Santander UK international transfer: fees, rates & times

If you bank with Santander UK and need to transfer or receive money internationally, it helps to check the full cost before you go ahead with setting up a payment.

This guide covers everything you need to know, including Santander international transfer fees, exchange rates, delivery times and what recipient details you’ll need to send money abroad.

We’ll also introduce Wise as a smart alternative for international transfers – with over 18.9 million people worldwide moving £52 billion each quarter.

With Wise you get low, transparent fees, mid-market exchange rates, and secure, trackable transfers, with dedicated support and volume discounts when sending large amounts. On a £50,000 transfer, you could save up to £1,000 with Wise vs your bank.

➡️ Learn more about sending money with Wise

What are the fees for an international transfer with Santander?

The total cost of a Santander international payment depends on the destination, currency and payment method.

If you have a Santander UK current or savings account and plan to send money abroad, it’s worth checking both the transfer fee and the exchange rate.

Santander international transfer fees

Santander currently offers standard international payments through SWIFT and non-urgent euro payments through SEPA. Here are the fees for each:¹

From 28 April 2026, Santander no longer issues new foreign currency cheques, so this is no longer a current sending option.¹

There’s no fee to receive an incoming electronic international payment into your Santander account.²

Santander exchange rates and markup

One thing worth knowing is that the headline transfer fee isn’t the whole cost of sending an international transfer with a bank.

Santander says its standard sell rate includes a currency conversion markup on the mid-market rate, which means the exchange rate you get may be less favourable than the market benchmark.

A simple way to spot a markup is to compare Santander's quoted rate with the mid-market rate. If Santander's rate is lower than the mid-market rate for the currency pair, the gap is part of the cost of the transfer.

Here are the Santander FX markups for different transfer amounts:¹

Additional fees from Santander

Santander also explains that fee charging options can affect what arrives. The default option is shared (written as SHA), which means you pay Santander's own charge and the recipient may still see deductions from their bank or an intermediary bank.

For SWIFT payments, you may also see an option for the sender to pay all the fees, often called OUR. Alternatively, the recipient pays all the fees, often called BEN.

A common question is whether SEPA works the same way, but Santander says deductions cannot be taken from SEPA euro payments, while SWIFT payments can still be reduced by intermediary or correspondent bank charges.¹

How do you make an international bank transfer with Santander?

Santander says the simplest way to send money abroad is through Online Banking.

If you’re paying a company overseas, you may be sent a One Time Passcode, or OTP, to the mobile number registered for OTPs before the payment is authorised.¹

Here are the steps to send your transfer:

1. Gather the details needed to send money abroad (more on what you’ll need below)
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. Enter the payment details, including the amount you want to send and recipient’s details. If you’ve paid them before, you should be able to select from a list of existing payees
6. Follow the on-screen instructions
7. Check the details carefully and confirm the transfer.

If you prefer, you can also arrange an international payment in a branch or by telephone.

What do you need to make an international money transfer with Santander?

To send money abroad with Santander, you will usually need:¹

• The recipient's full name and account number or International Bank Account Number (IBAN)
• Their Bank Identifier Code (BIC)
• Any routing information needed by the destination country
• For Mexican peso (MXN) payments, the beneficiary's 18-digit CLABE account number

How to receive an international payment with Santander

If someone is sending money to your Santander account, they will need Santander's BIC, ABBYGB2LXXX,¹ and your IBAN.

You should be able to find your IBAN on your bank statements and in Online Banking. You can also check it with Santander by entering your account details on this page.

One thing worth knowing is that payments from the EEA, or payments handled by correspondent banks, may be reduced by deductions before the funds reach your account.

When does a Santander international transfer arrive?

Santander says international transfers can take up to 4 working days,¹ depending on the destination, currency and the route used.

Payments in euros and US dollars may arrive on the same working day if they are fully authorised before the cut-off time, but can take up to 4 working days.¹

Santander's online cut-off for euros is 11:30am (2.30pm for SEPA payments) while pounds and US dollars have a 3pm online cut-off.¹

It’s also worth bearing in mind that payments aren’t processed on weekends or bank holidays, so any transfers initiated on these non-working days will take a little longer.

What's the maximum transfer limit with Santander?

Santander says you can make a single payment of up to £25,000, with a total payment limit of £100,000 in 24 hours.³

If you need to send more than £100,000, you can use CHAPS (for an extra fee, UK payments only) or contact the bank directly.³

You can read more about how to send a high value payment with Santander in our helpful guide.

How to contact Santander

Santander has a ‘Help & Support’ section on its website, and it also offers chat support after you log into Online Banking or Mobile Banking. That’s usually the quickest place to start if you need help with a pending payment, missing funds or transfer details.

Send international transfers without hidden fees with Wise

When you’re comparing international transfer providers, it's worth focusing on the total cost of the payment rather than any single fee. A provider that appears cheaper upfront may not always offer the best overall value.

Banks and other providers may claim to have “no fees” but they could be adding a sneaky mark-up to their exchange rate. This can impact your budget by up to 2% when sending money abroad. On a £50,000 transfer, you could save up to £1,000 with Wise vs your bank.

Wise has built its own payment network that allows customers to send money internationally for less. You’ll get the mid-market exchange rate (close to the one you see on Google) with no hidden markups and low, transparent fees.

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**Investments are not guaranteed, and your capital is at risk.

Wise is an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), so features like Interest and Stocks may be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). For standard cash balances, we safeguard your funds to meet regulatory obligations.

In the UK, Interest and Stocks are provided by Wise Assets, the trading name of Wise Assets UK Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA number 839689).

We do not provide investment advice, and taxes may apply. If unsure, seek qualified financial advice. Full fund information is available on our website.

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Santander international transfer FAQs

How much does Santander charge for an international transfer?

Santander's published fee is £25 for a standard SWIFT international payment. There’s no Santander fee for a non-urgent SEPA euro payment, but exchange rate markups and third-party deductions can still affect the total cost.¹

How long does a Santander international transfer take?

Santander says international transfers can take between 0 and 4 working days. Some euro and US dollar payments may arrive on the same working day if they are authorised before the relevant cut-off.¹

What is the maximum you can send with Santander?

Santander says the online single payment limit is £25,000, with a £100,000 total limit over 24 hours.³ For larger payments, you can make a CHAPS payment for an extra fee (UK only).

What details do I need to send money abroad with Santander?

You will generally need the recipient's full name, account number or IBAN, their BIC, and any routing information required for the country you are sending to.

Does Santander use the mid-market exchange rate?

Santander’s exchange rate includes a currency conversion markup of 1% to 3%, which varies depending on the value of the transfer.¹ That means the rate applied to your transfer is usually different from the mid-market rate.

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Sources used:

1. Santander - International Payments
2. Santander - Santander Edge Current Account Fee Information Document
3. Santander - Payments and transfers

Sources last checked 20-Jul-2026