Easiest Way To Receive Money From Overseas in Australia

Table of Contents

Last updated on October 16th, 2026Affiliate Disclosure

Table of Contents

Your BSB and account number let a transfer service deliver Australian dollars into the account you already use for local expenses.

An international bank wire can reach that account too, although it needs your bank’s international instructions and can attract an incoming fee.

I suggest comparing those routes before opening another account, with foreign-currency holding and cash collection available when you need a different receiving method.

At a glance

Spend in Australia: receive AUD into your existing bank account.
Bank details: use your BSB and account number, with SWIFT instructions for a wire.
Keep foreign currency: use matching currency details or a foreign-currency bank account.
Without a bank account: arrange supported cash collection with accepted photo ID.
Large one-off receipt: use our separate large-receiving guide for size-specific planning.

Ways to receive money from overseas

Method	Suits	Details needed	Main cost or restriction
Transfer service paying AUD locally	Family support and ordinary expenses	Name, BSB and account number	Sender pays for conversion and delivery
International bank wire	Bank-paid pensions or other organised payments	Bank’s SWIFT instructions and beneficiary details	Incoming and intermediary fees can apply
Currency account	Keeping foreign money for later use	Verified account and matching currency details	Conversion or onward-transfer fees
Cash collection	Receiving without an accessible bank account	Accepted ID and collection reference	Agent hours and sender’s chosen route
PayPal	Payments from someone already using PayPal	Account and registered email or supported link	Cross-border and conversion costs

Have a transfer service pay your Australian bank

The sender can pay in pounds, US dollars or another supported currency while a transfer company delivers AUD into your bank account.

Wise, Remitly and other companies support inward routes to Australia, with the choice depending on the sender’s country.

You normally provide your full legal name, six-digit BSB and account number rather than opening the sender’s transfer app yourself.

This works for a parent contributing to study costs or someone sending money for a shared Australian household expense.

My suggestion is to ask the sender to select bank deposit and check the AUD receiving amount before they confirm payment.

The company arranges the conversion, so you can judge the money available for spending before it reaches your account.

If the service supports a PayID payout, use only the PayID confirmed for your account and the specific transfer setup.

Having a PayID does not mean any overseas bank can pay it directly without a compatible sending service.

Our sending money from New Zealand to Australia guide covers the sender’s options for a common trans-Tasman payment.

Receive an international wire directly from a bank

An international wire can be suitable when a pension administrator, insurer or employer pays through its own bank.

Ask your Australian bank for incoming instructions rather than assuming the domestic details alone are sufficient.

Australia does not use IBANs, so ask the sender to select the Australian account format if their form requests one.

For a wire, the sending bank may need these details:

Your full account-holder name and account-linked street address.
Your BSB and account number for an AUD account.
Receiving bank name, address and SWIFT/BIC code.
Currency and payment reference.
Any currency-specific correspondent instructions supplied by your bank.

NAB uses SWIFT code NATAAU3303M, while CommBank uses CTBAAU2S, so copy the code belonging to your receiving bank.

Double-check the BSB and account number independently, because a correct name does not guarantee an incorrect number will be rejected.

AUD sent can still mean an international wire

Someone sending Australian dollars from an overseas bank can still trigger an incoming international-payment fee at your bank.

Ask whether the payment is a local AUD deposit or an international wire, even when no further conversion is needed.

This distinction is particularly useful for smaller recurring payments, where a fixed receiving fee takes a larger share.

Receive foreign currency without immediately converting it

If you need dollars, pounds or euros for later expenses, a matching currency account can avoid converting the money on arrival.

With Wise, eligible Australian residents can hold supported currencies and share receiving details for currencies such as GBP, EUR or USD.

A payer using local GBP details, for example, can pay pounds into your balance without turning them into Australian dollars.

Use the instructions for the currency and payment rail, because USD ACH and USD wire payments have different charging rules.

Wise domestic non-wire receipts in supported currencies are free, while USD domestic wires and USD SWIFT receipts carry a US$6.11 fee.

Conversion and transferring the balance onward can cost extra, so include those steps if you ultimately need AUD in your bank.

I think currency holding is worth considering when you expect to reuse that currency, rather than opening another account for one small AUD payment.

Banks also offer foreign-currency accounts, but their incoming instructions and charges can differ from an ordinary Australian transaction account.

NAB foreign-currency accounts use account-specific instructions instead of the usual AUD BSB process, so obtain the correct form before sharing details.

Our multi-currency accounts in Australia guide covers choosing an account for repeated foreign-currency receipt and spending.

Wise AUD details have an Australian-address restriction

If your Wise registered address is in Australia, your AUD account details accept domestic Australian payments rather than incoming international SWIFT transfers.

An overseas service can still arrange a local AUD payout, but an overseas bank must not treat those details as unrestricted international wire instructions.

Collect cash in Australia

Western Union lets you receive cash at a participating Australian agent without opening a Western Union profile yourself.

The sender selects cash collection and uses your name exactly as it appears on the identification you will present.

Bring accepted government-issued photo ID, such as a passport or Australian driver’s licence, plus the Money Transfer Control Number.

You also need the sender’s name and country, together with the expected transfer amount for the collection checks.

In my opinion, cash collection is worth considering when access to money is urgent and you cannot use your bank account.

Check readiness and agent opening hours before travelling, because a transfer marked available still needs a collection location that can pay it.

Receive through PayPal or a shared app

PayPal payments arrive in your PayPal account, using your registered email address or another supported identifier supplied to the payer.

You both need access to PayPal, and you may then need to withdraw the money into your Australian bank account.

I suggest checking the final AUD amount after cross-border charges and conversion before using it for repeated overseas receipts.

Payments for work or sales follow commercial fees and account conditions, even when the payer knows you personally.

Transfers within another shared currency app can also work, but both people need eligible accounts for that particular internal payment.

For international business transfers in Australia, account suitability and commercial receipt terms need checking separately from personal remittance pricing.

What does receiving money cost?

A locally delivered AUD transfer and an incoming international wire can have different costs even when they credit the same Australian account.

Cost to check	How it reduces value
Sending fee	Increases what the sender pays or reduces the amount sent
Exchange-rate margin or conversion fee	Reduces the AUD bought with the source currency
Intermediary deduction	Removes money while a wire passes between banks
Incoming bank fee	Reduces your account credit or creates a separate charge
Withdrawal or onward transfer	Adds a cost when an app balance must reach your bank

For example, NAB charges up to A$15 for transfers into a NAB account, while CommBank charges up to A$11 for incoming international credit.

Receiving a foreign currency into an AUD account can add the bank’s conversion price to those incoming charges.

Our comparisons use ordinary sending amounts roughly equivalent to A$1,000, so the source amount and final receiving value remain visible together.

Last updated at 16/10/2026

GBP AUD

Mid Market Rate £1 = $1.9155

Transfer Amount £500

Western Union

Remitly

Revolut

£500.00

$972.46

£0.00

1.9449

-1.52%

Next Day

£500.00

$954.85

£0.00

1.9097

0.31%

Within a week

£500.00

$954.19

£0.30

1.9095

0.32%

Within a week

USD AUD

Mid Market Rate $1 = $1.4411

Transfer Amount $700

Remitly

Revolut

Currencies Direct

$700.00

$1,018.43

$0.00

1.4549

-0.96%

Within minutes

$700.00

$1,004.93

$1.05

1.4378

0.23%

Within a week

$700.00

$1,003.31

$0.00

1.4333

0.54%

6-12 Hours

NZD AUD

Mid Market Rate $1 = $0.8139

Transfer Amount $1,200

Revolut

Wise

Remitly

$1,200.00

$974.65

$0.70

0.8127

0.15%

Within a week

$1,200.00

$973.19

$4.33

0.8139

0.00%

Within a week

$1,200.00

$971.40

$0.00

0.8095

0.55%

Within minutes

EUR AUD

Mid Market Rate €1 = $1.6172

Transfer Amount €600

Remitly

Revolut

TapTap Send

€600.00

$967.32

€0.00

1.6122

0.31%

Within minutes

€600.00

$966.38

€0.35

1.6116

0.35%

Within a week

€600.00

$966.00

€0.00

1.6100

0.45%

Minutes

CAD AUD

Mid Market Rate $1 = $1.0157

Transfer Amount $1,000

Remitly

Koho

OFX

$1,000.00

$1,012.50

$0.00

1.0125

0.31%

Within a week

$1,000.00

$1,011.62

$3.92

1.0156

0.01%

Within minutes

$1,000.00

$1,009.09

$0.00

1.0091

0.65%

6-12 Hours

If a wire must deliver an exact amount, ask the sender how their bank allocates receiving and intermediary charges.

My suggestion is to settle that before payment for a student’s rent, rather than discover a shortfall when the bill is due.

How long does overseas money take to arrive?

Local bank delivery depends on when the sending service receives the sender’s money, completes conversion and releases the Australian payout.

For Wise AUD delivery, the bank-credit stage usually takes zero to two working days after funding and conversion.

An international wire can take several working days, particularly when it needs an intermediary bank or additional receiving instructions.

Cash can be available quickly, but identity checks, sender funding and agent hours affect when you can collect it.

Use the sender’s estimate for the whole payment, including any weekend or holiday that affects the funding country.

Limits, reporting and supporting documents

The sending service and receiving account can each have limits, so check the specific route before arranging a larger payment.

Keep statements showing the transfer trail and records explaining its purpose, such as a gift letter, payslip or pension statement.

You do not make an AUSTRAC border-cash declaration for money transferred through a bank or money transfer business.

That declaration concerns physical money crossing the border, while financial institutions have their own international-transfer reporting obligations.

Reporting does not by itself create a tax bill or prevent a transfer, although a bank can ask for source-of-funds evidence.

For property proceeds, inheritance or substantial one-off gifts, see receiving large amounts of money from overseas in Australia for the additional planning involved.

Do you pay tax on money received from overseas?

The payment’s purpose and your tax residence determine the tax position, rather than the country from which the transfer arrives.

Ordinary personal gifts and inherited money are generally treated differently from salary, client payments or returns on overseas investments.

Australia has no inheritance or estate tax, although income from inherited assets and later disposals can have tax consequences.

If you are an Australian tax resident, you generally need to declare worldwide income, subject to the applicable exemptions and offsets.

Moving your existing savings does not make the transfer new earnings, but it does not remove obligations on the original income.

Keep evidence identifying a family gift and its source, alongside separate records for salary, client payments and investment receipts.

How to receive money from overseas in Australia

Choose the receiving currency and method

Use local AUD bank delivery for Australian expenses, or obtain matching currency-account instructions when you intend to retain foreign money.

Copy your account instructions

Send the correct BSB and account number for local payout, adding your bank’s SWIFT instructions if the sender uses a wire.

Check the amount after fees

Agree on the AUD amount needed, and ask the sender to review conversion and any charges deducted before credit.

Save the reference and confirm arrival

Retain the transfer receipt and verify the account credit or cash-collection status before relying on the money for a payment.

What if the money has not arrived?

First ask the sender to confirm funding, processing and the receiving details, including every digit of your BSB and account number.

The sender should contact the transfer service for a trace, using the payment reference and expected delivery date.

For a wire, request the sending bank’s SWIFT payment confirmation and share its tracking information with your Australian bank.

If your bank requests documents, provide them through its secure channel and ask whether it needs any further payment instructions.

Your account credit is smaller than expected

Check the currency and amount on the sender’s receipt against your bank credit, including separately debited incoming fees.

Ask which bank converted the payment and whether intermediary charges were deducted before arranging another payment to cover the difference.

For your next overseas payment into Australia, compare the sender’s transfer cost alongside the amount arriving in your chosen account.

Our methodology & why trust us

We checked Australian bank instructions and tariffs alongside inward transfer routes, distinguishing local AUD payout from incoming international wires.

Account eligibility, currency holding and cash collection were assessed separately, with reporting and tax explanations grounded in Australian authority guidance.

Our review methodology explains how we assess money transfer companies and use comparison data for personal-transfer decisions.

Sources

Business money transfers

Start with the work you need to do regularly, because a low-cost invoice transfer and a complete payment administration system are different purchases.

16 Oct 2026

Best multi-currency business accounts

The biggest benefit is being able to keep revenue in the currency you receive, then use it for expenses in that currency.

16 Oct 2026

Best currency brokers

These companies offer the highest receive amounts in our comparison for A$100,000 transfers.

16 Oct 2026

Sending large amounts abroad

A contact you can reach outside Australian working hours

16 Oct 2026

Mobile money transfers

When you send abroad, the transfer company quotes the AUD cost, converts the payment and arranges delivery to the chosen wallet.

16 Oct 2026

Contributors

Author

Artiom Pucinskij

Financial Content Strategist

artiom.pucinskij@intent.uk

Artiom is a marketing graduate from the University of Portsmouth and has been working across personal finance and remittance industries for several years. He optimises the organic experience on MoneyTransfers.com with the content team, manages and creates unique marketing tactics, and generally supports the overall growth of the website.