Nothing ruins the joy of an international adventure like unexpected ATM fees, hidden charges or sky-high conversion rates. In some countries, accessing your own money while traveling can feel like an uphill battle. But what if you could sidestep these fees altogether?
I’ve been pretty much cash free for the last 15 years, but in some countries cash is still king. This guide lists fee‑free and low‑fee ATMs by country, notes typical fees where they are unavoidable, and explains how to find the cheapest ATM in each destination.”
Table of Contents
Albania 🇦🇱
Credins Bank ATM was fee free when I used it in 2023. In fact it was recommended to me by a local as being the only fee free ATM around. Unfortunately there are now reports of a 500-600 LEK fee.
Bolivia 🇧🇴
Bolivia is suffering from a slowly emerging financial crisis. Many tourist places will accept cards, and there’s at least one free ATM, but you’re better off exchanging US dollars, Euros, Peruvian Soles etc.. for Bolivianos, either on the street or at bureau de changes in towns.
For example, during my visit, the official USD-BOB rate was $1 to 7BOB, yet on the street in Copacabana, I was offered 11BOB per dollar.
All that being said, if you need to hit an ATM, you’ll find that Banco Fie offers fee free withdrawals.
Chile 🇨🇱
Scotiabank in Chile is free (at least for many Canadian and European cards), unfortunately its branches are more limited than the likes of Banco de Chile, and the ATMs actually close when the branch closes. Bizarre.
I was able to withdraw money free of charge from Scotiabank in Puerto Varas, but my partner who was using a German debit card was charged roughly €1.50. Still cheap, but not exactly free.
Banco BICE is an alternative, but its ATMs are even more elusive. I’ve visited branches in Puerto Montt, and Viña del Mar, but they’re none in San Pedro de Atacama.
Colombia 🇨🇴
Unfortunately, I was not able to find any fee free ATMs in Colombia. There were reports that Caja Social was free, but when I tried it there was a charge of 19,800 COP, which I promptly rejected.
Davidienda claimed not charge, and sure enough the receipt from the ATM didn’t show any additional charges, yet when checking my online statements, I could see there was a charge of around 15,000 pesos or roughly $3.40 USD. Fortunately Davidienda allows withdrawals up to 2,000,000 pesos a time, so you can withdraw in bulk to save on the fees .
Interestingly, the same ATM did show the charge for my German partner’s card, which turned out to be the same £3.40, so it seems hit and miss as to whether the ATM will show a fee, but even if it doesn’t, expect to pay.
Croatia 🇭🇷
Erste Bank and Nova Hrvastka Banka both offer fee free ATM withdrawals throughout Croatia, but can be difficult to locate even in larger cities such as Split, and Zadar.
Ecuador 🇪🇨
At first I had a little trouble getting cash out in Ecuador. For some unknown reason its ATMs take the card sideways (i.e the long side of the card) rather than in portrait which is more common around the world. Additionally, they will only accept card with a magnetic stripe as their machines aren’t all chip capable. That might rule out some of the debit cards from popular fintechs such as Trading 212.
Fee free ATMs in Ecuador
Banco International is free but very few around. Instead I opted for Banco Guayaquil. This does have a charge, but it’s just $1,52 and allows withdrawals of up to $300 a time.
Beware of Banco Pichincha, which charges $4.50.
France 🇫🇷
Most ATMs are free, but I’ve always gone to ATMs at the post office, called La Banque Postale, as they are a safe bet. I’ve used these particularly in rural France where many small villages, don’t have a bank/ATM and camping grounds only accept cash.
Germany 🇩🇪
Most ATMs are free
Greece 🇬🇷
During my stays in Greece, both on islands and on the mainland, I was unable to find a fee free ATMs. Most ATMs charge between €2-4 a time. Banking in Greece is one of the bugbears of expats who move there.
Fortunately, Greece has come along way since my first visit in 2002, and since my winter stay in Lefkada in 2017. Now most places accept cards at the point of sale, and I had no problem paying for everything from Gyros, to coffee and cake with my card.
Ireland 🇮🇪
ATM’s owned and operated by the main banks typically don’t charge a fee for withdrawals.
I successfully used my Revolut card at ATMs operated by Allied Irish bank and Bank of Ireland without any additional fees.
Montenegro 🇲🇪
Despite spending a month in Kotor, I didn’t have much need for cash in Montenegro. When I did, I tried various ATMs and found that Erste Bank offered fee free withdrawals with my Mastercard debit card.
Peru 🇵🇪
The best option for fee‑free ATMs in Peru is Banco de la Nación, which runs the MultiRed machines you’ll see in many towns and cities.
Use of card payments at the point of sale is growing, especially in tourist areas, but shops and tour agencies often add a 5–10% surcharge for paying by card, so cash still rules day‑to‑day.
Banco de la Nación’s ATMs don’t add a local fee for foreign cards, but they’re not in every town because a lot of Peru’s banking is handled through agents and small shops. The maximum withdrawal is typically around S/.400 (roughly 100–110 USD), which means you may need to make more frequent withdrawals if your home bank limits how many foreign ATM transactions you get for free each month.
Most other popular banks, like BBVA, Scotiabank and GlobalNet‑branded machines, now charge foreign cards a fee in the region of 18–25 soles per withdrawal, so they’re best avoided unless you have no other choice.
Which bank in Peru offers the highest withdrawal limits for foreigners?
If you need higher withdrawal limits than the S/.400 offered by Banco de la Nación, look for ATMs from banks like BCP or BanBif, which sometimes allow up to S/.700 per transaction but usually charge a local fee of around 13–20 soles. That can still work out cheaper overall if your home bank charges you a fee for every foreign ATM withdrawal, because you make fewer withdrawals in total.
Note: You’ll need plenty of cash when visiting Colca Canyon, or Machu Picchu, but you can mostly go cash-free in larger tourist cities like Cusco.
Portugal 🇵🇹
The only fee free ATMs I found in Portugal were Multibanco ones found outside post offices (CTT). A lot of the ATMs, especially on the South coast seemed to be Euronet, which comes with all sorts of charges. Multibanco is the national network, so all ATMs labelled Multibanco will be free.
I’ve also heard that Millennium BCP ATMs are free, but I haven’t yet been able to test one.
Spain 🇪🇸
Spanish banks make a ton of money from tourists. No only in the form of ATM charges, but also by offering dynamic currency conversion.
Tip: if you’re ever offered to pay or withdraw cash in your own currency rather than the local currency, always refuse.
Fee free ATMs are dying out fast in Spain. The most reliable I’ve found was Deutsche Bank, but it typically only has branches in larger cities, and usually only one ATM.
I used it in Alicante (up by El Corte Ingles), and Cartegena (next to the Correos)
If you have an N26 account (EU residents can sign up here and get a free €15 bonus), I also found that Santander was free.
Santander is also free for in Spain for UK Santander customers. Otherwise it has a €5 charge and is best avoided.
United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Almost all ATMs run by banks in the UK are free. You do need to watch out for some non-bank ATMs like those sometimes found in pubs, nightclubs, or at petrol stations.
USA 🇺🇸
Most ATMs charge. Fees range from $5-$8. Some regional bank ATMs are free though. For example Regions Bank in the Miami Beach area is known to be fee free.
Chase UK debit card holders can use Chase US ATMs nationwide fee free, but other ATMs will carry a charge.
I’ll be adding more in the future, both as a travel, and search through my withdrawal history to double check there weren’t any fees, but if you know of a 100% fee free ATM not on the list please let me know in the comments below.
FAQs
What is the difference between ATM fees and card fees?
An ATM fee (or “access fee”) is charged by the bank or company that owns the machine and is usually displayed on‑screen as a fixed amount in local currency before you confirm the withdrawal. A card fee is charged by your own bank or card issuer (for example, a foreign transaction fee or their own out‑of‑network ATM fee) and is usually not shown on the ATM, so you need to check your account’s fee schedule and past statements to see what you are really paying.
How can I avoid paying more than necessary in ATM fees when travelling?
Use a card that doesn’t charge (or reimburses) foreign ATM fees, withdraw larger amounts less often to minimise per‑withdrawal charges, and always choose to be charged in the local currency rather than your home currency to avoid bad dynamic‑currency‑conversion rates. Where possible, favour fee‑free ATMs from national banks listed in this guide, and avoid stand‑alone machines from independent operators that are known for high fees and poor exchange rates
Is it cheaper to use a debit card or a credit card at an ATM abroad?
A debit card is usually cheaper, because many credit cards treat ATM withdrawals as cash advances with extra fees and interest from the day you take out the money. Some banks and travel cards offer fee‑free or low‑fee cash withdrawals on debit, while the same issuer’s credit card may add both a cash‑advance fee and a foreign‑transaction fee.
What should I do if a foreign ATM eats my card or the cash never comes out?
If your card is captured, stay at the machine and note the bank name, location, time and any error message, then contact both the local bank (using the number on the ATM) and your own bank immediately. If the ATM debits your account but does not dispense cash, take a photo of the screen if possible, keep the receipt and file a dispute with your bank as soon as you can, because they may need several days to investigate with the ATM owner.
