International Wire Transfers
We provide our multi-national membership with convenient, secure, and affordable options for international money transfer.
Incoming International
Wire Transfers
The information on this page is for wire transfers originating outside the United States being sent to BFSFCU.
To ensure timely and accurate receipt of your incoming wire transfer, please provide the sending institution with the following information. BFSFCU does not charge a processing fee for incoming wires, but other financial institutions and intermediary banks often do. Their fees range from $15 to $75 depending on the type of transfer being made.
Wire funds to:
Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union
1725 I (Eye) Street NW, Washington, DC, USA
ABA (Routing and Transit) Number: 254074170
SWIFT Code: SFRUUS33 (For USD transfers only)
For credit to:
Recipient’s name
Recipient’s Credit Union account number
In some cases, the originating bank may not accept an ABA or SWIFT code and/or will require an IBAN. In those cases, please use the instructions provided below for the currency you wish to wire.
Incoming Foreign Currency Wire Instructions
You can avoid the Foreign Currency Conversion Charge by sending U.S. Dollars to your BFSFCU account. If you choose to receive the money in a foreign currency, a Currency Conversion Charge based on the transaction size will apply.
Receive Money with International Wire Transfers
For incoming wires in foreign currency, please select a currency to view instructions for incoming wire transfers (instructions in Adobe PDF format):
Outgoing International
Wire Transfers
Use our eWires service in Digital Banking to send money abroad.
Before you log in to Digital Banking and send your eWire request, please make sure you have all the information you will need:
Sender's Information
- Your name
- Your Account Number from which the funds are to be withdrawn
- Amount in U.S. dollars or in the foreign currency (minimum amount of $100 U.S. Dollars or equivalent in any foreign currency)
Beneficiary's Information
- Name as it appears on the account
- Full address of the beneficiary
- Bank name and the bank's street address of the bank holding the beneficiary's account
- Account number (must be in IBAN format for transfers to most
countries in Europe and many countries in other parts of the world that accept Euros) - A SWIFT code is required for all international wire transfers
- A Bank code is required for the following countries (wires to additional countries may
also require a bank code):
- Transit Code (Canada)
- Branch Code (Japan, Kenya, Hong Kong, Senegal, South Africa)
- Sort Code (United Kingdom)
- BSB Code (Australia, New Zealand, Fiji)
- Clabe (Mexico)
- RTGS IFSC Code (India)
- Specific Purpose -- required to complete your request
Please note: Wiring and routing instructions for international wires change frequently so it is highly recommended that you confirm the correct instructions with the beneficiary’s financial institution before submitting your request as this will help ensure timely receipt.
Extra Security
To protect your accounts, BFSFCU has significant security procedures in place for wire transfer requests. Additional verification and documentation may be requested as needed. Examples include the sender’s specific occupation and verification related to the source of funds and specific purpose provided.
Make sure your eWire service is activated
To protect your accounts, you need to activate your eWires service before using it for the first time or if you have not used it for the past 12 months. To activate it, please call BFSFCU at (202) 212-6400 or toll-free at 1-800-9-BFSFCU. Calling from overseas? See our list of international toll free numbers.
Incoming Wires and Foreign Drafts
At BFSFCU, you can receive incoming wires and foreign drafts in many foreign currencies and convert those funds to U.S. Dollars for credit to your BFSFCU account. In addition to the foreign exchange rate*, a Currency Conversion Charge based on the transaction size will apply.
| Transaction Size | Currency Conversion Charge |
|---|---|
| $ - to $4,999.99 | 2.4000% |
| $5,000.00 to $9,999.99 | 2.3000% |
| $10,000.00 to $24,999.99 | 1.5550% |
| $25,000.00 to $49,999.99 | 1.3500% |
| $50,000.00 to $99,999.99 | 1.0000% |
| $100,000.00 to $149,999.99 | 0.7500% |
| $150,000.00 to $249,999.99 | 0.4500% |
| $250,000.00 and above | 0.3500% |
You can avoid the Foreign Currency Conversion Charge by sending U.S. Dollars to your BFSFCU account.
Our processor uses the foreign currency exchange rate in effect at the time the transaction is converted to US dollars and applies the Currency Conversion Charge prior to crediting your BFSFCU account.
*Foreign exchange rates are internal to our processor and are not reflected in foreign exchange rate information provided by other sources.