International SWIFT transfers for individuals

SWIFT is an international system used by banks to transfer money between countries. A transfer is made using the beneficiary’s bank details: their name, account number or IBAN, and the SWIFT code of their bank. This is how money is sent abroad and transfers are received from abroad. At O!Bank, SWIFT transfers are arranged at a branch: individuals may send and receive transfers for personal purposes, while payments under commercial transactions are made on behalf of a company.

The fee depends on the transfer currency. For US dollars, the fee is 0.2%, with a minimum of USD70 and a maximum of USD300. For Russian rubles and Kazakhstani tenge, the fee is 0.10%, with a minimum of 500 soms and a maximum of 10,000 soms. Rates for other currencies are provided in the “Fees” section of this page.

The processing time depends on the transfer currency, the beneficiary’s bank, and the number of intermediary banks involved in the transfer chain. You can find out the exact processing time for your transfer at the branch when arranging the transfer.

Yes, in both cases. To send a transfer abroad, you need an account with O!Bank. If you do not have one yet, it can be opened during your visit; you will only need your passport. To receive a transfer from abroad, you need a foreign-currency account, as the funds are credited to this account. The procedure described here applies to individuals; the procedure for transfers made on behalf of a company is different.

No. A SWIFT transfer made by an individual must be arranged at an O!Bank branch. You will need your passport, the beneficiary’s bank details and, if requested by the bank, a document confirming the purpose of the transfer.

It depends on the purpose and amount of the transfer. The bank may request a document confirming the purpose of the payment, such as an education agreement, an invoice for medical services, documents confirming payment for accommodation, documents confirming your relationship to the beneficiary, or documents confirming the source of funds. You do not need to prepare all documents in advance – as a rule, only the document relevant to your particular situation is required. A request for documents is part of the mandatory checks for international transfers and does not mean that there is anything wrong with the transfer.

The payment purpose must explain the personal purpose of the transfer clearly enough to be understood without reference to other documents. Specify the purpose and relevant details, such as the number and date of the agreement or invoice, or your relationship to the beneficiary. For example: “Payment for education under Agreement No. 125 dated 15.08.2026”, “Transfer of own funds to a personal account with a foreign bank”, or “Financial assistance to a family member”. Wording that indicates commercial activity, such as “payment for services” or “payment for goods”, is not suitable for transfers by individuals, as such payments must be made on behalf of a company. Overly general wording, such as “payment under an agreement”, is also not suitable because it does not indicate the purpose of the payment.

Your first name and last name in Latin characters, as stated in your passport; your O!Bank foreign-currency account number; and the bank details of the banks through which the transfer is processed – these depend on the transfer currency. The complete set of details is provided in the “Bank Details for Receiving a Transfer” section of this page. Provide the bank details without any changes: an error in a single character may result in the transfer being delayed or returned.

O!Bank’s SWIFT code is MAKAKG22. The bank details for all currencies are provided on the “O!Bank Bank Details” page. You can also request them from a manager when opening an account.

There are no limits on the transfer amount, provided that the purpose of the payment can be confirmed by a document, such as an education agreement or a sale and purchase agreement for personal residential property. The transfer must be for personal purposes.

Visit an O!Bank branch and submit a request to trace the transfer – this service is listed in the rates as “Transfer investigation.” The bank will send an inquiry through the chain of participating banks and determine at which stage the payment was held up. The service is subject to a fee, which is specified in the “Fees” section.

You can submit a request to amend the bank details or recall the transfer, but the outcome is not guaranteed: the decision is made by the beneficiary’s bank, and if the funds have already been credited to the beneficiary’s account, they can only be returned with the beneficiary’s consent. A fee is charged for processing the request regardless of the outcome; the fee is specified in the “Fees” section.

A SWIFT transfer is made using bank details to the beneficiary’s account in another country and is arranged at a branch. It is suitable when money needs to be sent specifically to a bank account abroad. For receiving transfers from Russia, O!Bank offers Astrasend; for card-to-card transfers, Visa Direct is available in the My O! app; and for transfers without opening an account, transfers can be made at a branch through Western Union and MoneyGram.