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To send money abroad with NatWest, use the NatWest app or Online Banking: there’s no NatWest fee for sending, and you can send up to £20,000 a day. The cost is in the exchange rate. NatWest adds a currency margin of up to 3.25%, which on £1,000 can be about £32. If your payment needs converting, Wise is usually cheaper.
Quick answer: NatWest international payments
| NatWest app / Online Banking | |
|---|---|
| NatWest fee | £0 to send (optional £10 if you choose “You pay all fees”) |
| Exchange rate | Live rate with a margin of up to 3.25%, guaranteed when you pay before cut-off |
| Speed | SEPA euros: same business day (2pm cut-off). Other: 1–3 business days |
| Limit | £20,000 a day; £750 a day to new payees in the app without biometrics |
Source: NatWest’s “send money abroad” page (checked November 2026).
What NatWest charges
The fee: usually £0
NatWest says there is no fee for sending an international payment and no fee for receiving one. The receiving bank may still charge for crediting the money to your recipient’s account.
If you choose “You pay all fees”, NatWest charges £10 to cover foreign bank handling fees. The full amount goes to the beneficiary’s bank and the £10 shows separately on your statement. NatWest notes that intermediary or receiving banks may still deduct charges, so this doesn’t fully guarantee the exact amount arrives.
The margin: up to 3.25%
When NatWest converts your money, it adds a margin that varies with the amount and won’t be more than 3.25% (checked November 2026). You see the full cost and live rate before you pay.
NatWest’s own example: sending £1,000 to Spain with a market rate of about €1.15, a 3.25% margin costs about £32.50, so the recipient gets around €1,113 instead of €1,150.
Guaranteed vs indicative rate
Payments made in the app or Online Banking get a guaranteed rate. You get an indicative rate instead (and the final rate is set when the payment is processed) if:
- the payment is future-dated,
- you send it after the cut-off, or
- the rates system is down.
If you want certainty, send on a business day before the cut-off.
How to send money abroad with NatWest
In the NatWest app or Online Banking
- Get your recipient’s details (list below).
- Log in and start a new payment to someone abroad.
- Choose the country and currency, then enter the recipient’s details.
- Enter the amount and check the live rate, margin and total cost shown.
- Choose who pays fees: shared, or “You pay all fees” for the £10.
- Approve it. In the app this may be with biometrics; in Online Banking you may need your card reader.
Payments from the last 6 months appear under View recent payments. To recall a payment, call Telephone Banking. Recalls are best-endeavours only, and you could lose money on the exchange if the funds were converted.
What details you need
- The recipient’s name and address
- Their IBAN or account number
- Their bank’s BIC/SWIFT code (8 or 11 characters)
- Country-specific extras. NatWest lists, for example:
- USA: payments must be in USD; 9-digit ABA/Fedwire routing number
- India: 11-digit IFSC, beneficiary address and a purpose-of-payment code
- Canada: 8-digit bank transit number
- Australia / New Zealand: 6-digit BSB
- Mexico: 18-digit CLABE
- Turkey: 26-digit IBAN and a payment reason
- UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan: purpose-of-payment code
To receive money, find your IBAN and BIC in the app (tap the account, the three dots, then “View/Share account details”) or in Online Banking under “View account details”.
Limits and cut-off times
Daily limits (checked November 2026):
| With biometrics registered | Without biometrics | |
|---|---|---|
| App, saved payee | £20,000 | £20,000 |
| App, new payee | £20,000 | £750 total (max 5 payments) |
| Online Banking, new or saved payee | £20,000 | £20,000 (card reader may be needed) |
Cut-offs and timing (business days, UK time):
| Payment | Cut-off | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| Euros to a SEPA country | 2pm | Same business day |
| Euros to a non-SEPA country | 2pm | 1–3 business days |
| Non-euro currency | 4pm | 1–3 business days |
Scheduled international payments can be cancelled until 6:50am on the day they’re due.
Need more than £20,000 in a day? Spread it over several days, or compare a specialist that handles large transfers. Wise and others show volume discounts for bigger amounts.
NatWest Travel account: not for sending money
NatWest’s Travel account lets eligible customers hold euros or US dollars in the app for spending abroad (up to €/$10,000), with fee-free card spending in that currency. But NatWest says no other payments or transfers can be made in or out of it, so you can’t use it to send money abroad. It’s a travel spending tool, not a multi-currency transfer account.
Worked example: £1,000 to euros, NatWest vs Wise vs Revolut
Assumptions (illustrative): mid-market rate €1.20 per £1 (live rate about €1.199 on 5 November 2026). NatWest at its maximum 3.25% margin; your margin may be lower and is shown in the app. Wise fee from a live quote on 5 November 2026.
| NatWest app | Wise | Revolut (Standard) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | £0 | £3.81 | £0 for SEPA euro transfers |
| Rate | ~€1.161 | €1.20 (mid-market) | Revolut rate, shown in app |
| Recipient gets | ~€1,161 | ~€1,195 | Check in app |
| Cost vs mid-market | up to ~£32.50 | £3.81 | Low within £1,000/month allowance |
On these assumptions Wise delivers about €34 more. Revolut’s Standard plan includes £1,000 a month of currency exchange, then a 1% fair-usage fee on the excess (checked November 2026).
Run your own figures with our transfer cost calculator.
Our pick: For anything that needs converting, check Wise first. Compare the amount received with what the NatWest app shows. The cheaper one is the one that delivers more.
When NatWest is the better choice
- Sending pounds to a sterling account abroad, with no conversion (no fee).
- Small, occasional payments where convenience beats a few pounds’ saving.
- You need Telephone Banking help or prefer to keep everything in one bank.
When to use Wise or Revolut instead
- Converted payments of a few hundred pounds or more.
- More than £20,000 in a day.
- Regular remittances, for example to India or the Philippines.
- Revolut for up to £1,000 a month of exchange, or free SEPA euro payments.
See Wise vs Revolut and our full guide to the cheapest way to send money abroad.
Bottom line: NatWest is fee-free to send, but a margin of up to 3.25% makes it one of the pricier options for converted payments. Wise is usually the cheaper route.
Frequently asked questions
Does NatWest charge to send money abroad?
NatWest says there's no fee for sending an international payment, but if the payment is converted it adds a currency margin of up to 3.25%. If you choose to pay all fees, NatWest charges £10 to cover foreign bank handling fees (checked November 2026).
How much can I send abroad with NatWest?
Up to £20,000 a day in the app or Online Banking. Without biometrics registered, payments to a new payee in the app are capped at £750 a day across up to 5 payments.
How long does a NatWest international payment take?
Euro payments to a SEPA country arrive the same business day if sent before 2pm UK time. Euro payments outside SEPA and non-euro payments take 1 to 3 business days.
Does NatWest charge to receive money from abroad?
NatWest says there's no fee for receiving payments from abroad, though a currency margin applies if the money is converted and the sender's bank may charge.
Is Wise cheaper than NatWest?
For converted payments, usually. NatWest's own example shows a 3.25% margin costing about £32.50 on £1,000. Wise uses the mid-market rate and charged £3.81 for £1,000 to euros when we checked.