Nationwide Send Money Abroad: SWIFT & SEPA Fees (2026)

To send money abroad with Nationwide, log in to the Internet Bank, go to Pay and transfer, then Make an international payment (or visit a branch). Euros to a SEPA country are free to send from a FlexAccount. Everything else goes by SWIFT, with a £15 fee. Any conversion uses Nationwide’s outbound rate, which carries a 2.2% mark-up. For converted payments, Wise is usually cheaper.

Quick answer: Nationwide international payments

Source: Nationwide’s international payments help page (checked November 2026).

What Nationwide charges

SWIFT vs SEPA

• SEPA is the cheap, fast route for euros to an account in the Single Euro Payments Area (the EU plus a few other countries). Nationwide’s FlexAccount fee information lists no transaction fee for SEPA euro payments. Nationwide’s help page says SEPA fees vary by payment type and account, so check yours.
• SWIFT is used for everything else: other currencies, and sterling sent abroad. Nationwide’s help page and the May 2025 FlexAccount terms say £15 per SWIFT payment. You need enough in your account to cover the payment plus the £15.

A note on conflicting documents: Nationwide’s November and December 2024 fee leaflets listed £20 for SWIFT payments. The newer product terms (May 2025) and the current help page both say £15, so we’ve used £15. Check the figure shown before you confirm.

Accounts with no SWIFT fee (per Nationwide’s help page): FlexStudent and FlexGraduate (and FlexOne, where still held). FlexBasic customers get the £15 refunded on a SWIFT payment in pounds to the EEA. Payments to Ukraine aren’t charged in branch and are refunded the next working day if made in the Internet Bank.

The 2.2% mark-up

Nationwide’s standard outbound exchange rate includes a 2.2% currency conversion mark-up, and Nationwide says it receives a share of it. You see the rate on the online form, or on the day in branch.

Nationwide’s own example: sending $100 at a rate of $1 = £0.8392 costs £83.92 (including £1.81 of mark-up), plus £15, so £98.92 leaves your account. On small payments, the £15 fee is the bigger cost. On large ones, the mark-up is.

Receiving money

There’s no Nationwide transaction fee for incoming international payments. Foreign currency is converted at the standard inbound rate, which includes a 0.5% mark-up. That doesn’t apply if the foreign bank converts to pounds before sending. Only current accounts can receive SWIFT payments.

How to send money abroad with Nationwide

In the Internet Bank

1. Log in to the Internet Bank.
2. Select Pay and transfer, then Make an international payment.
3. Pick the account to pay from and select Go.
4. Enter the recipient’s details and the amount, choosing foreign currency or pounds sterling.
5. Check the exchange rate and the £15 fee (if it applies), then confirm. You may need to verify using the Nationwide app or your card reader.

Nationwide’s guidance describes international payments in the Internet Bank and branch. It doesn’t describe sending them directly in the app.

In branch

Bring your Nationwide current account card, a valid passport or full driving licence, and proof of address. The exchange rate is given on the day.

What details you need

• The recipient’s first name and surname (or full company name)
• Their full address, including city, country and postcode
• Their IBAN or account number
• The receiving bank’s name and address
• The receiving bank’s BIC, unless you’re sending euros by SEPA

Receiving: your details

Give the sender your name, address, sort code, account number, IBAN and Nationwide’s BIC: NAIAGB21. Nationwide lists HSBC (MIDLGB22) as its intermediary bank.

Limits and timing

• Limits: Nationwide says there’s no limit on how much you can send internationally by SWIFT; different rules apply to SEPA. Large payments may still get security checks.
• Timing:
  • Euros within SEPA: by the end of the next working day
  • Non-euro payments within the EEA or UK: normally within 4 working days
  • Outside the EEA: can take longer than 4 working days
• Savings accounts: you can only send internationally from savings in exceptional cases, such as after a bereavement.

Worked example: £1,000 abroad, Nationwide vs Wise vs Revolut

Assumptions (illustrative): mid-market rate €1.20 per £1 (live rate about €1.199 on 5 November 2026). Nationwide mark-up 2.2% as published. Wise fees from live quotes on 5 November 2026.

£1,000 to a euro account (SEPA)

£1,000 to US dollars (SWIFT)

• Nationwide: £15 fee + ~£22 mark-up = about £37
• Wise: £4.60 total at the mid-market rate

Revolut’s Standard plan includes £1,000 a month of currency exchange, then a 1% fair-usage fee on the excess. Non-SEPA international transfers may carry a fee shown in the app (checked November 2026).

Model your own transfer with our transfer cost calculator.

Our pick: Nationwide’s 2.2% mark-up is lower than some high-street banks, but the £15 SWIFT fee hurts on smaller amounts. Compare with Wise before you send.

When Nationwide is the better choice

• You’re on FlexStudent or FlexGraduate, with no SWIFT fee, sending sterling with no conversion.
• Very large one-off payments where you value having no sending limit. Get a specialist quote too.
• You prefer a branch and face-to-face help.

When to use Wise or Revolut instead

• Non-euro payments under a few thousand pounds, where the £15 plus 2.2% adds up fast.
• Regular remittances, for example to India, Pakistan or the Philippines.
• You want to send from your phone: Wise and Revolut are app-first.

See Wise vs Revolut, our guide to sending euros, or every option in the best way to send money abroad.

Bottom line: Nationwide is fine for free SEPA euros if you accept a 2.2% mark-up, but for most other transfers Wise is cheaper and quicker to set up.