Today's cheapest money transfer service might not be the cheapest tomorrow. Find the one that's best-suited to your needs and preference by comparing the best performers on Monito's comparison engine over the past 30 days for transfers from Poland to the UK:

How to Send Money to the UK From Poland

Data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows there are now around 815,000 Polish citizens living in the UK. This is down from 900,000 in 2019, with many leaving the UK due to Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU). However, Polish citizens remain the largest group of foreigners living in Great Britain, meaning it should be no surprise that many Poles frequently send money to the UK and vice versa.

There are several options to consider when it comes to money transfers, and you’ll no doubt want to keep currency exchange fees as low as possible. Comparing your options carefully and weighing up their pros and cons can save you a lot of money, and our experts at Monito are here to help you. By using our comparison tools and reading our handy guides, we can help you find the most convenient way to transfer money to the UK and the one that best meets your needs. 

You’ll need to consider which option best meets your needs, whether that’s via:

• Traditional bank transfers;
• Cash pickups;
• Online money transfers. 

Read on to find the cheapest, quickest, and safest way to send money to the UK at a favourable PLN-GBP exchange rate.  You'll have two main options if you send money from Poland to the UK. One will be to go through your bank (which we don't recommend because of the high fees). Another option will be to use an international money transfer service.

1 — How to Transfer Money to a UK Bank Account

Using an online international money transfer service is the fastest and cheapest way to transfer money from Poland to the UK. There are several top online transfer platforms that offer PLN to GBP transfers, including:

• Wise
• EasySend
• TransferGo
• Paysend
• Remitly
• CurrencyFair
• MoneyGram
• Small World

In general, money transfer services are the best way to send money abroad because they're the cheapest and usually the fastest and easiest-to-use options out there. Find out more about money transfer services here.

2 — Bank Transfers From Poland to the UK

Let’s start with the traditional approach: a bank transfer. This can often seem like the most convenient option, but it is certainly not the cheapest. If you decide to go down this route, you’ll need your local bank information, including your SWIFT/ BIC, IBAN and bank account number.

Your SWIFT code is an international bank code that identifies particular banks worldwide. It is also known as Bank Identifier Code (BIC). A SWIFT code consists of 8 or 11 characters. If you need to check the SWIFT code of a Polish Bank, visit this website. SWIFT delivery usually takes around 24 hours.

While sending money to the UK, remember that you can send it within SEPA, which is the Single European Payments Area. This remains the case even though the UK has left the EU. SEPA allows cross-border Euro transfers that can be described as an equivalent of a local money transfer. 

However, we’d strongly advise considering other transfer options before using a bank transfer. This is simply because banks offer poor exchange rates and high transfer fees. One bank transfer from Poland to the UK might cost you £50 (or even more)! 

Avoid banks to make sure you don't get ripped off.

There are much better options for sending money to the UK, which you can find and compare on Monito. 

Using your bank — whether ING, Nest!, PKO, or any other — is a reliable option for sending money from your bank account to a bank account in the UK. However, it's very expensive, and transfers usually take a long time to arrive (between two and five business days). As we touched on above, this is because bank transfers go over SWIFT, which involves many steps along the way.

In fact, sending money from Poland to the UK with ING, for example, can be around 10% more expensive than making the same transfer with a top money transfer service online. This is why we generally don't recommend banks to get the job done. Learn more about why online platforms are better than banks for international transfers in our in-depth guide.

3 — Google Pay From Poland to the UK

A lot of people wonder whether or not they can use Google Pay to send money from Poland to the UK. Unfortunately, it's not yet possible to use this method, as Google Pay currently only works for international money transfers in the US.

4 — Cash Transfer From Poland to the UK

A popular way to send money from Poland to the UK is using a cash pickup transfer. While MoneyGram and Western Union are popular services for delivering cash to the UK, digital providers such as Remitly usually offer better deals.

Sending Very Large Bank Transfers From Poland to the UK

If you need to send a substantial sum of money to the UK – more than £50,000 for example – you may be better off using a foreign exchange broker. Brokers offer similar services to standard money transfer and remittance services but can negotiate competitive exchange rates on larger transfers. 

Cash Pickup Transfers From Poland to the UK

If you value personal contact and assistance, you might prefer a cash pickup transfer. With this option, the money is transferred to a physical location that the recipient can collect - usually in a matter of minutes. This form of sending money abroad in the UK is relatively fast and can be a good option if you send money to someone without a bank account.  

Online Money Transfers from Poland to the UK

Would you describe yourself as tech-savvy? Then you could find online money transfers super handy. The good news is that you could get more zlotys to pounds by switching to one of the online money transfer providers (Wise, Skrill, CurrencyFair, TransferGo, or WorldRemit to name a few). 

In the 21st century, an online money transfer is the equivalent of wiring money, but much cheaper and easier. With online money providers, you can send money via your mobile phone, laptop, or tablet with just a few clicks. There's no need to go to a bank or money transfer physical location. They offer much better PLN-GBP exchange rates than banks and low and transparent fees. Compare your options in the list above to find the fastest, best rated, or cheapest option to send money to the UK. 

Make sure to compare all providers before every transfer from Poland to the UK to get the best PLN-GBP exchange rate. 

The Cheapest Way to Send Money to the UK From Poland

Let's start with the most expensive solutions: banks, cash-based money transfers, and e-wallets like Paypal are typically super-expensive options when you factor in all fees (incl. hidden currency exchange rate margin).

The cheapest way to transfer money internationally is to use a specialist money transfer service. They provide much more competitive rates, fees, and commissions than banks or Paypal.

Their fees depend on various factors:

• Pay-in options: Credit card, bank transfer, cash payment, etc.
• Amount transferred from Poland to the UK: The cheapest operator will not necessarily be the same for a transfer of £50 and a transfer of £1,000.
• Transfer speed: Does the money have to be available immediately, or can a beneficiary wait a few days?
• Pay-out options: Cash or bank deposit 

A dozen other parameters influence the price of sending money to the UK. You should check out Monito’s live comparison tool with almost 20 companies to find the cheapest or fastest one!

Fastest Way To Send Money To the UK From Poland

It comes as no surprise that the speed of your transfer depends on the method you choose to send your money from Poland to the UK. 

Online money transfer providers are typically the fastest option. For example, Skrill and Small World both offer transfers that will go to the recipient's account on the same day. Wise and CurrencyFair offer transfers that arrive the next business day. 

Alternatively, for cash pickups, Small World offers the quickest service, with funds being available in a matter of minutes. 

When comparing the fastest options, always be sure to also compare the exchange rate to check you’re not getting a poor deal. More information about the fastest way to send money abroad can be found in our guide.

Best-Rated Services

When you compare your money transfer options, you’ll also be able to see each provider’s score out of 10. The Monito score takes into account factors such as trust and credibility, service and quality, fees and exchange rates, and customer satisfaction.

Some of the highest scorers include Wise and TransferGo so you may also want to factor this into your decision.