complaints service of the Bank of Spain.
Practical guide
What to do if your transfer from the UAE does not arrive
The steps, in order, to find out where the money is and what you need to provide.
Locate the transfer
Reference, date, amount and the banks involved: without these, you will not know who to respond to.
Ask for the list in writing
Having the bank specify which documents it needs avoids piecemeal submissions.
Respond with everything
A complete dossier, with the documents legalized, is what shortens the block the most.
Your transfer in 10 steps
- Get the payment order receipt and its reference.
- Check with your bank in Spain whether the transfer has arrived and is being held.
- If it has not arrived, ask the originating bank whether it has sent it or is holding it.
- Ask the bank that is holding it, in writing, what information it needs.
- Check that the payer and payee information matches your documents.
- Gather proof of the source: contracts, pay stubs, the sale, your company’s accounts or the exchange history.
- Add the statements from the originating account and the currency exchange receipts.
- Legalize and translate the UAE public documents you are going to provide.
- Submit everything together, with a short explanation of the transaction, and keep the acknowledgment of receipt.
- If there is no response in time, complain to the customer service department and then to the Bank of Spain.
Source: Law 10/2010 (Arts. 7, 19 and 24), Regulation (EU) 2023/1113, Royal Decree-law 19/2018 (Art. 69) and Hague Convention of October 5, 1961 (HCCH status table).
Working glossary
Key terms for a held transfer
These terms appear in the bank’s messages and in Law 10/2010.
PayerSender
Payer
Holder of the account the transfer is sent from.
Their details accompany the order.
PayeeRecipient
Payee
Holder of the account the money is going to.
Name and account on the order.
IntermediaryBank
Intermediary bank
An institution that an international transfer passes through between the originating bank and the destination bank.
It can also ask for information.
TFRRegulation
Regulation (EU) 2023/1113
EU regulation that sets the information that must accompany transfers of funds.
Payer and payee information.
CDDObligation
Due diligence
Measures the bank uses to identify the customer and check their transactions.
Law 10/2010, Arts. 3–7.
RefrainingBlock
Duty to refrain from executing transactions
The bank does not execute a suspicious transaction while it reports it to SEPBLAC.
Law 10/2010, Art. 19.
LegalizationDocument
Legalization
A procedure that makes a public document from a country that does not use the Apostille valid in Spain.
This is the case with the UAE.
SACComplaint
Customer service department
The bank department to which the first complaint is addressed.
15 business days for payments.
Bank of SpainSupervisor
Complaints service
The second route if the bank does not respond or you disagree with its answer.
After going through the SAC.
Playbook
Where the transfer gets stuck and what to do
At the UAE bank
What usually happens: it asks for information about the purpose of the payment or the payee.
What you do: provide the documents supporting the transaction there.
At an intermediary bank
What usually happens: it asks for information about the payer, the payee or the purpose of the payment.
What you do: respond through the originating bank or the destination bank.
At your bank in Spain
What usually happens: it needs to know the source of the funds before crediting them.
What you do: hand over the source-of-funds dossier.
Returned to the sender
What usually happens: the bank could not complete due diligence.
What you do: prepare the documents before sending it again.
No response from the bank
What usually happens: the review drags on and no one tells you what is missing.
What you do: ask for it in writing and, if they do not reply, file a complaint.
Mistakes that prolong the block
These are the most common mistakes when a transfer from the UAE gets stuck.
- Waiting without asking which bank has the transfer.
- Providing UAE public documents that have not been legalized.
- Repeating the transfer before the first one is resolved.
- Not explaining that the money comes from selling crypto-assets.
- Responding piecemeal, each time the bank asks for something new.
Contact
Book a call
Tell us the amount, the date, the banks involved and what they have told you, and we will tell you how to get the transfer released.
Held transfers under Law 10/2010 and money coming from the UAE
Updated October 16, 2026
When an international transfer gets stuck, it is almost always because a bank has not been able to complete the due diligence measures required by Law 10/2010. If it comes from the UAE, you also need to bear in mind that UAE public documents need legalization.
Why it is held
The bank cannot execute a transaction if it cannot apply due diligence (Article 7(3) of Law 10/2010), and it must review transactions that do not fit the customer’s profile, including the source of the funds (Art. 6). Where there are signs of money laundering, it refrains from executing the transaction and reports it to SEPBLAC (Art. 19). We explain this on our page on the duty to refrain from executing transactions.
The transfer information
Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 requires the transfer to be accompanied by the payer’s name, account and address, together with an identity document or other identifying information, and by the payee’s name and account. We cover this on our page on transfers of funds (TFR).
UAE documents
The United Arab Emirates is not a party to the 1961 Hague Convention, so its public documents need legalization. It is not on the FATF lists of June 19, 2026 or on the European Union’s list of high-risk third countries.
How to complain
First to the bank’s customer service department, which must respond within 15 business days for payment services (Article 69 of Royal Decree-law 19/2018), and then to the complaints service of the Bank of Spain. We explain this on our page on the customer service departments of financial institutions.
Where it fits
A held transfer is almost always resolved by proving the source of funds. If the money comes from the UAE, prepare the dossier as we explain on our page on proving the source of funds from the UAE to a Spanish bank.
Legislation and official sources
Law 10/2010 on the prevention of money laundering (BOE)
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Regulation (EU) 2023/1113, information accompanying transfers of funds (EUR-Lex)
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Bank of Spain: deadlines for complaints against your bank
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1961 Hague Convention (Apostille): ratification status (HCCH)
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FATF: high-risk and increased monitoring jurisdiction lists
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