Send money to Hong Kong
See today's live rates — and exactly what your recipient receives, after every fee.
GBP
HKDCompare in seconds
Live mid-market comparisons · results refreshed continuously
Today's best rates to Hong Kong
As of 12 July 2026, sending £1,000 to Hong Kong, your recipient gets the most with Instarem: 10,509.00 HKD, the best of 5 providers compared.
| Provider | Rate | Fee | Recipient gets | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10.509 0.02% better | £0 | 10,509.00 HKD | Within 2 days | Send | |
10.463 0.42% worse | £0 | 10,462.80 HKD | Within 2 days | Send | |
10.506 0.01% worse | £4.34 | 10,460.40 HKD | Within 2 days | Send | |
10.233 2.62% worse | £0 | 10,232.50 HKD | 1–2 days | Send | |
10.225 2.69% worse | £0 | 10,224.82 HKD | Up to 4 days | Send |
The UK–Hong Kong money corridor is shaped by finance, family and migration: professionals moving between two global financial centres, firms settling invoices, families supporting one another, and — since the BN(O) visa route opened — a large flow of Hong Kongers who've settled in the UK moving money between the two. The Hong Kong dollar is linked to the US dollar, so it's stable against USD, but you're converting from pounds — and a UK high-street bank quietly keeps 2–4% of the transfer in a marked-up rate (one study put the average bank's all-in cost near 5.7%). On £10,000 that's a few hundred pounds before an obvious fee. Hong Kong uses its own dollar, so every transfer converts your pounds, and getting that conversion right is where the money is won or lost.
How to send money to Hong Kong from the UK
There are three practical ways to move money from the UK to a Hong Kong bank account. Nearly all get the money there — the difference is how many HK dollars arrive after the pounds are converted.
Bank transfer
The most familiar option — and consistently the most expensive. UK banks charge a flat fee (roughly £15–£40), mark up the rate by 2–4%, and send by SWIFT. Studies put the average all-in bank cost near 5.7% of the transfer — a lot to lose to convenience.
Money-transfer provider
Specialists — Wise, Currencies Direct, TorFX, OFX — exist to beat bank rates, converting to HK dollars at or near the mid-market rate with a small, clear fee. For a finance professional or a business moving money regularly, a multi-currency account that holds HKD can also help.
App or prepaid card
Apps like Wise and Revolut are quick and competitive and can deliver in hours. For a pure transfer into a Hong Kong bank account rather than card spending, a dedicated provider usually beats a card.
What you need to send money to Hong Kong
Hong Kong bank details
Hong Kong doesn't use the IBAN system. Accounts are identified by a 3-digit bank code (for example, 004 is HSBC), a 3-digit branch code and an account number, plus the bank's SWIFT/BIC code for the international leg. Get the recipient's name exactly as the bank holds it and copy the codes carefully — a wrong digit is a common cause of a delayed or returned transfer.
ID checks and verification
UK providers are legally required to verify who you are before processing a payment (Know Your Customer, under the Money Laundering Regulations). For a first transfer or a modest amount, expect to provide your name, address and date of birth, plus a photo ID and proof of address. Transfers above roughly £8,000–£10,000 commonly trigger a source-of-funds check (see Tax, below).
How long does it take to send money to Hong Kong?
Because Hong Kong uses its own dollar and sits outside the EU, your provider converts your pounds and pays HK dollars into the account. How fast that happens depends far more on the provider than on the destination.
Delays are usually caused by one of: missing the provider's daily cut-off, first-time identity verification, weekends or Hong Kong public holidays, or an incorrect bank/branch code or recipient name.
Fees and exchange rates for UK to Hong Kong
A flat fee is easy to compare — the exchange-rate margin usually isn't, which is why it matters more. Here's where the cost hides.
The exchange-rate margin
The real cost of most transfers. Banks: 2–4% above the mid-market rate (average all-in cost cited near 5.7% once fees are added). Specialists: often a fraction of a percent. On £10,000+ the gap runs into the hundreds.
Correspondent-bank fees
Because Hong Kong is outside the EU, a bank SWIFT wire can pass through intermediary banks that each deduct a cut. Specialists that pay HK dollars locally usually avoid this entirely.
Card & weekend markups
Watch for ~3% foreign-transaction fees on standard UK debit/credit cards, and weekend markups on some apps. Judge an offer by the HK dollars that arrive, not the headline fee.
Is it safe to send money to Hong Kong?
Any UK company handling money transfers must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, and must keep customer money in accounts fully segregated from its own ("safeguarding"); on the Hong Kong side, banks are supervised by the HKMA. Some smaller firms are only registered as Small Payment Institutions, which aren't required to safeguard the same way — so a 30-second check on the FCA Register before you send an unfamiliar firm anything is time well spent.
Invoice / "new bank details" fraud
Rule: paying a business in Hong Kong is a common target for invoice fraud. If details "change" just before payment, confirm by phone on a number you already had — never one from the email — before sending.
Investment & "guaranteed return" offers
Rule: be wary of unsolicited offers pressuring you to move money quickly for a high return. Legitimate firms don't rush you. Check the firm on the FCA Register first.
"Better rate" cold-call / clone firm
Rule: a firm that calls out of the blue with an unbeatable rate may be a clone of a real one. Check it on the FCA Register and call back on the number listed there, not the one you were given.
Check the firm is regulated
Rule: FCA-authorised firms must keep your money separate from their own, so it's protected if the firm fails. Look the firm up on register.fca.org.uk before you commit.
Report fraud: Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk (in Scotland, Police Scotland on 101).
Tax on money sent to Hong Kong
Moving your own money
Sending your own, already-taxed money from the UK to Hong Kong is not a UK taxable event — there's no tax simply for transferring it, and no requirement to report a personal transfer to HMRC. Larger transfers commonly prompt a source-of-funds request, so keep the paperwork showing where the money came from. This is a common step for people who moved to the UK on the BN(O) route and are bringing savings across.
Watch-out: gifts and income
If it's a gift, it can affect UK Inheritance Tax on your estate if you die within seven years (the estate's nil-rate band is £325,000). Income you earn from Hong Kong assets can be taxable in the UK if you're UK-resident — separate from the transfer itself, and worth advice if you've recently moved.
How do most people send money to Hong Kong?
For most professionals, families and recent movers, the cheapest route is a specialist currency company that converts your pounds to HK dollars and pays straight into the account — not a UK high-street bank whose SWIFT wire adds a flat fee and a rate markup that can total near 5.7%. For someone bringing savings across after a move, a specialist can also help time a large conversion. Whichever you choose, judge it by the HK dollars that actually arrive, and copy the bank and branch codes exactly before you send.
Frequently asked questions about sending money to Hong Kong
A specialist money-transfer provider that converts pounds to HK dollars at or near the mid-market rate, rather than a UK high-street bank charging a flat fee plus a rate markup that can total near 5.7%. Compare the actual HK dollars that arrive for your exact amount in the table above.
No — Hong Kong doesn't use IBANs. You'll need the 3-digit bank code (e.g. 004 for HSBC), the 3-digit branch code, the account number and the bank's SWIFT/BIC code. Copy the codes carefully against details your recipient sent in writing.
With a specialist provider, hours to same day, and card-funded transfers can be near-instant. A traditional bank wire (SWIFT) usually takes 2–5 business days. First transfers can take a little longer while your identity is verified.
The HK dollar is linked to the US dollar, so it's stable against USD — but you're converting from pounds, and GBP/USD (and so GBP/HKD) does move. For a large or dated payment, locking the rate with a forward contract can remove that uncertainty.
Not for sending your own money — that's not a taxable event in the UK, and there's nothing to report to HMRC. Gifting money can have UK Inheritance Tax implications if you die within seven years. If you're UK-resident, income from Hong Kong assets can still be taxable here, separately from the transfer.
Use an FCA-authorised specialist to convert HK dollars (or your UK-held funds) at a competitive rate, and be ready with source-of-funds documentation for a large transfer. For a big one-off conversion, a specialist can help you time it or lock a rate, rather than taking whatever a bank offers on the day.
Our sources & how we keep this current
Last updated: July 2026. The live rates above refresh automatically, and we review the rest of this guide every month — updating it whenever the rules on payments, tax or regulation change.