Required Details for International Bank Transfers
Most international transfers do not fail because of the amount, the currency, or the sending bank. They fail because one field on the form was wrong. A missing middle name. A typo in the SWIFT code. A purpose that the receiving country does not accept. The money then sits in limbo for days while both banks investigate, and it usually comes back minus a few fees on either side.
If you are sending money from the US to India, whether to family, to your own NRE or NRO account, or to a business, it pays to know exactly what information you need before you start the form. This guide walks through every field an American sender will be asked for, why each one matters, and the small mistakes that cause the biggest delays.
What Sending Banks Actually Need
Before you initiate an international transfer, gather these details. Missing any one of them is the most common reason a wire gets rejected or held for review.
Beneficiary information. The full legal name of the person or business receiving the money, exactly as it appears on their bank account. Their residential address, including city, state, and postal code. Their phone number is optional at most banks but strongly recommended, because the receiving bank will use it if there is a problem.
Beneficiary bank details. The bank name, the branch address, and the SWIFT or BIC code of the receiving branch. For India, you also need the IFSC code, which identifies the specific branch inside the Indian banking system. IFSC is not optional for INR-denominated receipts.
Account information. The account number for a standard Indian savings, current, NRE, or NRO account. Some senders also ask for the account type. If your recipient uses UPI, you may be able to skip the account number entirely and send to a UPI ID, a phone number, or an email address instead.
Purpose of transfer. Every cross-border transfer into India carries a purpose code assigned under FEMA. Family maintenance, gift, education, medical treatment, and salary are all separate codes. You cannot leave this field blank, and choosing the wrong code can trigger a compliance hold on the recipient’s side.
Bank Identifiers, Decoded
The alphabet soup of transfer codes trips up almost every first-time sender. Here is what each one does, and when you need it.
SWIFT / BIC code. An 8 or 11 character code that identifies a bank globally. Every international wire needs one. Example format: HDFCINBBXXX for HDFC Bank in India.
IFSC code. An 11 character code that identifies a specific Indian bank branch. Example: HDFC0000123. Required for any INR receipt into an Indian account, in addition to the SWIFT code on the incoming leg.
IBAN. Not used in India. If a form asks you for an IBAN when you are sending to India, leave it blank or enter the account number in the account field. IBAN is a European and Middle Eastern standard.
Routing number. A 9 digit US-only identifier, sometimes called ABA. You will provide your own bank’s routing number when funding a transfer via ACH, but you do not need one for the receiving side in India.
Purpose Codes: The Field That Trips Everyone
The Reserve Bank of India requires every inbound remittance to be tagged with a purpose code. The code tells the receiving bank why the money is coming in, and it drives whether that money is treated as tax-free, taxable, or subject to further documentation.
The most common purpose codes for USD to India transfers include family maintenance (P1301), gifts (P1302), personal investment in an NRE account, education, and medical treatment. Business purposes such as consulting fees, contractor payments, or vendor invoices carry their own codes and often need supporting documentation on the recipient side.
Two rules of thumb. First, if the purpose does not match the recipient’s declared income or account type, expect a hold. Second, if you are unsure, ask the recipient to check with their bank before you send. It is far cheaper to get the code right than to reverse a wrongly-tagged transfer.
Common Errors That Delay Transfers
The most expensive mistakes on an international wire are not the fees. They are the days lost to a rejected transaction. Here is what to watch for.
Name mismatches. If the account is held in the name “Priya S. Sharma” and you enter “Priya Sharma,” some banks will accept it and some will bounce it back. Match the account exactly, including middle initials.
Wrong SWIFT code. Every bank has multiple SWIFT codes for different branches or business lines. Confirm the exact code with the recipient, not with Google.
Missing IFSC. A US sender often thinks the SWIFT code is enough. For an INR receipt into an Indian branch, it is not. No IFSC means the money lands at the Indian correspondent bank and sits there until the receiving branch is manually identified.
Wrong account type. NRE and NRO are not interchangeable. Sending USD earnings into an NRO account when they should have gone to NRE can trigger unnecessary tax withholding.
Weekend and holiday timing. A transfer initiated at 4pm on a Friday US time will not touch the Indian banking system until Monday India time at the earliest, and it may take longer if there is a public holiday in either country.
US Expectation vs India Reality
| US Expectation | India Reality |
|---|---|
| Routing number is enough | You need SWIFT plus IFSC |
| Money moves same day | Bank wires take 1 to 3 business days |
| Purpose is optional | Purpose code is mandatory under FEMA |
| Any middle name works | Name must match the account exactly |
Reality Check: Why Wires Feel So Painful
Traditional bank wires from the US to India have not fundamentally changed in twenty years. You fill out a long form, pay an outgoing fee, wait one to three business days, and often get charged an incoming fee on the Indian side. If anything on the form is wrong, the money comes back and you start over.
App-based transfers built for this corridor now handle most of that complexity for you. Sliq Pay is one option built specifically for the US to India corridor. You link your US bank account, choose the recipient by UPI ID, phone number, email, or bank account, and the app resolves the underlying banking details on both sides so you do not have to enter SWIFT, IFSC, or purpose codes manually. Transfers settle instantly for amounts within UPI and IMPS caps, on mid-market FX with no markup.
Explore how Sliq Pay works for US to India transfers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both a SWIFT code and an IFSC code to send money to India? Yes. SWIFT identifies the bank globally. IFSC identifies the specific Indian branch. For any INR receipt, both are required.
What is the difference between an NRE and an NRO account? NRE accounts hold foreign earnings and are freely repatriable. NRO accounts hold Indian income and have tax implications. Always confirm which one your recipient wants funds sent to.
Can I send money to India without knowing the bank account number? Yes, if the recipient uses UPI. You can send to their UPI ID, phone number, or email through apps that support UPI payouts. Sliq Pay resolves the underlying account on the recipient side, so you skip most of the form fields.
What happens if I enter the wrong purpose code? The receiving bank may hold the money for compliance review or ask the recipient to provide documentation. In some cases, the transfer is reversed and the FX loss lands on the sender.
How long do international bank transfers take? Traditional US bank wires to India take one to three business days. Same-day transfers are possible with newer app-based services that route through UPI or IMPS, which settle in seconds within their per-transfer limits.
Are there transfer limits I should know about? The Indian side caps UPI at 200,000 INR per instant transfer and IMPS at 500,000 INR per instant transfer. Larger amounts settle within hours rather than instantly. On the US side, your bank sets its own daily and monthly wire limits.
Why does my transfer keep getting rejected for a name mismatch? Indian banks match the beneficiary name character by character. Middle initials, spelling variations, and honorifics all count. Copy the name exactly as it appears on the recipient’s bank statement.
Do I need to declare international transfers on my US taxes? Sending money is not itself taxable, but gifts above the annual IRS exclusion threshold may require Form 709. Talk to a US tax professional if you are sending large amounts in a single year.
Before You Go
Send your recipient a quick message asking for their full legal name as it appears on the account, the SWIFT code, the IFSC code, the account number, and the purpose. Gathering those five items before you open the transfer form is the single biggest thing you can do to make sure the money arrives the first time. If you would rather skip the codes altogether for US to India transfers, joining the Sliq Pay waitlist is one way to try an app that resolves them in the background.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, tax, or professional advice. Product features, pricing, eligibility, and availability may vary by country, user type, regulatory requirements, and are subject to change. Please refer to Sliq Pay’s Terms of Use and official product pages for the most accurate and up-to-date information. Sliq Pay makes no representations or warranties regarding the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the content.
