The timeframes for money transfers in the SWIFT system are 1-5 business days. The timing increases with the number of intermediary banks involved. If you're sending some not-so-common currency, it can also take more time, while safe transfers in the same currencies are usually processed faster. The SWIFT network only exchanges the necessary messages between banks and financial services providers rather than actually moving funds around. That is why numerous checks (such as AML Anti-Money Laundering) are in place to maintain security. However, all these procedures require some time that prolongs transfer timeframes.