How long does an international payment take?
A supplier waiting to be paid is a supplier who is not shipping your goods. How fast your payment arrives comes down to the currency, where it is going and what time of day you hit send. Here are the cut-off times – and what you can do to speed things up.
The short answer
Send the payment before the day's cut-off and we will pass it on the same day. Send it later and it goes out the next banking day.
How long it spends in transit from there depends on the currency and on the recipient's bank. In Danish kroner and euro, the money can land within seconds. Outside Europe, expect one to three banking days.
Cut-off times
All times are Danish time. Anything sent after the cut-off goes out the next banking day.
Most common currencies
| Currency | Cut-off | Payment sent |
|---|---|---|
| Euro (EUR) | 13:00 | Same day |
| Danish kroner (DKK) | 10:30 | Same day |
| US dollars (USD) | 17:30 | Same day |
| British pounds (GBP) | 16:45 | Same day |
| Swedish kronor (SEK) | 14:00 | Same day |
| Norwegian kroner (NOK) | 13:30 | Same day |
All other currencies
| Currency | Cut-off | Payment sent |
|---|---|---|
| Australian dollars (AUD) | 16:00 | Next banking day |
| Canadian dollars (CAD) | 16:00 | Same day |
| Czech koruna (CZK) | 09:00 | Same day |
| Chinese yuan (CNH) | 08:00 | Same day |
| Emirati dirham (AED) | 09:30 | Same day |
| Hong Kong dollars (HKD) | 08:00 | Same day |
| Hungarian forint (HUF) | 13:00 | Same day |
| Israeli shekel (ILS) | 11:00 | Same day |
| Japanese yen (JPY) | 16:00 | Next banking day |
| Mexican pesos (MXN) | 15:30 | Same day |
| New Zealand dollars (NZD) | 16:00 | Next banking day |
| Polish złoty (PLN) | 10:45 | Same day |
| Romanian leu (RON) | 10:30 | Same day |
| Saudi riyal (SAR) | 07:00 | Same day |
| Singapore dollars (SGD) | 17:30 | Next banking day |
| South African rand (ZAR) | 08:30 | Same day |
| Swiss francs (CHF) | 11:30 | Same day |
| Turkish lira (TRY) | 09:00 | Same day |
Yen, Australian and New Zealand dollars and Singapore dollars always go out the next banking day due to the time difference. That applies at every bank.
Note how early some deadlines fall. Saudi riyal closes at 07:00, before most people have sat down at their desk. And Danish kroner closes at 10:30 – earlier than both euro and dollars.
Payments that arrive within seconds
In Danish kroner and euro, the money can reach your recipient almost immediately, around the clock and at weekends:
- Danish kroner: up to DKK 500,000
- Euro: up to EUR 100,000
This requires that the recipient's bank supports instant payments too. If it does not, the payment goes through as an ordinary transfer and follows the cut-off times above.
Amounts above these limits are always sent as ordinary transfers.
Can I send money on weekends?
In Danish kroner and euro, yes – at any hour.
In every other currency, no. The currency markets is close from Friday at 19:00 until Monday at 07:00, so your payment sits until Monday morning. If something has to move over the weekend, send it before Friday at 19:00.
What can delay a payment?
- You send after the cut-off. The payment then shifts to the next banking day.
- Weekends and public holidays – either in Denmark or in the recipient's country.
- The recipient's bank does not support instant payments. What could have taken seconds takes a banking day instead.
- Incorrect recipient details. A mistyped account number or a missing bank code sends the payment into manual processing.
- The country is not on our list. Payments to countries we do not cover as standard need separate assessment. See which countries you can send money to here.
- Additional checks. Large or unusual amounts can trigger a check on our side. This is a legal requirement and applies to all banks.
How to get the money there faster
- Check the cut-off for your currency before you send. It is earlier than most people think.
- Pay in euro when the recipient is in the eurozone. That is the fastest and cheapest route.
- Send before Friday at 19:00 if the money has to move over the weekend.
- Double-check the recipient's details. It's the single most common cause of delays.
- Set up regular suppliers as saved recipients in online banking, so the details are right every time.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a banking day? Monday to Friday, excluding Danish public holidays.
How do I see where my payment is? You can follow the status of all your payments in the Business Online Bank.
My payment has not arrived. We pass payments on as quickly as possible, and within 48 hours at the latest. If it has been longer than that, send us a secure message in online banking, and we will trace the payment.
When can I get help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 08:30–16:00. If you write outside those hours, we will pick up your enquiry the next working day. Our payment systems are monitored around the clock.