Sending money to or from overseas

What are telegraphic transfers?

A telegraphic transfer is the electronic transfer of money from Westpac to an overseas bank.

Key benefits

• no waiting for money to clear once received – usually within 1-3 working days*
• sent money is traceable
• money is electronically transferred directly to the recipient’s bank account.*

*For some countries, such as India and Pakistan the receiving bank may issue and post a bank cheque to effect payment to the recipient account. In these cases, it is likely to be more than 3 working days and could be as long as three weeks before the funds are available.

You should check with the beneficiary first as it may be quicker to send a bank draft directly to them.

How to send a telegraphic transfer

You will need to visit your nearest branch to send a telegraphic transfer.

What you need to bring with you

• the bank and branch details of where the money is going
• the recipient’s account number and exact name of the account
• the branch identifier if available i.e. sort code, BSB number, FW number or IBAN number.

Note – you’ll need to check at your branch if there are any other requirements (they depend on where the payment is being sent).

Things to know

• you must have cleared money for the amount to be sent
• we charge $25 to send a telegraphic transfer
• there may be additional charges deducted from the proceeds by the receiving bank.

If you can’t visit a branch

If you are currently overseas or unable to visit your nearest Westpac branch, you can make this request in writing to your Westpac branch. Please email us or call us on +64 9 912 8000 (7am - 11pm, 7 days a week. International toll charges apply) and we’ll provide you with the contact details for your branch and full instructions on how to make inbound or outbound Telegraphic Transfers.

Note: money transferred must be sourced from a Westpac account that you have authority to make withdrawals from.

What are 'drafts' or 'bank drafts'?

A draft is a bank cheque made out in the name of the person you want to pay, in the currency you choose. We give you the draft and you send it.

Key benefits of draft

• they are a cost effective way of paying for goods, overseas bills, or to send money overseas when there's no hurry
• all major currencies are available – transfer money anywhere in the world
• they can be stopped if lost or stolen

Remember, drafts can’t be made out, or exchanged, for cash and only the person you name on the draft can receive value for it.

How to buy a draft

• you will need to visit your nearest branch to buy a draft
• the price for a draft is $25
• you must have cleared money available for the amount you want to send
• only the person you name on the draft can receive the value for it

How to send money from overseas to a Westpac New Zealand account

Please instruct the initiating bank to send the money directly to

Registered office
Westpac New Zealand Limited 
Auckland
New Zealand

The SWIFT code for Westpac New Zealand is WPACNZ2W

The account name and full account number of the account to receive the money must be included for processing.

Account number should be formatted as follows

Bank and branch number, seven digit account number and three digit account suffix (if your account suffix is 12, enter 012).

e.g. 03-XXXX-XXXXXXX-XXX

Note: hyphens indicated above are merely for illustrative purposes and should not be entered as part of the account number.