Santander UK international transfer: Fees, rates and transfer time

If you bank with Santander UK and are looking to transfer or receive money internationally, you may be overwhelmed with information about how to safely and transparently move your funds.

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you’ll need to know about Santander international transfer, including what it costs, exchange rates, and transfer times.

Also, there are alternative ways to transfer money abroad, like with the money services provider Wise. With Wise, you can send money to more than 160 countries.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region.

How to send money abroad with Santander UK?

Santander UK gives its customers the option to conduct banking business in any of the following ways:¹

• Online Banking
• In person at the branch closest to you

You may be able to make transfers by phone but using online banking is the suggested method by Santander UK.

On the Santander UK online banking site

Santander UK maintains an online banking portal for all its customers. Note that if you are hoping to initiate an international bank transfer online with Santander, you’ll need a mobile device nearby, as you’ll be sent a One Time Passcode (OTP) to verify your identity.¹

Here’s how to make an international transfer with the Santander UK online banking feature:¹

1. Gather the details needed to send money abroad
2. Log into your Santander UK online banking account
3. Navigate to the ‘Payments & Transfers’ page
4. Choose ‘International payments’ from the dropdown menu
5. Insert the payment details and follow the on-screen instructions
6. Confirm the transfer

In person at a local branch

Use the Santander UK branch locator to find the closest branch you can go to.

Once there, let your teller know the details of your transaction – how much money, which type of transfer, and where it’s headed – and they’ll be able to process your international transfer for you.

Be sure and read below, on what information you’ll need to have ready before you head into your local branch.

Over the phone

You may be able to process your transfer over the phone. Get a hold of Santander UK on 0330 9 123 123,² and have your account information and the information of the recipient ready. This will include the PIN and login information you use to bank online.

However, they may instruct you to make the transfer yourself using online banking, but you can ask for their help if you have any questions on how to use it.

What do you need to make an international electronic transfer?

In order to send money outside the UK from a Santander account, you’ll need the following information on hand:¹

• Recipient’s full name and their account number or IBAN
• Their BIC
• Any specific routing information the recipient’s bank may require in order to accept funds from abroad (f.e. the 18-digit CLABE account number for transfers to Mexican pesos)

📚 Read more: What bank details are needed to receive money in the UK?

Is there a transfer limit with Santander?

Using Online Banking, you have a single transfer limit of up to £25,000. The maximum amount you can transfer in 24 h is £100,000.³

If you want to send larger amounts, then you need to make a CHAPS transfer – but it will cost you £25 to do so.⁴

Santander international transfer fees and rates

Santander doesn’t charge its customers to receive international money transfers, though you may get charged by the recipient’s bank. Below are the fees you can expect in order to move money around the globe. Note that intermediary fees can’t be predicted by your bank, and depend on the recipient’s bank and how it receives money from abroad.

Before choosing a transfer service, compare the offered exchange rate to the mid-market rate using an online currency converter. That way, you’ll have a better idea of what your transfer actually will cost you.

And, if you value transparent fees and want to avoid exchange rate markups, consider sending money with Wise. You’ll get a low transfer fee, no hidden costs, and the fair mid-market exchange rate.

Learn more about international transfers with Wise

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

Santander international bank transfer fees

There are different options for who pays the fees.

With Santander, the default option is that you and the recipient share the fees, and you only pay the sender’s fees only. This means that you pay the Santander fees, and the recipient pays the receiving fees.¹

You can also choose to pay all the fees - when you choose this option it will be more likely that your recipient receives the full amount, although Santander does state that they can’t guarantee this. The 3rd option is to have the recipient pay all the fees, which will then be taken off the amount you send.¹

Santander international transfer fees can be summarised as follows:

Santander UK Transaction	Fee
Incoming international transfer¹	None (from Santander)
Outgoing international transfer¹	£25 electronic transfer (standard) No fee for electronic euro transfer (non-urgent SEPA) £10 for a currency cheque
Additional fees	See below

Santander UK exchange rates

Exchange rates change day to day, and banks don’t always use the mid-market rates or the rates you might find when you search on Google. If you’re sending money to a bank account that operates in a different currency, make sure and check with a Santander representative on the day you intend to send or receive money internationally, so you know what you’ll be charged (and whether that charge is marked up).

Generally, an intermediary bank will perform a currency conversion. However, when Santander receives a payment that is meant for you, and the money still has to be converted, they note that:⁵

>“We’ll convert the money we receive into pounds sterling using our exchange rate on the date we receive the money.”

Their General Terms and Conditions⁵ also state:

“We use our Santander reference exchange rates for each currency. We have different reference exchange rates depending on the amount of money you’re exchanging and if you make or receive a payment. You can find details of our exchange rates online, in branch or by calling us.”

Using a currency converter can help you compare Santander’s rate for that day with the mid-market exchange rate.

Additional fees from Santander UK

Santander UK international transfer

Additional fees

Sending/recipient bank and/or intermediary bank(s)⁵

Santander notes, “If you make an international payment or foreign currency payment in the UK, we’ll use other banks to help us send the money to the person you’re paying. Those banks may take their charges from the amount of the payment. We have no control over the amount of these charges. This means the person you’re paying may receive less than the amount you send.” Speak to a representative to find out if your transfer will be subject to intermediary bank fees.

When does the transfer arrive to the recipient’s account?

How long your bank transfer with Santander takes depends on the region and currency you're sending the funds to. The transfer could arrive to the destination account on the same day or within 4 working days.¹

Is there any way to make a faster transfer for an extra fee?

The fastest option Santander offers for transferring money abroad is an electronic transfer, which costs £25, and can be done online, by phone, or in person. This type of transfer arrives on the same-day as long as the transaction is headed to a USD or EUR account.¹

Does the amount of time it takes vary by destination?

Recipient accounts outside the EEA and the USA can expect to wait a bit longer, up to four working days from the initiation of transfer.¹

How to contact Santander UK?

If you need to contact Santander UK, the easiest way is to chat with them on their support website. There you can also find answers to most frequent questions, navigating their support pages. And finally, you can give them a call 7 days a week from 8am to 6pm at 0330 9 123 123.²

Wise – Money for here, there and everywhere

Want low fees, great exchange rates and an easy way to send money worldwide? Open a Wise account online in just a few clicks, and you can start sending money to over 160 countries.

You can send payments worldwide for low fees and mid-market exchange rates. There’s even a Wise card for spending in over 150 countries, where your pounds are automatically converted to the local currency at a great rate.

There aren’t any monthly fees with Wise, and you can open an account for free.

Sign up with Wise today 🚀

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees. Eligibility is subject to verification of customers' identity.

---

There are always logistics to consider when sending money abroad. By now, you will have everything you need to transfer money internationally with Santander. We’ve looked at different fees and charges, how long it takes for the money to reach the destination, and how you can initiate a transfer in the first place.

And it’s always best to compare different providers to potentially save some money. Remember that high street banks tend to add a markup to the exchange rate, whereas providers like Wise use the mid-market rate without markups.

---

Sources used:

1. Santander - Making international payments
2. Santander - Contact us
3. Santander - Payments and transfers
4. Santander - CHAPS payment
5. Santander - General terms and conditions (July 2023)

Sources last checked on date: 28-Sep-2023