How long does it typically take for bank wires to process and reach an intended account?

This can depend on a number of factors including whether the wire is transferred from one account to another at the same or different banks, which banks are involved, if the origin of the wire is from a non-U.S. bank, if it is a weekend or bank holiday, etc.

However, in general, wires can take as little as a few minutes to a few hours (same business day), but sometimes require anywhere from 1-3 business days to fully process in certain circumstances.  For non-U.S. origin wires, we’ve seen a few extreme instances where processing has taken up to one week or longer, so make sure you prepare accordingly.

Regardless, your best bet is to contact each of the origin and receiving banks and ask a representative what to expect in terms of timing.  Since they are on the front lines, they should be able to give you a good estimate, so that you can plan accordingly.