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The short answer
Not directly, as at October 2026. Starling Bank's international payment fee table lists 34 destination countries in 17 currencies, and Nigeria is not among them; its US dollar option is listed for the United States only. To pay someone in Nigeria from the UK, you would use another provider, or move money from Starling to a service that pays Nigerian accounts.
What Starling supports
Starling's send-money-abroad page says you can send to bank accounts in 34 countries, in 17 currencies, from inside the app. Its country fee table names every destination. In October 2026 the list covered the euro area and other European countries, plus Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and the United States.
Nigeria did not appear, and neither did the naira. South Africa was the only African country listed. The USD row is for payments to the United States, so the table gives no route for sending dollars to a Nigerian domiciliary account either.
How Starling prices the routes it does offer
For the countries it covers, Starling's pricing is published clearly, which is useful context if you also send money elsewhere:
- A 0.4% conversion fee on the amount converted.
- A delivery fee on top: £5.50 for a priority SWIFT payment, or a local network payment from 30p where one exists.
- Payments are processed from 02:00 Monday to 22:00 Friday, not at weekends or on bank holidays.
None of this applies to Nigeria, because there is no Nigeria row to apply it to.
Your options if you bank with Starling
Use a money transfer service paid from your Starling account
If a money transfer firm takes payment by UK bank transfer or debit card, you can pay it from your Starling account and it pays the recipient's Nigerian bank account in naira. Check that the firm is authorised by the FCA, and compare the naira amount each one shows. See how to check a money transfer firm is FCA authorised.
Use another UK account that supports naira
Some UK current accounts do list the naira. Monzo, for example, includes NGN among its supported currencies; see whether you can send money to Nigeria from Monzo. High-street banks offer SWIFT payments to a wide list of countries, at a fee and with an exchange-rate margin; check that your bank offers Nigeria before you start.
Hold the naira side yourself
If you send money home often, holding a naira balance you control can be simpler than buying naira each time. See the section on Pryme below.
Worked example: two-step route
Example only. Emeka banks with Starling and wants £250 to reach his aunt in Enugu.
- He chooses an FCA-authorised money transfer firm that pays Nigerian bank accounts, and gets its quote: the naira his aunt will receive and any fee.
- He pays the firm from his Starling account. A UK bank transfer from Starling to the firm is a domestic payment, so there is no Starling international fee.
- The firm pays his aunt's account in naira and gives him a reference.
His total cost is £250 plus the firm's fee, and its price is the naira amount the firm quoted. He compares that figure, not the headline fee, across two or three firms on the same day.
Mistakes to avoid
- Choosing a listed country to reach Nigeria. Each currency row in Starling's table is tied to a named country. Sending dollars under the United States row to a Nigerian bank is not what that route is for, and the payment may be rejected or returned.
- Comparing fees instead of outcomes. A provider with a low headline fee can still deliver fewer naira through its exchange rate. Compare the naira the recipient receives.
- Paying a firm you have not checked. Look the firm up on the FCA register before you send it money, whichever UK account you pay from.
If Nigeria is added later, Starling's pricing model would be the same published structure: a conversion percentage plus a delivery fee. Until then, Starling can fund the transfer and another service does the last step.
What to check first
- Whether Starling has added Nigeria since October 2026: the country fee table and the app are the places to look.
- The exact name and 10-digit account number of the recipient's Nigerian account.
- Whether the recipient wants naira, or pounds or dollars into a domiciliary account, because that decides which providers can help. See sending pounds to a Nigerian domiciliary account.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme account opened from the UK holds pounds and naira with local details for each. You can fund the pounds side from a UK account such as Starling, convert with Swap when the rate suits you, and pay family with Send; the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. Naira deposits are held by a licensed Nigerian microfinance bank, and outside Nigeria Pryme works through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Can Starling send money to Nigeria?
Not as at October 2026. Nigeria is not on Starling's international payment country fee table, which lists 34 countries.
Can I send dollars to Nigeria from Starling?
Starling's USD option is listed for the United States only, so its table gives no route for dollars to a Nigerian account.
What does Starling charge for international payments?
A 0.4% conversion fee plus £5.50 for SWIFT or from 30p for a local network payment, for the countries it supports.
How do I send money to Nigeria if I bank with Starling?
Pay an FCA-authorised money transfer firm from your Starling account, or use another account or service that pays Nigerian bank accounts.
Sources
- Starling Bank: Country bank transfer fees · accessed Oct 2026
- Starling Bank: Send money abroad · accessed Oct 2026
- Monzo Help: Where can I find a list of supported currencies? · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.