International bank transfer: details you need to send

International transfers need more than a name and UK sort code. Depending on the destination, you may need an IBAN, account number, SWIFT/BIC, recipient address, payment purpose and fee instructions.

Collect the recipient and bank details from a trusted source

For an international payment, the required fields depend on the country and payment network. An IBAN is common for many countries, while other destinations use local routing codes and account numbers. A SWIFT/BIC may also be requested for some payments.

MoneyHelper notes that overseas transfers may require the recipient's IBAN or SWIFT/BIC. For euro SEPA payments, FCA guidance says firms should not require the payer to supply a BIC where the IBAN is sufficient under the SEPA rules.

For a company, use the beneficiary name and reference shown on its invoice or official payment instructions. Do not change bank details because of an email that arrives unexpectedly during a transaction; invoice-redirection fraud often relies on exactly that scenario.

For a large payment, verify changed instructions through a known telephone number or another trusted channel. Confirmation of Payee does not protect every international transfer in the way it can help with many UK domestic payments.

Start by turning international bank transfer: details you need to send into a short timeline rather than a vague problem. Note the recipient legal name, account or IBAN details, bank identifier where required, payment currency, amount, reference and purpose requested by the recipient. Keep the original screen, document or receipt instead of relying on memory. A support team can investigate much faster when dates, amounts and status messages are clear, and you will also be able to spot immediately if a later explanation does not match what happened earlier.

Check currency, references and the amount to be received

A transfer that starts with £1,000 is not necessarily a £1,000-value payment at the other end. The exchange rate, provider fee and intermediary/recipient bank fees can all affect the delivered amount.

The FCA's international-payment transparency work says firms should clearly display the GBP amount, exchange rate, fixed and variable fees and, where possible, the amount the recipient will receive. Read those figures before confirming rather than judging the transfer only by a 'zero fee' headline.

A university, solicitor, supplier or government body may require a specific reference so it can match the payment. Missing the reference may not stop the money arriving at the bank, but it can delay the recipient allocating it to your account or invoice.

Some countries and banks also ask for payment-purpose information, recipient address or intermediary-bank details. Use the exact format your provider requests rather than squeezing extra information into the reference field.

The safest next step is the one that preserves your options. Do not change bank details based only on an unexpected email, because invoice and payment instruction fraud often relies on replacing genuine recipient details. Check whether another attempt could duplicate money movement, create another credit search, break an existing mandate or make the evidence harder to follow. If you do use a workaround, note why you used it and what condition will tell you that it can be stopped.

Reduce error risk with a worked international example

For a new recipient and a very large non-urgent transfer, a small test payment can reduce the risk of a typing error, provided the recipient confirms receipt before the main amount is sent. Check whether duplicate fees make that impractical.

Once the main transfer is sent, save the confirmation and transaction reference. If the recipient cannot find the money, those details are needed for the sending bank to trace it.

You need to pay €5,000 to a contractor in France. The invoice gives the legal company name, IBAN and payment reference. Your provider shows you the GBP amount, the exchange rate and its fee. Before sending, verify the invoice bank details through a known contact if they recently changed, then save the transfer confirmation and reference.

Translate the issue into a real household example. For a €3,000 invoice, confirm whether the beneficiary expects exactly €3,000 or an equivalent sterling amount and check how fees could affect the amount received. Then ask what happens to the balance, payment date or available cash under each next step. This is more useful than choosing from labels such as faster, cheaper or flexible without knowing the pounds impact. Keep the example with the case notes so any adviser or support agent can follow the same calculation.

For international bank transfer: details you need to send, use the same evidence every time you discuss make a small test when the stakes justify it and worked example. If new information arrives, add it to the timeline instead of replacing the earlier record. This matters when a status changes from pending to completed or from accepted to rejected, because the sequence can explain a fee, delay or duplicate action that is not obvious from the final screen alone.

International transfer checklist and escalation steps

• Get bank details from a trusted source.
• Confirm legal beneficiary name, IBAN/account details and currency.
• Read the exchange rate and all disclosed fees before confirming.
• Use the required invoice/reference exactly.

Do I always need a SWIFT/BIC?

No. Requirements depend on the destination and scheme. For many SEPA euro payments, the IBAN is sufficient and a BIC should not be mandatory for the payer.

Can intermediary banks deduct money?

Yes, depending on the route and fee arrangement. Your provider should explain where third-party fees may reduce the amount received.

What if the recipient changes bank details by email?

Treat an unexpected change as a fraud risk and verify it using a separate trusted contact method before sending.

Set an escalation point before you start chasing. If a transfer is delayed or rejected, keep the payment reference and ask the sending bank which field or compliance check is preventing completion before sending again. Ask for the outcome in writing and keep any complaint or case reference. Once the provider says the issue is fixed, check the account, mandate, balance, access or payment yourself rather than assuming every connected system has updated. Close the case only when the practical result matches what you were told.

When you review international bank transfer: details you need to send, separate the provider rule from your own decision. The provider can explain a useful checklist before you act and frequently asked questions, but you still need to decide whether the timing, cost and risk fit your situation. Write the provider answer first and your chosen action underneath it. That makes later complaints or follow up much easier to reconstruct.

Sources and verification

• MoneyHelper - making bank transfers
• FCA - international payment pricing transparency
• FCA - SEPA payments

MyBankAnswers uses official provider and UK regulatory sources wherever practical. Information is general and does not constitute financial advice.