International & Migrant
How Can We Help
Key benefits
- immediate access to your foreign money
- ideal for accepting payments or paying bills in a foreign currency
- can be used to help you deal in the foreign exchange market
- you may earn interest on your money in a foreign currency (a minimum balance will apply)
- open an account with any amount, in all major currencies
- pay foreign currency bills with a draft or telegraphic transfer
Note: Online Banking, phone banking, and cheque access are not available.
Earning interest on your money
You may earn interest on your foreign currency. Interest is calculated daily and credited to your account at the end of each month in the currency in which the account is held.
Requirements for earning interest
You’ll need to have the set minimum balance for that currency, which depends on current market interest rates.
Give us a call us on 0800 400 600 (7am to 11pm, 7 days a week) for details on minimum balances.
To be eligible to open a foreign currency account you must hold other accounts with us.
To open a foreign currency account visit any Westpac branch in New Zealand and bring identification—e.g. a passport or photo driver’s licence – and your IRD number.
For companies, trusts, estates, or incorporated societies we'll need some additional paperwork. Call us on 0800 400 600 (7am to 11pm, 7 days a week) for more information.
| Foreign Currency Account - Fees | ||
| Rates & fees are current as at 21 May 2013 and are subject to change. |
||
| Fee type | Fee amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Depositing foreign cash | cash handling charge |
2% of foreign amount minimum NZ$35 |
| Depositing other monies | foreign cheques, travellers' cheques, bank drafts |
NZ$5 per deposit |
| telegraphic transfer sent to your account |
$15 per deposit | |
| Withdrawals from on-call accounts | by bank draft |
$25 |
| by telegraphic transfer |
$25 | |
| in cash |
1% of value minimum $6 |
|
| Account maintenance fee Charged on a monthly basis |
Australian dollar |
AUD 9 |
| Euro currency |
EUR 5 |
|
| British pound |
GBP 4 |
|
| US dollar |
USD 6 |
|
| Other currencies available on request. | ||
Westpac accepts no liability for losses suffered as a result of it converting currencies and any exchange risks from the conversion of currencies is the responsibility of the account / deposit holder. The information on this page and terms, conditions and pricing for Foreign Currency Accounts may very from time to time. You can get a copy of the current disclosure statement for Westpac New Zealand Limited and a copy of the investment statement for any securities for which an investment statement is required from any Westpac branch in New Zealand free of charge. It is subject to change without notification.