What Is an Intermediary Bank Hold
In international transfers, money does not travel directly from one bank to another — the chain typically involves one or more correspondent (intermediary) banks. Each of them runs its own compliance check before passing funds along.
A hold is a situation where an intermediary bank pauses the transit of funds for additional review. The money sits in the correspondent bank and does not reach the recipient.
Why the Intermediary Bank Places a Hold
AML and sanctions screening. The intermediary bank is required to check all parties in the transaction against sanctions lists and AML requirements. Any match or suspicion triggers an automatic delay.
Missing or incorrect mandatory fields. The SWIFT MT103 standard requires several fields to be filled (50a — payer, 59 — recipient, 70 — payment purpose). Incomplete data triggers a manual review.
High-risk jurisdictions. Transfers involving countries on the FATF grey or black list require extra compliance steps from the intermediary bank.
Currency restrictions. In some cases the intermediary does not hold a licence to process a particular currency pair and temporarily holds the funds.
Enhanced due diligence request. The intermediary bank may request additional documents from the sending bank — until a response is received, the funds remain frozen.
What to Do
Obtain the SWIFT GPI UID. This is the unique transaction identifier in the SWIFT GPI system, allowing you to track exactly where in the chain the transfer is stuck and which bank is holding it.
Contact the sending bank. Ask them to reach out to the intermediary bank via the SWIFT system and request a status update (GPI enquiry or tracer message).
Provide additional documents. If the intermediary bank has requested EDD documentation, prepare it as quickly as possible. Delays extend the hold.
Ask for a route change. If the intermediary consistently creates problems, ask the sending bank to use an alternative correspondent route.
Document every step. Keep all confirmations, correspondence, and requests. This is critical for speeding up the process and, if necessary, for filing a complaint with a regulator.
Typical Hold Durations
- Standard compliance check: 1–3 business days
- AML investigation: 5–15 business days
- Sanctions clearance request: up to 30 business days
- Particularly complex cases: no fixed deadline
FAQ
How do I find out which bank is holding my money? Through SWIFT GPI: your sending bank can request the full transit chain with the current status at each node.
Can I recall the transfer while it is being held by the intermediary? Technically yes, but it is a complex procedure that requires agreement from all banks in the chain. It takes significantly longer than waiting for the review to complete.
Who bears the costs of the hold and review? Intermediary banks typically charge a processing fee, which is either deducted from the transfer amount or paid by the sender. Check the terms in your agreement with your bank.
If your international transfer is stuck at an intermediary bank, Marix can help you find a direct or alternative route for faster settlements.