How to Fill Out and Submit the Citibank Wire Transfer Form

The Citibank wire transfer form is the request you complete to move money electronically from your Citi account to another bank, either in the United States through Fedwire or internationally through SWIFT. You can fill it out inside Citi Online, in the Citi Mobile app, or on paper with a banker at a branch. Submit a domestic request before 6:45 PM ET or an international request before 6:00 PM ET and it generally goes out the same business day.

What to Gather Before You Start

Collecting the recipient’s details first is the single best way to avoid a rejected or delayed wire. A wrong digit in an account or routing number can send money to the wrong person, and once a wire settles, getting it back depends on the recipient’s cooperation.

For a Domestic Wire

Your Citibank account number, which is the account the funds will be drawn from.
The recipient’s full legal name, exactly as it appears on their bank account. A middle initial on one side but not the other can trigger a hold.
The recipient’s bank name and address.
The ABA routing number, a nine-digit code found on the bottom-left corner of a check or available from the receiving bank directly.
The recipient’s account number.

For an International Wire

The SWIFT/BIC code, an 8- or 11-character identifier for the recipient’s bank. The recipient’s bank can provide it, or you can look it up in the SWIFT directory.
An IBAN, if the recipient’s country uses one. Much of Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Latin America require it, and the transfer will likely fail without it.
A CLABE for wires to Mexico. This is an 18-digit number used instead of a standard account number: three digits for the bank, three for the branch, and the rest for the account.
Intermediary bank details if the recipient provides them. Leaving these blank when they are needed can stall the wire for days.
The recipient’s full address, required by most international networks and by U.S. recordkeeping rules for transfers of $3,000 or more.

If someone is sending a wire into your Citibank account from abroad, give them Citi’s SWIFT code, CITIUS33, along with your account number and Citibank’s wire routing number.

Filling Out the Form in Citi Online or the Mobile App

Most customers initiate wires digitally rather than on paper. The form behaves the same way in both the web portal and the app.

Log in to Citi Online or the Citi Mobile app.
Open the transfers menu and select the wire transfer option.
Choose domestic or international. The fields change based on the selection: domestic asks for the ABA routing number, international adds the SWIFT/BIC code, IBAN, and currency.
Enter the recipient details exactly as they appear on the recipient’s bank records. Double-check every digit of the account and routing numbers.
Enter the amount and currency. On international wires you can send in U.S. dollars or in the recipient’s local currency. Sending in foreign currency waives the outgoing wire fee on every account tier, but an exchange rate applies, and Citibank displays the rate before you confirm.
Add a reference in the “Message to Beneficiary” field if the recipient expects an invoice number, loan payoff reference, or similar identifier.
Review and confirm. The system will prompt a multi-factor authentication step, usually a one-time passcode by text, before finalizing.

After you confirm, the system generates a reference number. Save it. That number is your proof of the transaction and is what Citibank will ask for if you need to check status or trace the wire later.

Submitting the Form at a Branch

If you prefer paper or want help from a banker, bring the recipient’s information in writing and a government-issued photo ID to any Citibank branch. The representative will verify your identity, complete or review the form with you, and have you sign. Citibank notes that additional fees apply for wires initiated through a branch or with banker assistance, so expect to pay more than you would online.

Cutoff Times and When the Money Arrives

The same daily cutoffs apply whether you submit the form online, in the app, or at a branch: 6:45 PM ET for domestic wires and 6:00 PM ET for international wires.¹ Requests submitted after the cutoff, on a weekend, or on a Federal Reserve holiday go out the next business day, because Fedwire does not operate on those holidays.²

Domestic wires sent before the cutoff typically arrive at the recipient’s bank the same day. Fedwire settles each transaction individually in real time, and once settled, the transfer is final and irrevocable.³ International wires can take up to five business days because they may pass through intermediary banks and face compliance screening along the route.⁴ Wires to major financial centers like London, Tokyo, and Frankfurt usually arrive in one to two business days.

Fees and Limits by Account Tier

What you pay for a wire you initiate online depends on your account tier:

Standard accounts: $25 outgoing domestic, $35 outgoing international in U.S. dollars, $15 incoming.
Citi Priority: $17.50 outgoing domestic, $25 outgoing international in U.S. dollars, incoming waived.
Citigold: all online wire fees waived.¹

International wires sent in foreign currency are free on every tier.¹ Citibank sets its own exchange rate on those, which includes a spread over the mid-market rate, so compare the total cost of sending in USD with a flat fee against sending in the recipient’s currency with the exchange rate baked in.

On international wires, intermediary banks along the route may also deduct their own fees, sometimes called lifting charges, from the amount in transit. The recipient ends up with less than you sent, and neither you nor Citibank controls those deductions. If you are paying an invoice for an exact amount, add a cushion or ask the recipient what their bank charges for incoming wires.

Online daily limits also vary by tier. Standard accounts can send up to $50,000 per account per business day for domestic and international (USD) wires, with foreign currency wires capped at $50,000 in USD equivalent per transaction. Citi Priority and Citigold have no daily limit on domestic or international USD wires; their foreign currency wires are capped at $500,000 in USD equivalent per transaction.¹ If you need to send more than your tier allows, upgrade or visit a branch, where a banker may be able to process a larger amount with additional verification.

If You Make a Mistake

Domestic wires are essentially irreversible once they settle, which can happen within minutes. If you catch an error, contact Citibank immediately, but recovery depends on reaching the receiving bank before it credits the funds and on the recipient agreeing to return them. There is no dispute mechanism like you have with a credit card charge.

International wires carry a built-in cancellation window. Under federal law, you have 30 minutes after paying to cancel an international remittance transfer at no charge, as long as the recipient has not already received the funds.⁵ If you cancel in time, Citibank has three business days to refund the amount and any fees. After 30 minutes, cancellation is at the bank’s discretion.

For an error you spot on a statement, you have 60 days from the date the statement was sent to notify the bank and trigger a formal investigation.⁶ Report problems as soon as you see them; the faster you call, the better the odds of recovery.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Verify the recipient’s details independently. If someone emails you wire instructions, especially for a real estate closing or large purchase, call the recipient at a number you already have on file (not one from the email) to confirm the account and routing numbers. Wire fraud scams that swap a criminal’s account details for the real recipient’s are common.
Match the name exactly as it appears on the recipient’s bank account. “John Smith” and “John A. Smith” can cause a hold.
Do not guess at a SWIFT code or IBAN. Ask the recipient’s bank or use the SWIFT directory. A single transposed character can route the money to the wrong institution.
Time the transfer with care. Account for time zones, intermediary processing, and any federal holiday in between. A domestic wire submitted at 6:30 PM ET on the Friday before a Monday holiday will not settle until Tuesday.
Keep the confirmation number. If the recipient says the funds never arrived, that reference is how Citibank traces the wire through the banking system.

1
Citibank. Wire Transfer Services and Online Money Transfer
2
Federal Reserve Financial Services. Wholesale Services Operating Hours
3
Federal Reserve Board. Fedwire Funds Services
4
Citibank. How Long Does a Wire Transfer Take
5
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Procedures for Cancellation and Refund of Remittance Transfers – 12 CFR 1005.34
6
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Procedures for Resolving Errors – 12 CFR 1005.11