Receive money from overseas into an Australian bank

You can receive an overseas transfer into an Australian bank account if the sender has your bank's account details and SWIFT code. The amount that lands can be lower than the amount sent, because receiving banks and banks along the route may take a cut. Before anyone presses send, ask what you should actually receive and which fees the sender has agreed to cover.

FXRate.com.au is a general information site operated by Dominet BV. This page is general information only and is not financial advice. It does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. Dominet BV does not hold an Australian financial services licence (AFSL). We don't arrange transfers, recommend or rank providers, forecast exchange rates or receive payments from providers. Fees and rates change, so check the provider's own page and documents before you send or spend money. Facts were checked on 6 November 2026. Read our general information notice. Receiving fees quoted here are as each bank published them on that date.

What you need to give the sender

Use the receiving instructions for your own bank and account type. The details differ. Check the account number carefully before you pass it on, even if the sender already has your name.

NAB says it processes payments using the BSB and account number, not the name. A correct name does not replace checking those numbers. Its receiving instructions also say Australian banks do not use IBANs.

ANZ

Give the sender your account name and the address linked to your account. They also need your BSB and account number, plus SWIFT code ANZBAU3M or ANZBAU3MXXX.

Use the address linked to the account when you share the instructions. ANZ's international payments page sets out the details the sender needs.

CommBank

The sender needs your full name and home address. PO Boxes are not accepted. Give the bank name as Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the SWIFT code as CTBAAU2S.

CommBank asks for your 6-digit BSB and 8-digit account number, not card numbers. Its international payments leaflet ADB1784 (PDF) contains these sender instructions.

NAB

Give the sender your BSB and account number, your full legal name and your street address. They also need the NAB branch address where you opened the account and SWIFT code NATAAU3303M.

A NAB Foreign Currency Account has different instructions. Provide the account number only. If a BSB is requested, 082-039 may be used. Check which account you are receiving into before sharing the details in NAB's receiving instructions.

Westpac

The bank name is Westpac Banking Corporation. Give the sender SWIFT code WPACAU2S (or WPACAU2SXXX if the sending bank needs 11 characters), along with your full name and address.

Westpac asks for a 12-digit number made up of your 6-digit BSB and 6-digit account number. Check the complete number before the sender uses it for an overseas transfer into an Australian bank.

Receiving fees at the big four

These receiving fees are in Australian dollars, as published by ANZ, CommBank, NAB and Westpac on 6 November 2026. Read the conditions next to each amount.

ANZ

As listed on 6 November 2026, ANZ says a fee of up to $15 may apply to an overseas payment equivalent to AUD300 or more, deducted unless the sender covers it. That statement is tied to the AUD300 threshold.

Do not treat the maximum as a confirmed deduction for your payment. Ask the sender to check the arrangements before sending.

CommBank

As listed on 6 November 2026, CommBank lists up to $11.00 per transfer into a CommBank AUD account or Foreign Currency Account, depending on arrangements with overseas banks. Leaflet ADB1784 is dated 23 July 2026. The figures in the PDF matched the fee page on 6 November 2026.

The published wording leaves room for the overseas bank arrangement to change what is charged. Keep that qualification when you discuss the amount you expect to receive.

NAB

As listed on 6 November 2026, NAB lists up to $15 for receiving into a NAB account in any currency. If the sender elects to pay NAB's fee, NAB will not charge the receiver, although it may charge the sending bank a higher amount.

Ask what the sender has elected. Receiving directly into a NAB account also differs from a payment that NAB passes to another bank.

#### Payments passed through NAB

NAB also publishes charges for payments it passes on, as listed on 6 November 2026.

NAB may convert funds to AUD when acting as an intermediary. It says it will tell the other bank the rate used and any fees taken. Ask about the payment route if NAB is passing the funds on.

Westpac

As listed on 6 November 2026, Westpac lists a $12 AUD processing fee to receive. The fee is waived if the payment is equivalent to $100 AUD or less. Sending banks may also deduct fees.

The sender should ask what could be deducted before the funds reach Westpac. The receiving arrangement alone does not settle the final amount.

Timing and what the recipient sees

Moneysmart says transfer time can be instant, a few minutes, or up to five business days. It also says banks use SWIFT. That general range does not give your particular payment a fixed arrival time.

ANZ says timing depends on the destination and the sending institution. Only the sender can track the payment. Contact the sender if it has not arrived and ask them to follow it up.

NAB generally processes a payment on the same business day if the payment instruction arrives before cut-off. Its additional information page says a transfer is usually received within 24 hours by the beneficiary's bank. It may take longer if another bank must forward it.

Those timing notes describe particular stages. They do not mean every transfer reaches your account within the same period from the moment the sender starts it.

Westpac says funds are usually available on the same business day it receives them before cut-off, though sometimes they take longer. If the payment has not been received after 5 business days, follow up with the sender or Westpac through your usual banking channels.

When you ask about a delayed transfer, be clear about what has happened so far. A payment instruction and the receiving bank getting the funds are different events. Ask the sender which event their timing information refers to.

Why the amount that lands can be less

The sending amount alone does not tell you what will arrive. The ACCC says to ask about correspondent banking fees and recipient bank fees, and to look at the total price and the amount the recipient receives. Moneysmart says to compare whether the receiver pays any fees.

Ask the sender to check correspondent and receiving charges before the payment goes out. Our international money transfer fees and bank international transfer fees guides put those charges next to the rest of the price. Keep the receiving table alongside the terms for the actual transfer.

A payment may involve another bank before it reaches your account. Our SWIFT fees guide covers that part of the cost question. Ask which banks may handle the payment and what amount you should expect to receive.

Conversion needs a separate question. Westpac says it cannot guarantee that "Do not convert" instructions will stop intermediaries converting before arrival. Such an instruction does not give you certainty that the currency will stay unchanged throughout the route.

If you are comparing a conversion rate, see the mid-market rate guide and the exchange rate margin guide for related background. Ask what currency will arrive and what amount will be credited.

Contact the bank or transfer business first. If the issue is not resolved and they are an AFCA member, you can take the complaint further with AFCA.

Sending to the Philippines

Country remittance routes, such as sending from Australia to the Philippines, are covered on sister site RemitHome (sister site). Use that site for the country route. This page covers receiving money into Australian banks.

What this means for you

Give the sender the receiving instructions for your specific account. Check the BSB and account number yourself. NAB says it processes using those numbers rather than the name, and its Foreign Currency Account instructions differ from its other receiving instructions.

Ask who is covering the receiving charge under the bank's terms as listed on 6 November 2026. Ask separately whether conversion could happen before arrival. A clear answer to one question does not settle the other.

If you are waiting, check which stage the timing estimate covers. ANZ directs you to the sender for tracking. Westpac says to follow up if funds have not been received after 5 business days. Use the relevant instructions for your payment when deciding how to follow up.

Frequently asked questions

What details do I need to receive money from overseas?

Use your bank's receiving instructions. The banks listed here ask for account details and a SWIFT code, along with name and address information. Requirements can differ by account type, including NAB Foreign Currency Accounts.

How much do Australian banks charge to receive an overseas transfer?

As listed on 6 November 2026, ANZ lists up to $15 for qualifying payments, CommBank up to $11.00, NAB up to $15 into a NAB account, and Westpac $12 AUD with a threshold waiver. Conditions apply as shown in the table.

Do Australian bank accounts use IBANs?

NAB says Australian banks do not use IBANs. Follow your receiving bank's instructions for the BSB and account number, plus its SWIFT code. NAB provides separate instructions for Foreign Currency Accounts.

How long does an overseas transfer take?

Moneysmart says transfers can be instant, take a few minutes, or take up to five business days. Bank processing notes depend on when instructions or funds arrive. They do not give every payment a fixed arrival time.

Will a "Do not convert" instruction prevent conversion?

Westpac says it cannot guarantee that this instruction will stop intermediaries converting funds before arrival. Ask about the route and intended receiving currency before the sender makes the payment.