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International Payments

Our International Payment service is quick, easy and secure

Convenient

Send money 24/7 - and you can set up future-dated and recurring payments too

Available 24/7 via Online Banking

Send up to £50,000 (or currency equivalent) online or over the telephone, subject to a £5 fee (unless you’re paying in Euro’s and it’s going to a country in the European Economic Area in which case there is no first direct charge).¹

Know your exchange rate

With rates updated by the second during market hours, you'll know how much you're sending

Peace of mind

With us, you can be confident your transaction is safe and secure

¹European Economic Area includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.

Show the section Sending money outside the UK

Sending money outside the UK?

Sending money to family or friends outside the UK? Renting or maintaining a property overseas? Whatever the reason, here's what you'll need to know...

What will I need?

your account details
reason for the payment - some banks require this
the following details about your beneficiary:
- full name and address
- bank code - usually a BIC (Business Identifier Code)
- IBAN (International Bank Account Number) or account number
- bank address
- payment reference if applicable.

Please make sure you give us all the correct information to avoid delays or incorrect payments (though we'll do our best to help and make reasonable efforts to recover the payment). If a payment is returned, you might get a different amount back because of other bank's charges and differences in exchange rates.

As part of our ongoing protection against fraud, one of our team might give you a call to re-confirm the payment.

How much will it cost?

Payment type	Online	Telephone
Payment typefirst direct to HSBC	Online£0	Telephone£0
Payment typeEuro outside EEA, any other currency outside UK or any other foreign currency within the UK	Online£5	Telephone£5
Payment typeEuro within EEA	Online£0	Telephone£0

Payments to within the EEA

If you're making a payment to another person in the EEA, you will pay our charges (shown in the table above) together with any intermediary and agency bank charges. You cannot pay charges for the other person.

Payments to outside the EEA

You have different options to; you pay all the charges, share the charges or for the beneficiary to pay all charges.

The charge(s) applied to the payment will depend on the charging option selected.

If you opt to pay all the fees: The charges in the table above will apply together with any intermediary, agency and beneficiary bank charges.
If you opt to share the fees: The charge in the table above will apply together with any intermediary and agency bank charges.
If you opt the beneficiary to pay all fees: No charges will be applied.

The above charges will be deducted from the payment before we add them to the beneficiary's account where applicable.

How much can I send?

	Online	Telephone
Payment limit	Online£50,000 or currency equivalent per day	TelephoneUnlimited

How long will it take?

Payments to an account within the EEA will normally be credited by the next working day.

Payments to an account outside of the EEA could take up to 4 working days but may take longer depending on the country the payment is being sent to.

These are subject to further checks and currency cut off times as from time to time we may need to conduct additional security checks or validation of the payment. If you are sending the payment to secure an item e.g. for a purchase or investment, please ensure you give additional time for the payment to be received.

Can I cancel my payment instruction?

Immediate payment

If you've asked us to make a payment immediately, you can't cancel it - sorry.

Future dated or recurring payment

You can cancel a future-dated or recurring international payment through Online Banking or by giving us a call. You have until 23.59 (UK time) on the working day before the payment is due to be made, to cancel it.

How can I check the first direct Exchange Rate applied?

Immediate payment

For immediate payments, you'll be shown the exchange rate before you make the payment - which you can choose to accept or reject. We will also write to you to let you know the exchange rate we applied to the payment, where applicable.

Future dated or recurring payment

For future dated or recurring payments, the exchange rate will be applied on the day the payment is made. You can check the actual exchange rate used for the payment via Online Banking or by giving us a call. We'll also write to you to let you know the exchange rate we applied to the payment, where applicable.

Show the section Receiving money from outside the UK

Receiving money from outside the UK

Things you need to know before receiving a payment

The overseas bank sending the payment to you will need to know the following information about the account you wish to be credited - Providing this information will help to ensure that the payment happens as quickly as possible.

your personal details
SWIFT Code/BIC (Business Identifier Code)
IBAN (International Bank Account Number) or account number.

It's possible for you to receive money into your account from outside the UK in either foreign currency or Sterling.

If money is received in a different currency to what your account is held in, we'll convert it using the most up to date first direct Exchange Rate available before crediting it to your account.

What is an IBAN/BIC/SWIFT Code?

Your BIC/SWIFT Code identifies the bank receiving the international payment, the IBAN is your bank account number in a standard internationally recognised format.

Where can I find my IBAN/BIC/SWIFT Code?

You can find these details on your statements. To view a pdf of your statement log on to Online Banking.

How much will it cost?

It is important for you to understand from the sender which charging option they have selected when sending this money to you.

first direct receiving fees

Foreign Currency Payments and Sterling payments from banks outside the UK

Payment type	Charge
Receiving money in Euro from the EEA	£0
Receiving money in a foreign currency other than Euro or Euro from outside the EEA	£5
Foreign Currency Payments and Sterling payments from banks outside the UK	£5

Sterling electronic payments from banks outside the UK

Amount	Charge
Any amount	£5 each

Receiving money from within the EEA

If you're receiving money from another person in the EEA, you will only pay first direct's receiving fee (see table above), and the sender will pay all of the other charges.

Receiving money from outside the EEA

The sender has different options to; pay all the charges, share the charges or for you to pay all the charges.

The charge(s) applied to the payment will depend on the charging option selected by the sender.

If the sender opts to pay all the fees; no charges will be applied
If the sender opts to share the fees; the charge(s) in the table above will apply to you
If the sender opts for you to pay all fees; the charges in the table above will apply together with any intermediary and agency bank charges
The above charges will be deducted from the payment before we add them to your account where applicable. Any charges applied to money received will appear in your statement separately.