What is the quickest way to transfer money internationally?

Need to send money overseas, and fast? Perhaps you need to put down a deposit on an overseas property purchase, book a hotel or simply send money to a family member in need of some cash.

There are lots of ways you can do it, whether it’s a bank or a money transfer service. But when speed is the top priority, you’ll need a clear idea of transfer times.

We’re here to help, with a helpful guide to the fastest providers for sending money overseas. We’ll compare estimated speeds from different providers, including Wise.

With a Wise account, you can make transfers worldwide - in just a few clicks. And you’ll benefit from low fees* and mid-market exchange rates, along with a fully trackable service.

Open your Wise account 🌍

What is the quickest way to make an international transfer?

You can send money overseas from the UK in a few different ways. This includes:

• Bank transfers
• Online transfers to bank accounts via specialist international transfer providers
• Transfers for in-person cash collection.

Read on for a quick overview of each method.

Bank transfers

The first way to send money overseas is via your UK bank account, where your money will likely be sent via SWIFT. This is a global network of banks, which use SWIFT to communicate with each other in order to send and receive payments.

International bank transfers via SWIFT aren’t always the quickest way to send money overseas. It can take anywhere between 1 and 5 working days for the payment to arrive.¹

📚 International bank transfer speeds

Online transfers to bank accounts with money transfer providers

You can also use a specialist money transfer service to send money abroad. There are lots of them out there, including Wise, Western Union, MoneyGram, XE, WorldRemit and Xoom to name just a few.

It involves making an electronic payment online to your recipient’s bank account, although some providers also let you send money to mobile wallets and debit cards.

Depending which one you use and where you’re sending to/from (along with your chosen payment method), this kind of transfer can be pretty quick. In some cases, your transfer can arrive within minutes, although it can also take a couple of days.

We’ll look at more specific transfer times with a range of providers shortly.

Transfers for in-person cash collection

The last option is to send a payment for in-person collection. This is a service offered by some money transfer services, where your recipient will collect the cash in person at a designated pick-up point.

In some cases, you can visit an agent location and pay for your transfer in cash too. Otherwise, you’ll set up the transfer online.

Transfers for in-person cash collection tend to be really quick, with the money available to pick up within minutes.

The only drawback is that not all providers offer this service, and it may not be available in all destinations - only those where the provider has a network of agent locations.

Can I transfer money internationally instantly with Wise?

Yes, for many transfers with Wise, the money will arrive instantly - within 20 seconds or less of the transfer being processed.** With 95% of transfers taking less than 24 hours.

However, it all depends on the destination country and currency involved in your transfer. It could potentially take up to 2 working days** for your money to arrive, although this can still be quicker than many bank transfers.

You can check average Wise transfer times for your chosen currency by heading to our help centre article on currencies you can send to with Wise, finding your currency and following the link to the relevant currency transfer guide. You can also enter the details of your transfer to see a live estimated delivery time.

**Transaction speeds depend on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions.

What is the quickest international money transfer?

Now, let’s take a look at the average or estimated transfer speeds with a range of providers. This should help you to compare options and choose the best one for your needs.

Just remember though that the specific details of your transfer are likely to affect how quickly it is processed and delivered. For example, where you’re sending from and to, the currency and your choice of payment and delivery methods.

If additional ID or verification checks are needed, this is also likely to cause delays.

**Transaction speeds depend on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions.

Send fast international payments with Wise

After reading this, you should have an idea of what your options are for sending a speedy international transfer.

There are lots of providers out there, so it’s important to compare them all carefully before choosing one - and not just on speed. Fees, exchange rates, security and customer service are all crucial things to check out.

And remember - open a Wise account online and you can send money worldwide for low fees and mid-market exchange rates. Payments are fast, secure and easy to track, so your recipient gets their money quickly**.

This is because Wise isn’t hampered by the slowness of SWIFT. It works a little differently, using smart technology to link local bank accounts in countries all over the world.

You’ll get upfront estimates of when your money will arrive, and it could be just minutes - although some transfers take a day or two depending on destination and currency.

And you’ll get all of these other benefits when you join Wise:

• Dedicated support for large transfers
• Fast and easy setup with no physical paperwork
• Low, upfront, transparent fees*
• Fully trackable transfers
• Fast transfer times - with 95% of transfers between January and March 2025 completed in less than 24 hours and 64% instant (under 20 seconds)
• Two-factor authentication and real-time notifications.

**Transaction speeds depend on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions.

Open your Wise account 🌍

Sources used:

1. GoCardless - How long do international bank transfers take?
2. Western Union - send money online
3. MoneyGram - sending money
4. WorldRemit - sending with WorldRemit
5. Xoom - sending money
6. XE - transfer speed
7. Vance - Remitly transfer fees

All Wise speed claims depend on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions, see our latest speed update here.

Sources last checked on date: 01-May-2025