Key Currency
- Transfer fee
- None
- Exchange rate margin
- Great exchange rates, built into the rate we quote
- Help
- A personal account manager holding your hand throughout the process
- Best for
- Larger amounts (over £5,000)
Transfer Money from UK to Canada
Transfer your Pounds to Canadian Dollars with Key Currency and enjoy an award-winning service with great exchange rates and no transfer fees.
Last updated 12th November 2026 at 20:09 UTC. This data uses the mid-market rate and is for informational purposes only.
- Great exchange rates
- No hidden fees
- 5-star customer rating
- Award-winning service
Step by step
How to transfer money to Canada from the UK
Identity check
A legal requirement for every new customer. With a UK address it is usually quick and uses basic details. Without one, send a copy of your passport and a recent bill by email or photo.
Lock in a GBP to CAD rate
Tell us the Pounds you want to sell and you get a live quote. Nothing happens without your authority. If you go ahead, the rate is secured and you are emailed a confirmation showing the Canadian Dollars you have bought.
Send in your Pounds
Pay by normal bank transfer to a local UK account. The details are on your confirmation email. Some customers send their Pounds first, before locking a rate, because it speeds things up.
We convert and send
Once your Pounds arrive, they are changed into Canadian Dollars and sent to the Canadian bank account you gave us.
A quick tip: even if you are not ready to send money today, complete the identity check now, so you are ready when a great exchange rate comes up.
Timing
How long does it take to send money to Canada from the UK?
As a guideline, it takes 2 to 3 working days for your Pounds to arrive in Canada.
- 1
You send in your Pounds
The daily cut-off is normally 2pm or 3pm. Pounds that arrive after it count as the next working day.
- 2
We convert and send
Your Pounds are changed into Canadian Dollars and sent to the Canadian bank account.
- 3
It lands in Canada
The Canadian bank runs its own checks on money from abroad, and some clear it faster than others.
Short on time? Send in your Pounds before the currency conversion. The transfer is then quicker from end to end.
Details
What bank details will I need to transfer money to Canada?
You need the full SWIFT code of the beneficiary's bank account. Canada does not use the IBAN system for international bank transfers.
- Your details: your name and address, as they appear on your account.
- The beneficiary: the name of the person or company receiving the money.
- Their account number and the SWIFT code of their bank.
- The bank: the name of their bank in Canada.
What a SWIFT code looks like
ROYCBank
CACountry
T2Location
XXXBranch
Example: Royal Bank of Canada, ROYCCAT2XXX. Canadian SWIFT codes normally have 11 characters for specific branches, so always use the code your recipient gives you.
Costs
How much does it cost to send money to Canada from the UK?
The cost has two parts: transfer fees and the exchange rate. The exchange rate is the more important of the two, and our research found that the major UK banks were uncompetitive, and sometimes downright terrible.
| Bank | Key Currency | |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee | £9.50 to £40, and the recipient may be charged too | None |
| Exchange rate margin | 3.0% to 5.4% at HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest | Great exchange rates, built into the rate we quote |
| Help | Minimal | A personal account manager holding your hand throughout the process |
| Best for | Small payments (under £5,000) and convenience | Larger amounts (over £5,000) |
Bank
- Transfer fee
- £9.50 to £40, and the recipient may be charged too
- Exchange rate margin
- 3.0% to 5.4% at HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest
- Help
- Minimal
- Best for
- Small payments (under £5,000) and convenience
Barclays transfer fees
£25 or £40
Standard, or priority, in a branch. The recipient is charged £6.
Lloyds transfer fees
£9.50
Online or in a branch. The recipient is charged £12.
NatWest transfer fees
£15
Under £5,000, or 0.3% (max £40) over £5,000.
Limits
Is there a limit on how much money I can send to Canada?
There are no legal limits on sending money from the UK to Canada. Because of the close political and trading relationship, the two countries have no foreign exchange restrictions, and you are not required to declare anything.
The big banks set their own daily online limits, so a large transfer through a bank can take several days longer and cost extra fees, because you have to make multiple transfers. A specialist avoids that: see our guide to large money transfers.
£50,000
daily online limit at Barclays and HSBC
£100,000
daily online limit at NatWest and Lloyds
Key Currency
FCA no. 753989
Authorised Payment Institution
Safety
Is it safe to send money to Canada from the UK?
Not all money transfer specialists have the same regulatory status, and some are not regulated at all. The key thing to look for is whether the company is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
- A regulated company must segregate client funds, keeping your money in a separate, safeguarded account.
- Enter any company's name on the FCA register to check it.
- Key Currency is authorised and regulated by the FCA, and your money is held in safeguarded client accounts.
Exchange rate
How to get the best GBP to CAD exchange rate
Heavily traded currency pairs like GBP/CAD move every few seconds, and even small changes make a big difference to the Canadian Dollars you receive.
A money transfer specialist can monitor the market for you and alert you if the rate moves in your favour.
A bank or an online-only provider will not offer that guidance. You enter the details, decide the timing and check everything yourself.
That is fine for smaller transfers, but not what many people want for larger amounts.
See the history in our GBP to CAD analysis, or use the GBP to CAD converter.
£1,000
the difference a 1% move in the exchange rate makes on a £100,000 transfer
Great rates for your transfer to Canada
It's free, and takes less than a minute.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to send money to Canada from the UK?
As a guideline, it takes 2 to 3 working days for your Pounds to arrive in Canada. In practice it varies with the receiving bank in Canada, which has its own checks on money coming from abroad. Pounds that arrive after the daily cut-off count as the next working day.
How much does it cost to send money to Canada from the UK?
There are two costs: transfer fees and the exchange rate. Banks charge a flat fee for each transfer, and their exchange rate margins of 3.0% to 5.4% are usually the bigger cost. Key Currency charges no transfer fees, so compare the Canadian Dollars you would receive.
What bank details do I need to send money to Canada?
You need the beneficiary's name, their account number, the full SWIFT code of their bank (normally 11 characters for a specific branch) and the bank name. Canada does not use the IBAN system for international bank transfers.
Is there a limit on how much money I can send to Canada?
There are no legal limits on sending money from the UK to Canada, and you do not have to declare anything. UK banks do set daily limits on online transfers: Barclays and HSBC allow up to £50,000 a day, and NatWest and Lloyds up to £100,000.
Do I need to declare a money transfer to Canada?
No. You are not required to declare anything when sending money from the UK to Canada, and the two countries have no foreign exchange restrictions.
Is it safe to send money to Canada with a money transfer specialist?
Yes, as long as the company is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). A regulated company must keep your money in a separate, safeguarded account. You can check any company on the FCA register.
What is the best way to send money to Canada from the UK?
You can use a bank or a money transfer specialist. Banks are convenient for small payments, but for anything over about £5,000 a specialist is normally a lot cheaper because of better exchange rates and lower fees.
What is the GBP to CAD exchange rate today?
The live GBP to CAD exchange rate is 1.88740133. This is the interbank, or "mid-market", rate, which is not the rate customers get, so request a quote to see the rate you would receive. You can also use our GBP to CAD converter.