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To send money abroad with Santander UK, log in to Online Banking (not the app), go to Payments & Transfers, then International payments. Santander charges £25 per international payment, unless it’s a non-urgent SEPA euro transfer (free) or you have a Santander Edge account (fee waived). Every conversion also carries a mark-up of 1–3%. That makes Wise cheaper for most transfers.
Quick answer: Santander international payments
| Santander UK personal current accounts | |
|---|---|
| Fee | £25 per international payment. £0 for non-urgent SEPA euros. £0 from Edge, Edge Up and Edge Explorer |
| Exchange rate | Santander sell rate with a mark-up: 3% up to £10,000, 2% to £50,000, 1% above |
| Speed | SEPA non-urgent: next working day. Euros/USD: same day if before cut-off. Other currencies: up to 4 working days |
| Where | Online Banking, Telephone Banking or branch. Not the Mobile Banking app |
Sources: Santander’s international payments page and December 2025 current account fee leaflet (checked November 2026).
What Santander charges
The fees
From Santander’s current account fees leaflet (December 2025):
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| CHAPS and international payments | £25 |
| SEPA non-urgent euro transfer | Not charged |
| Foreign currency draft | £10 |
| Paying in a foreign-currency cheque | £10 (the paying bank may also charge) |
Santander Edge waiver: Santander doesn’t charge the £25 international transfer or CHAPS fee on payments made directly from a Santander Edge, Edge Up or Edge Explorer current account. Correspondent and receiving banks may still take charges.
From 28 April 2026, Santander no longer writes foreign-currency cheques for customers.
The exchange-rate mark-up
Santander converts your pounds using its sell rate, which includes a mark-up based on payment size (checked November 2026):
| Payment size | Mark-up |
|---|---|
| Up to £10,000 | 3% |
| £10,001 to £50,000 | 2% |
| £50,001 and above | 1% |
Santander’s own example: sending £1,000 to Spain with a market rate of 1.14, its sell rate was 1.11 and the fixed fee £25, so the recipient got €1,110 and you paid £1,025.
Santander also says the final rate is only known once the payment completes, so it may differ slightly from what you saw at set-up. Check your statement for the rate used.
Who pays the overseas charges
- Default: you pay only your (sender’s) charges; the recipient may have deductions.
- Beneficiary pays all charges.
- You pay both: you also cover the recipient’s charges, which makes a full-amount arrival more likely but not guaranteed.
Outside the EEA, change this under “Expenses paid by” in Online Banking, or ask by phone or in branch. Santander notes that European banks can deduct fees from SWIFT euro payments to EEA accounts, but deductions can’t be taken from SEPA payments. That’s another reason to use SEPA for euros where possible.
How to send money abroad with Santander
In Online Banking
- Log on to Online Banking.
- Go to the Payments & Transfers tab.
- Select International payments in the left-hand menu.
- Enter the recipient’s details, currency and amount, and choose who pays charges.
- Follow the on-screen checks. For payments to overseas companies, Santander sends a one-time passcode to your registered mobile.
You can also make international payments by Telephone Banking or in branch, but not in the Mobile Banking app.
What details you need
- The recipient’s full name and account number or IBAN
- Their bank’s BIC
- Any routing code the destination country requires
- For Mexican peso payments, the 18-digit CLABE number
To receive money, give the sender your IBAN and Santander’s BIC, ABBYGB2LXXX.
Cut-off times and timing
Cut-offs from Santander’s international payments page (checked November 2026):
| Payment type | Online | Branch | Phone | Usually arrives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEPA euros, non-urgent | 2:30pm | 3pm | 1pm | Next working day |
| Euros (urgent/SWIFT) | 11:30am | 2:30pm | 11:30am | Same day within UK/EEA; up to 4 working days outside |
| US dollars | 3pm | 3pm | 1pm | Same day within UK/US; up to 4 working days outside |
| Pounds sent outside the UK | 3pm | 3pm | 1pm | Next working day |
| Other currencies | 3pm | 3pm | 1pm | Up to 4 working days |
We couldn’t find a published daily limit specific to international payments on Santander’s personal pages, so check Online Banking or call before a large transfer.
Worked example: £1,000 abroad, Santander vs Wise vs Revolut
Assumptions (illustrative): mid-market rate €1.20 per £1 (live rate about €1.199 on 5 November 2026). Santander mark-up 3% (its published rate up to £10,000). Wise fees from live quotes on 5 November 2026.
£1,000 to a euro account
| Santander SEPA (non-urgent) | Wise | Revolut (Standard) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | £0 | £3.81 | £0 for SEPA euro transfers |
| Rate | ~€1.164 | €1.20 (mid-market) | Revolut rate, shown in app |
| Recipient gets | ~€1,164 | ~€1,195 | Check in app |
| Cost vs mid-market | ~£30 | £3.81 | Low within £1,000/month allowance |
£1,000 to US dollars or rupees
- Santander (standard account): £25 fee + ~£30 mark-up = about £55
- Santander Edge: £0 fee + ~£30 mark-up = about £30
- Wise: £4.60 to USD, £5.14 to INR (live quotes, 5 November 2026)
Revolut’s Standard plan includes £1,000 a month of currency exchange, then a 1% fair-usage fee on the excess. A fee may apply to non-SEPA international transfers and is shown in the app (checked November 2026).
Try your own amount in our transfer cost calculator.
Our pick: Unless you’re sending pounds from an Edge account, Santander is one of the pricier ways to send money abroad. Get a quote from Wise first.
When Santander is the better choice
- Sending sterling to a sterling account abroad from an Edge account: no fee and no conversion.
- Large transfers above £50,000, where the mark-up drops to 1%. Compare with a specialist on the day.
- You want to do it in branch with staff help.
When to use Wise or Revolut instead
- Almost any converted payment under £50,000.
- You want to send from your phone. Santander doesn’t support international payments in its app.
- Regular transfers home, for example to India, Pakistan or Nigeria.
- Revolut for up to £1,000 a month of exchange.
See Wise vs Revolut and the cheapest way to send money abroad.
Bottom line: Santander’s £25 fee and up-to-3% mark-up add up fast. Edge account holders avoid the fee, but Wise still usually delivers more.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Santander charge to send money abroad?
Santander UK charges £25 for international payments, but not for non-urgent SEPA euro transfers. Santander Edge, Edge Up and Edge Explorer current accounts don't pay the £25. On top of that, the exchange rate includes a mark-up of 3% up to £10,000 (checked November 2026).
Can I send money abroad in the Santander app?
No. Santander says international payments are made in Online Banking, not the Mobile Banking app. You can also send by phone or in branch.
How long does a Santander international payment take?
Non-urgent SEPA euro payments arrive the next working day. Euro and US dollar payments can arrive the same day if sent before the cut-off. Other currencies can take up to 4 working days.
Is the Santander Edge account free for international payments?
Santander doesn't charge its £25 international transfer fee on payments made directly from an Edge, Edge Up or Edge Explorer current account. The exchange-rate mark-up still applies, and correspondent or receiving banks may still charge.
Is Wise cheaper than Santander?
For most converted payments, yes. Santander adds a mark-up of up to 3% and, unless you have an Edge account, a £25 fee. Wise uses the mid-market rate with a small fee.