How to Send Money From Australia to Canada

How the transfer reaches a Canadian account

Specialist providers such as Wise send CAD to any Canadian bank account by EFT (electronic funds transfer), and to accounts that support it, by Interac e-Transfer sent to the recipient's registered email address (wise.com/help, fetched September 2026). An Australian bank instead routes the payment as a SWIFT wire through its correspondent banking relationships. OFX lists CAD among its supported currencies, footnoted as supporting outgoing payment via local rails and local account credentials — meaning it can pay directly into a Canadian account rather than only via SWIFT (ofx.com, fetched September 2026).

What the recipient's bank account details look like

For a standard EFT bank transfer, Wise's published requirements are the recipient's full name (up to 35 characters, English characters only), a 3-digit bank institution number, a 5-digit transit number, and a 7–12 digit account number without spaces (wise.com/help, fetched September 2026). For Interac, you only need the recipient's registered email address — the recipient then claims the transfer, typically within 3 calendar days, using a PIN sent separately. Wise notes Interac isn't available when sending from certain source currencies (including AUD isn't one of the excluded currencies listed, but confirm on the provider's own transfer setup, since this can change).

Speed and limits

Wise's published guide states that once it receives and converts the money, it usually takes 1 working day to reach the recipient's Canadian bank account (conversion itself can take up to 2 working days). There's no stated limit for a standard bank-transfer EFT payout, while an Interac transfer is capped at 25,000 CAD, subject to the recipient's own bank sometimes setting a lower limit (wise.com/help, fetched September 2026). An Australian bank's SWIFT wire timing and any transfer limit are set by the bank — check its current international transfer page.

Fees and how the exchange rate is set

Your Australian bank publishes its own international transfer fee and states how it sets the exchange rate for AUD/CAD on its transfer page — check the current figure directly, since banks revise these independently and don't disclose margins the same way. A specialist provider quotes both the transfer fee and the AUD/CAD rate at the time you set the transfer up. Because CAD is on OFX's supported-currency list with local-payment-rail support, a specialist FX provider is a genuine alternative to a bank SWIFT wire for this corridor, including for a one-off large amount such as a property purchase, where a forward contract can fix today's rate for a future settlement date.

AUSTRAC reporting

Every transfer your bank or provider sends to Canada is reported to AUSTRAC as an international funds transfer instruction automatically, regardless of the amount — this is a reporting obligation on the institution, not a cap on what you can send and not something you need to do yourself. The AUD 10,000 figure sometimes quoted online applies to physical cash carried across a border, not to an electronic transfer.

Common mistakes

Confusing the institution number with the transit number, or entering the two in the wrong fields — a Canadian bank account needs all three of the institution number, transit number and account number correctly matched, not just the account number.

Sending by Interac when the amount exceeds 25,000 CAD or the recipient's own limit is lower — check with the recipient before assuming Interac will cover a larger amount.

Letting an Interac transfer sit unclaimed. Wise's guide notes the recipient generally has a matter of days to claim an Interac transfer before it's automatically returned to the sender, which can be a surprise if the recipient doesn't check their email promptly.

Is there a limit on sending money from Australia to Canada?

Australia has no outbound cap. A specialist provider or bank may cap an individual transfer or the payout method — Wise, for example, caps Interac e-Transfer payouts at 25,000 CAD, while a standard EFT bank transfer has no stated cap (wise.com/help, September 2026).

How long does a transfer to Canada take?

Once your provider receives and converts the funds, delivery to a Canadian bank account typically takes around 1 working day (wise.com/help, September 2026), with the conversion step itself taking up to 2 working days. Bank SWIFT wires typically take longer.

What is Interac e-Transfer and can I use it from Australia?

Interac e-Transfer is a Canadian payment method that sends money to a recipient's registered email address rather than directly to their account number. Some specialist providers offer it as a payout option when sending CAD; check the specific provider's payout options and the sending-currency restrictions before assuming it's available.

Do I need to report a transfer to Canada to AUSTRAC myself?

No. Your bank or provider reports every international transfer automatically, regardless of amount. You don't file anything yourself, and the AUD 10,000 figure people mention online is a cash-only rule that doesn't apply to an electronic transfer.

Is a specialist FX provider or my bank better for a large one-off transfer to Canada?

Both are genuine options for this corridor — OFX lists CAD among its supported currencies with local-payment-rail support, and Wise publishes CAD transfer details directly. Compare the total amount your recipient will actually receive after fees and the exchange rate margin on each option, rather than the headline fee alone.