Travelling abroad with your Bank of Ireland debit card: What are the fees and charges?

If you’re heading abroad soon and are with Bank of Ireland you may be asking yourself if your debit card is going to work, what the fees will be and whether they need to know you’re away.

We’re going to give you the answers to those questions plus we’ll also let you know about the Wise card, which allows you to manage around 40 currencies and can help save you money while travelling.

Spend in 40+ currencies
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Can I use my Bank of Ireland debit card abroad?

Bank of Ireland debit cards do work, anywhere in the world that you can see the Visa/Mastercard logo¹. This includes withdrawing from ATMs, online card transactions and using payment machines in store.

Bank of Ireland debit card fees abroad

Before using your Bank of Ireland card abroad it’s a good idea to know what fees and charges you could be up for to prevent any unpleasant surprises while away.

Here’s the main fees related to paying with your Bank of Ireland card abroad and using it to withdraw cash at a foreign ATM.

We’ve also added the Wise card as a comparison so you can get an idea of how the Bank of Ireland fees measure up.

Bank of Ireland withdrawal limit abroad

There are ATM withdrawal limits that apply when you use a Bank of Ireland debit card outside of Ireland.

In general, the limit is €500 for chipped ATMs and €250 for non-chipped ATMs.¹

• Chipped ATMs are often found at bank branches throughout Western Europe
• Non-chipped ATMs are generally the retail or private ATMs found in hotels, entertainment precincts and shops

For some countries the Bank of Ireland has specific cash withdrawal limits for non-chipped ATMs. The full list is on their website¹ but here’s a few examples.

• Greece - €60
• Bulgaria - €100
• China - €100
• Thailand - €150

Bank of Ireland credit card fees abroad

There are some charges for using a Bank of Ireland credit card abroad. Here’s what you may need to pay, keeping in mind it depends on if you’re inside or outside of the Eurozone.³

How does the Bank of Ireland exchange rate work when using a debit card abroad?

When you complete a non-Euro transaction, BOI will convert your money either using Bank of Ireland exchange rate or the rate set by the Visa Scheme.⁴

Unfortunately their website isn’t clear on which rate is used when and what the percentage markup over the ECB rate is.

If your transaction is taking place in the European Economic Area you can try using the calculator⁵ on the Bank of Ireland website, but otherwise you may not know until after the transaction is complete.

This is a bit different to how Wise handles things. Wise exchange your money using the mid-market exchange rate.

This rate is the midpoint between the buy and sell prices on the currency exchange market and is updated every minute. What it means is you’re getting a fair rate with no hidden markups.

Spend, pay and withdrawal money in 40+ currencies with Wise card

If you’re looking for a more cost effective way to spend money overseas then a Wise Account is definitely worth looking into.

With a Wise Account you can hold, convert and send money at the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees or monthly account charges to worry about. Once you have an account you can also order a Wise debit card.

The Wise debit card is accepted almost anywhere Visa is and makes daily spending in foreign currencies simple.

When you make a payment the card uses smart technology to either take from your existing currency Balance or convert funds automatically to the local currency.

Check the benefits of the Wise card:

✅ No monthly or annual costs
✅ Gives you access to the 40+ currencies on your Wise Account
✅ No need to wait for the physical card as you can get a virtual card
✅ Works with the main digital wallets
✅ Withdraw up to 200 EUR in cash a month for free
✅ Spend abroad using the mid-market rate

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Travelling abroad with Bank of Ireland debit card: What you need to know

Do I need to notify Bank of Ireland before going abroad?

Informing the Bank of Ireland that you’re going abroad isn’t necessary, but they do ask that you make sure your contact details are up to date. This is so they can easily verify with you whether a questionable transaction is genuine.¹

Pay attention to ATM fees and Dynamic Currency Conversion

Something to keep in mind when travelling abroad are the additional charges that could result from using an ATM.

Some ATMs charge you a fee for withdrawing money so it’s a good idea to find out if there’s any free ATMs or ATMs that have fee waiver agreements with your Irish bank.

The other thing you might face is the option to do a Dynamic Currency Conversion. This is where the ATM or payment machines charge you in Euros using their own exchange rate, rather than charging you in local currency.

Generally this is not the best deal for you because you still have to pay any international transaction fees from your bank and the rate is often quite poor.

Usually it’s better value to select to pay in the local currency and let your provider determine the rate, especially if you're using a Wise Account.

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