How Long Does an International Money Transfer Take?

Delivery times for eight UK corridors, the cut-off times that decide whether you get same-day settlement, and what to do when a transfer is late.

Matt Woodley

Matt WoodleyFounder & Editor

Updated 25 Aug 2026 · 8 min read

Under 1 working dayfor most transfers through a digital provider or specialist broker. Three to five working days through a UK high-street bank. The route decides the time far more than the destination does.

When will my transfer arrive?

Pick your corridor, how you are sending, and when. Working days only, with a 2pm UK time cut-off.

How you are sending
Expected arrivalWednesday next week to Friday next week3–5 working days · 7 calendar days from sending

The 2pm UK time cut-off has passed, so it starts on the next working day and then takes 3–5 working days over SWIFT.

A specialist on this corridor would arrive 1–2 hours.

An estimate, not a guarantee. It assumes your account is already verified, the recipient details are correct, and no bank holiday falls in either country. Cut-off times vary by provider and are earlier for less-traded currencies.

Digital providerSpecialist brokerHigh-street bank
  • UK → Europe (SEPA)GBP/EUR
    Digital providerSecondsSpecialist broker1–4 hoursHigh-street bank1–3 days
  • UK → SpainGBP/EUR
    Digital providerSecondsSpecialist brokerSame dayHigh-street bank1–3 days
  • UK → IndiaGBP/INR
    Digital providerSecondsSpecialist brokerMinutesHigh-street bank2–4 days
  • UK → United StatesGBP/USD
    Digital providerSecondsSpecialist broker1–2 hoursHigh-street bank3–5 days
  • UK → AustraliaGBP/AUD
    Digital providerSecondsSpecialist broker1–2 hoursHigh-street bank3–5 days
  • UK → CanadaGBP/CAD
    Digital providerSecondsSpecialist broker1–2 hoursHigh-street bank3–5 days
  • UK → PhilippinesGBP/PHP
    Digital providerMinutesSpecialist brokerSame dayHigh-street bank3–5 days
  • UK → NigeriaGBP/NGN
    Digital providerMinutesSpecialist brokerSame dayHigh-street bank3–7 days

Nothing here is about distance. UK to Nigeria clears in minutes on the right route and takes up to seven working days on the wrong one. What sets the time is whether the money crosses a border at all.

Delivery time by corridor and route. On every corridor we track, the route matters more than the destination. UK to the United States settles in seconds through a digital provider and takes three to five working days through a bank — the same money, the same corridor, a difference of up to five days. Bank timings are working days, so a Friday afternoon transfer commonly arrives the following Wednesday.Corridor timings from our provider testing, and the same dataset behind the speed comparison on our homepage. Bank ranges assume the same-day cut-off is met.

Typical delivery times by corridor and route:

  • UK → Europe (SEPA) (GBP/EUR): digital provider seconds; specialist broker 1–4 hours (for example Currencies Direct); high-street bank 1–3 days.
  • UK → Spain (GBP/EUR): digital provider seconds; specialist broker same day (for example Currencies Direct); high-street bank 1–3 days.
  • UK → India (GBP/INR): digital provider seconds; specialist broker minutes (for example Remitly); high-street bank 2–4 days.
  • UK → United States (GBP/USD): digital provider seconds; specialist broker 1–2 hours (for example OFX); high-street bank 3–5 days.
  • UK → Australia (GBP/AUD): digital provider seconds; specialist broker 1–2 hours (for example OFX); high-street bank 3–5 days.
  • UK → Canada (GBP/CAD): digital provider seconds; specialist broker 1–2 hours (for example XE); high-street bank 3–5 days.
  • UK → Philippines (GBP/PHP): digital provider minutes; specialist broker same day (for example WorldRemit); high-street bank 3–5 days.
  • UK → Nigeria (GBP/NGN): digital provider minutes; specialist broker same day (for example WorldRemit); high-street bank 3–7 days.

What actually determines how long it takes

Five things move the arrival date, and only one of them is the country you are sending to. In order of how much difference they make:

  • The route the money takesMinutes vs daysA specialist pays out from a balance it already holds in the destination country, so nothing crosses a border. A bank sends over SWIFT, where each intermediary adds a handling step.
  • The cut-off time you send byUp to 1 dayMiss the cut-off and the transfer joins the next working day's batch. Cut-offs are usually early afternoon UK time, and earlier for exotic currencies.
  • Weekends and bank holidays1–3 daysSettlement runs on working days in both countries. A Friday transfer to a country with a Monday holiday will not move until Tuesday.
  • First transfer with a providerHours to 2 daysIdentity and source-of-funds checks run once, on your first transfer. Later transfers to the same recipient skip this entirely.
  • Amount and compliance reviewHours to 2 daysLarge or unusual transfers can be held for manual review. Telling the provider in advance what the payment is for usually prevents it.

Why a Friday transfer arrives on Wednesday

This is the single most common reason a transfer looks late when it is not. Settlement only runs on working days, and it has to be a working day in both countries.

  1. Fri
    Sent 3pmCut-off passed
  2. Sat
    WeekendNo settlement
  3. Sun
    WeekendNo settlement
  4. Mon
    Day 1In transit
  5. Tue
    Day 2In transit
  6. Wed
    ArrivesFunds credited
5calendar days elapsed
3working days used
Five calendar days, three working days. A bank transfer sent at 3pm on Friday has already missed the cut-off, so it does not begin moving until Monday. Saturday and Sunday are not counted at all. Three working days later it lands on Wednesday — five calendar days after you pressed send, which is why it feels late when it is running exactly to schedule.

Worked example of the working-day effect on a bank transfer sent at 3pm on a Friday:

  • Friday: sent at 3pm, after the 2pm cut-off, so it joins the next working day's batch.
  • Saturday and Sunday: no settlement takes place.
  • Monday: working day one, the transfer begins moving.
  • Tuesday: working day two, in transit between correspondent banks.
  • Wednesday: working day three, funds credited to the recipient.

Total elapsed time is five calendar days but only three working days. Sending on a Monday or Tuesday morning avoids the weekend entirely.

Sending on a Monday or Tuesday morning avoids this entirely. If the payment has a deadline — a property completion, a tuition payment — a forward contract lets you fix the rate now and settle on a date you choose.

What to do if your transfer has not arrived

  1. 1Check the expected window for your route above. A bank transfer that is two working days old is almost certainly still in progress.
  2. 2Find the transfer reference from your provider. Every provider issues one; a bank will call it a UETR or SWIFT reference.
  3. 3Re-read the recipient's details, especially the IBAN or account number. A single wrong character is the most common cause of a delay past the expected window.
  4. 4Ask the sending provider to trace it. They can see where in the chain the payment currently sits, which the recipient's bank usually cannot.
  5. 5If funds were deducted and nothing arrives after the window plus two working days, raise a formal complaint. FCA-authorised firms must respond within eight weeks.

Every provider we compare is FCA-authorised, which means client funds are safeguarded and a complaints process applies.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an international money transfer take?
Most international transfers arrive within one working day. A digital provider settles the major corridors in seconds to minutes, a specialist broker in one to four hours, and a UK high-street bank in three to five working days. The route decides the time far more than the destination does.
Why does my bank take three to five days?
A bank transfer travels over SWIFT and physically crosses borders, passing through one or more correspondent banks. Each one adds a handling step and can only process on its own working days. A specialist provider avoids this by paying out from funds it already holds in the destination country, so there is nothing to route.
Can an international transfer arrive the same day?
Yes, on most major corridors, provided you send before the provider's cut-off time on a working day. Digital providers settle GBP to EUR, USD, AUD and CAD in seconds once your account is verified. Same-day delivery is not usually possible over a weekend or a bank holiday in either country.
How many days does an international money transfer take at a weekend?
Settlement runs on working days in both the sending and receiving country. A transfer sent on Friday afternoon typically arrives on Tuesday or Wednesday through a bank, because Saturday and Sunday do not count and the cut-off for Friday has usually passed.
What should I do if my transfer has not arrived?
Check the expected window for your route first, since a bank transfer that is two days old is usually still in progress. After that, ask the sending provider for the transfer reference and confirm the recipient's account details, particularly the IBAN or account number. Most delays past the expected window are caused by a detail mismatch rather than a lost payment.

Speed is only half the decision

The fastest provider on a corridor is not always the cheapest, and the gap in cost is usually larger than the gap in time. Our live comparison of international money transfer providers shows delivery time and total cost side by side for your amount and currency, so you can see what a day of speed actually costs.