When Are Funds From an International Wire Transfer Available to Draw Upon?

International wire transfers can take different amounts of time, depending on a number of circumstances.

International wire transfers can take different amounts of time, depending on the originating bank or company, the receiving bank or company, and the countries in which the sender and receiver operate.

Sending Bank Delays

Banks or companies, such as a private money transfer service, rarely delay initiating a transfer. However, some banks may have manual processes for initiating the transfer. Those processes can take from several hours to several days, especially if the transfer is initiated before a holiday.

Transfer Times

Once the transfer is initiated, time in transit can also vary. In some cases, the transfer may arrive at the receiving institution in 72 hours. However, in some cases the transfer can take as long as two weeks, according to iQ Credit Union.

Receiving Bank Delays

Although most American banks will credit the account as soon as the transfer is received, some international banks may not. In some cases, a bank may hold funds for up to 30 days to ensure that the transfer was legitimate.

References

• iQ Credit Union: International Wire Transfers