Ways to Bank

Sending money abroad

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How do I send money abroad? Open in new window

How much will it cost? Open in new window

How long will it take? Open in new window

Country specific requirements Open in new window

How do I receive money from abroad? Open in new window

Frequently asked questions Open in new window

How do I send money abroad?

Making an international payment using the mobile app or Digital Banking is just as secure as it is to make one in branch. You can make a payment to a new or an existing payee, quickly and easily, in the comfort of your home. Criteria apply.

Follow the link to make a payment Open in new window

App available to customers aged 11+ with compatible iOS and Android devices and a UK or international mobile number in specific countries.
Digital Banking available to customers aged 11+ with a Royal Bank of Scotland account.

How much will it cost?

There is no fee for sending an international payment online, however the receiving bank may charge for processing the payment and crediting the account of the recipient.

There is no fee for all euro payments received. For non-euro payments received that are under £100, the fee is £1. For payments received over £100, the fee is £7.

If your payment needs a foreign exchange conversion, we apply a margin. This margin can change based on the amount you send or receive, but it will not be more than 3.25%.

Our live rates show you the full cost before you make your payment.

Fee options when sending a payment

There are options to pay the fee, and these will be displayed when you send a payment.

You pay all fees

We'll charge £10 to cover any foreign bank handling fees. We'll send the full payment amount to the beneficiary bank.

This fee will appear separately on your bank statement.

However, we can't guarantee the recipient will receive the full amount, as intermediary or receiving banks may take additional charges from the payment before it reaches them.

Payment example to illustrate foreign exchange margin

This example below shows how charges can apply when you send money abroad:

You want to send £1,000 from the UK to your daughter in Spain. She will receive the money in euros (€).

Because the money needs to be changed from pounds to euros, an exchange rate is used.

At the market rate, £1 is worth about €1.15. A margin of 3.25% is applied to this rate. In this example £1 becomes about €1.11. This means your daughter will receive about €1,113.

The margin, worth about £32.50, is already included in the rate we offer and means your daughter receives fewer euros.

If comparing across providers the key information to use, in this example, would be the amount in euros your daughter will receive.

We’ll always show you the exchange rate and the full cost before you confirm your payment.

Visit Digital Banking Open in new window

How long will it take?

Payment type	Time taken	Mobile Banking and Digital Banking cut off time
Euro payment to SEPA* country	Same business day**	14:00 UK time
Euro payment to non-SEPA country	1-3 business days	14:00 UK time
Non-euro payment	1-3 business days	16:00 UK time

* SEPA is the Single Euro Payments Area in which you can make and receive euro payments. See Support Centre FAQs for list of applicable countries.

** Monday - Friday excluding public holidays. Delivery times depend on cut-off times and may take longer if the payment is delayed or refused because information is missing or incorrect.

Country specific requirements

For certain countries specific information needs to be included in the payment. This information is highlighted below.

When sending payments to

Canada

Payments in Canadian dollars require the beneficiary account number, name and address. An 8-digit Bank Transit Number should be provided in preference to a BIC wherever possible. The Bank Transit Number should be entered into the National Clearing Code box.

When sending payments to Canada, they will more than likely have a 3 figure bank code as that is all they are provided with by the Canadian banks. However, a 4 digit code is required so an additional ‘0’ should be added at the beginning of the code e.g. Royal Bank of Canada 003 should be 0003; HSBC 016 should be 0016.

Mexico

Mexican account numbers are 18 digits long and called a CLABE.

United States of America (USA)

The USA does not generally accept any payment that is not in USD and will convert if sent in pounds. USA banks are identified using Fed Wire Routing numbers and ABA numbers (equivalent of UK sort codes) which are always 9 digits. This should go in the National Clearing Code box and should be provided in preference to a BIC wherever possible.

When sending payments to

France

Payments to the French post office 'La Poste' can only be made in euros.

Turkey

Payments must have a 26-digit IBAN. A reason for the payment is required to be sent with all payments.

When sending payments to

Australia

A BSB number is an Australian sort code which has 6 digits.

A BSB should be provided in preference to a BIC wherever possible. The BSB should be entered in the National Clearing Code box.

All payments require a beneficiary address.

India

Payments to India may require an IFSC code (Indian Financial System Code). This is an alpha-numeric code that uniquely identifies a bank-branch participating in the NEFT system (clearing system in India) and has an 11-digit code.

All payments require a beneficiary address.

All payments require a purpose of payment code.

Malaysia

All payments require a a reason for payment.

New Zealand

A BSB number is a New Zealand sort code which has 6 digits. A BSB should be provided in preference to a BIC wherever possible. The BSB should be entered in the National Clearing Code box.

When sending payments to

Bahrain

All payments require a purpose of payment code to be specified.

Egypt

A reason for payment is required to be sent with all payments.

Jordan

All payments require a purpose of payment code to be specified.

Kuwait

All payments require a purpose of payment code to be specified.

Qatar

All payments require a purpose of payment code to be specified.

South Africa

All payments to South Africa require a BIC.

Turkey

A reason for the payment is required to be sent with all payments.

United Arab Emirates

All payments require a purpose of payment code to be specified.

Receiving an international payment?

You can easily and securely receive money from around the world. Check out our step by step video below on what details are required and where to find them.

play video

Frequently asked questions

What is an International Bank Account Number (IBAN)

IBANs are used by banks of other member or joining countries of the European Union, the European Economic Area, Switzerland as well as a few others. A list of all IBAN compliant countries is available.

Using the IBAN is an internationally agreed method for transactions between banks located in different countries. It provides a simple means for foreign banks to check the validity of your bank account number.

An IBAN is always used in conjunction with your BIC (Bank Identifier Code). A BIC (sometimes referred to as SWIFT code) is a unique set of characters, being either 8 or 11 numbers and letters. This enables easy identification of financial institutions (e.g. banks) when carrying out international transactions.

Where can I find my IBAN and BIC numbers?

To receive international payments you need to supply your IBAN and BIC.

The easiest way to find your IBAN and BIC is from the mobile app, you could also use Digital Banking or your account statement:

Mobile app

Log in to your app.
Tap on the account you want to see.
Select the three dots on the top right of your screen.
Tap 'View/Share account details' to see your IBAN and BIC code.

Digital Banking

Log in to www.digitalbanking.rbs.co.uk
Select the account you wish to view from the 'Account summary' screen.
Select the option 'View account details'.
You will see the IBAN and BIC code listed on screen.

How do I find out the exchange rate when I send an international payment?

You will receive a guaranteed rate when making a payment via the mobile app or Digital Banking.

In the event the rates system is unavailable, the payment is future dated or the payment is initiated after the cut off time, then you will receive an indicative rate. This is due to a delay between the date and time the payment transaction is made and the date and time the payment transaction is processed by Royal Bank of Scotland, the actual rate used on your payment may differ because the rate is set when your payment is processed.

How can I check my recent international payments?

A recent payment is a payment which has already been debited from your account.

You will see any international payments you have made in the last 6 months by selecting the 'View recent payments' option in the 'International payments' section of either the 'Payments and transfers' page when using Digital Banking or within 'Send Money/Make a payment' in mobile app .

Other previous payments can be viewed within 'Statements'.

How can I check my scheduled international payments?

A scheduled payment is a payment which has been created to be paid on a future date.

To view a scheduled international payment, select 'Payments and transfers' from the main menu. From the 'International payments' section select 'View or cancel a scheduled payment'. A list of your future dated international payments will appear. You may choose to cancel a payment by selecting it from the list and then 'Cancel Payment'.

Scheduled international payments can be cancelled up to 06:50am (UK time) on the business day it is due to be made.

Can I recall an international payment?

To discuss the possibility of recalling an international payment, please call Telephone Banking.

Any attempt to recall international payments are done so on a best endeavours basis. Please note that any payments that are recalled successfully may be subject to currency exchange loss upon return (if initially converted to another currency).

How much can I send?

If you have registered your biometrics with the Bank, you can use the mobile app or Digital Banking to make an international payment to new and saved payees up to the daily limit of £20,000.00 GBP.

If you have not yet registered your biometrics with the Bank you can make a payment to:

A saved payee via the mobile app up to £20,000.
A new payee via our mobile app up to £750 (a maximum of 5 payments totalling £750 per day).
A new or saved payee via Digital Banking, up to the daily limit is £20,000 using your card reader, when required.

Biometric approval is available to eligible app customers aged 16 or over.

Can I send payments overseas in pounds?

Most overseas bank accounts use the local currency. For example, bank accounts in Canada usually use Canadian dollars.

If you send pounds to one of these accounts, the recipient’s bank may need to convert the money before it can be paid in.

This means you may not know:

• the exchange rate the recipient’s bank will use
• exactly how much money the recipient will receive

If we convert your money before you send it, we’ll show you our exchange rate when you make the payment. You’ll know exactly how much foreign currency is being sent.

If the account overseas is in pounds, you have a special arrangement to send pounds, or you would just prefer to, then you should send it in pounds.