An MT103 copy is the sending bank’s record of an international transfer: the date it left, the amount, the banks it was routed through and the account it was sent to. When money from abroad hasn’t reached your UAE account, it’s the first thing your bank will ask for, and only the sender’s bank can produce it. Your UAE bank can’t print one for a payment it hasn’t received.
So the job is to get it from the person who paid you, then read three or four fields that tell you where the money is.
MT103 copy quick details
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is it | The SWIFT single customer credit transfer message for one payment |
| Who issues it | The sender’s bank |
| Who asks for it | Your UAE bank, when you report a missing incoming transfer |
| Key tracking number | The UETR, 36 characters, field 121 |
| Fields to check first | 32A (date and amount), 57A (receiving bank), 59 (your account), 71A (charges) |
| Cost to you | None. The sender requests it from their own bank |
The fields that matter
You don’t need to read every line. These are the ones that answer “where is my money?”:
| Field | What it holds | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Sender’s reference | Quote it when you call your bank |
| 121 | UETR, the end-to-end tracking reference | Present and 36 characters long |
| 32A | Value date, currency and settled amount | The date it actually left, not the date it was booked |
| 33B | Original instructed amount | Compare with 32A if deductions appeared |
| 50 | Ordering customer (the sender) | Name matches the person paying you |
| 56A | Intermediary bank, if any | Explains an extra deduction or delay |
| 57A | Account with institution: your bank’s SWIFT code | Exactly your UAE bank’s code |
| 59 | Beneficiary: your IBAN and name | All 23 IBAN characters, your name as the bank holds it |
| 70 | Remittance information | Invoice or purpose text |
| 71A | Details of charges: OUR, SHA or BEN | Tells you who pays the fees |
Field 57A and field 59 cause most problems. A transfer sent to Emirates NBD’s code with an Emirates Islamic IBAN, for example, will be stuck or returned, because the code and the IBAN point to different banks. The Emirates NBD SWIFT code page shows how the IBAN bank code separates two banks in the same group.
The UETR is the real tracking number
Every payment instruction carried over SWIFT includes a unique end-to-end transaction reference, the UETR. It’s 36 characters long, the sending bank creates it, and every bank along the route has to pass the same reference on without changing it. Since the end of 2020, SWIFT member banks have had to confirm to the SWIFT tracker when a payment has been credited to the final beneficiary or rejected.
In practice, that means your UAE bank can look up the payment by UETR and see whether it’s sitting with an intermediary, has been credited, or was rejected. Ask the sender for it even if their bank’s document doesn’t look like a classic MT103.
Why your copy may not say “MT103”
Cross-border bank-to-bank payments moved to the ISO 20022 standard on 22 November 2025. Since then, a bank still sending an MT103 has it converted to ISO 20022 before delivery, and many banks now send the ISO 20022 message (pacs.008) directly.
The sender’s bank may therefore hand over a “payment confirmation”, “SWIFT advice” or “pacs.008 confirmation” instead of a document titled MT103. It does the same job. What matters is that it shows the UETR, the value date, the amount, the receiving bank’s SWIFT code and your IBAN.
How to get the MT103 copy
- Ask the sender to request it from their bank, quoting the payment date and amount. Most banks provide it through online banking, a branch or the relationship manager.
- Ask for it as a PDF, not a screenshot of an app’s “transfer successful” screen. The app screen rarely shows the UETR or field 57A.
- If they paid through a money transfer company, ask that company for the SWIFT confirmation. Not every app sends money over SWIFT, and some can’t produce one.
Using it to trace a missing transfer
- Check field 57A. If it isn’t your bank’s SWIFT code, the sender’s bank must recall or amend the payment. Your UAE bank can’t act on money sent elsewhere.
- Check field 59. A wrong or incomplete IBAN is the most common cause of a return.
- Check field 32A. Count working days from that value date, in both countries. Most international transfers into UAE accounts arrive within 4 working days.
- If 57A and 59 are correct and the time has passed, send the copy to your UAE bank’s call centre or branch and ask them to trace it by UETR.
- If an intermediary bank appears in field 56A, the delay or deduction may have happened there, and the trace will show it.
Charges: reading field 71A
- OUR: the sender pays all charges, so you should receive the full amount.
- SHA: charges are shared, and a deduction on your side is normal.
- BEN: you pay every charge, including any intermediary’s.
If 71A says OUR but money is missing, compare field 33B with 32A and with the amount credited. The difference shows which bank took a fee.
FAQ
What is an MT103 SWIFT copy?
It’s the sending bank’s copy of the SWIFT message for a single international customer transfer. It shows the date, amount, sender, receiving bank code, beneficiary account and charge option.
Can my UAE bank give me the MT103?
Only for a transfer you sent. For money you’re expecting, the MT103 comes from the sender’s bank.
Where is the UETR on an MT103?
In field 121 of the message header. It’s a 36-character reference that lets banks trace the payment end to end.
Is MT103 still used after ISO 20022?
Banks moved cross-border payments to ISO 20022 on 22 November 2025. MT103 messages still sent are converted to ISO 20022, so your copy may be titled as a payment confirmation or pacs.008 instead of MT103.
Does an MT103 prove the money was paid?
It proves the sending bank released the payment on that date. It doesn’t prove the money reached your account, which is why the UETR trace matters.
What to do with your MT103
- Get the PDF from the sender, not a screenshot.
- Check 57A against your bank’s SWIFT code and 59 against your IBAN.
- Note the UETR and the value date.
- Wait out 4 working days from the value date, then send the copy to your bank and ask for a UETR trace.
Field 57A must carry one of the UAE bank SWIFT codes, and field 59 must carry a 23-character IBAN number in the UAE.
5 pingbacks