# ISA transfers overview

Upvest offers an end to end API solution for managing transfers for Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) for UK end users.  It supports moving all or part of a user’s funds from an existing ISA account while retaining their current year allowance. Clients can offer end users various transfers experiences into an Upvest supported Stocks and Shares ISA:

- Cash ISA from another provider
- Cash ISA held already with the client
- Stocks and Shares ISA from another provider


In addition, where a client is the ISA manager across both Cash and Stocks and Shares ISA, any flexible withdrawals made on the Cash ISA can be ported to the Stocks and Shares ISA.

## Before you begin

Before starting, we want to explain the following terms and phrases related to ISA transfers.

| Key terms | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| External transfer | Moving an ISA from another provider into an Upvest supported Stocks and Shares ISA. |
| Internal transfer | Moving funds between ISA accounts of the same provider. Usually this use case serves internal movements of cash from a Cash ISA to a Stocks & Shares ISA. |
| Incoming direction | The direction of funds is from another ISA account into the Upvest supported Stocks and Shares ISA.Applies to both external and internal transfers |
| Outgoing direction | The direction of funds is from the Upvest supported Stocks and Shares ISA to another ISA account.Applies to both external and internal transfers.**Note**: new regulations introduced in 2025 Autumn Budget impacting movement from Stocks and Shares ISA to Cash ISA. |
| In-specie settled transfers | Securities are transferred between providers without the need to sell to cash and reinvest. |
| Cash settled transfers | Securities are sold and the resultant cash is transferred between providers. |


## Stocks & Shares ISA transfers

The rules related to ISA transfers are set by the [Financial Conduct Authority](https://www.fca.org.uk/) and the [HM Revenue & Customs](https://www.gov.uk/individual-savings-accounts/transferring-your-isa) and are subject to change.

In the [2025 Autumn Budget ISA reforms](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-free-savings-newsletter-19/tax-free-savings-newsletter-19-november-2025) outlined future changes to ISA transfers, restricting transfers into Cash ISAs. These will take effect from 6 April 2027.  Please refer to their websites for the most up to date information.

Please refer to their websites for the most up to date information.

For Stocks & Shares ISAs, the transfer of funds can be conducted in two ways, subject to the manager's terms:

- In-Specie: The actual investments (shares, funds, etc.) are transferred to the new ISA manager without being sold (i.e., “free-of-payment”).
- Cash: The investments are sold, and the resulting cash proceeds are transferred


A transfer can also be a combination of both.

Currently, only cash transfers are supported at Upvest.

Transfers from a Cash ISA can also be accepted into a Stocks & Shares ISA.

## United Kingdom regulations

According to the UK government, ISA transfer process should take no longer than:

- 15 working days for transfers between cash ISAs
- 30 calendar days for other types of transfers


## Core solution

Our API solution supports both internal and external ISA transfers.  For external transfers, Upvest currently supports full transfers only, where an end user moves the full amount of their ISA and related subscriptions history to or from another provider.

### Transfer stages

#### Internal transfers stages

Internal transfers occur when moving funds between ISAs held at the same Upvest client, usually used for moving funds from a Cash ISA to a Stocks and Shares ISA. Internal transfers allow the movement of previous years’ balances without impacting the end users current year allowance.  When moving current year subscriptions the allowance will be updated on the Stocks and Shares ISA and the client can update the Cash ISA allowance to reflect the change.

Internal transfers begin with the **Initiation** stage with the end user requesting the transfer and the provider sending the instruction via the Upvest API. However, since the transfer happens at the same provider, there is neither **Discovery** stage nor **Instruction** on the market and the transfer request transitions directly to **Settlement**.

#### External transfer stages

The stages of an external ISA transfer include:

Initiation
The end user requests a transfer in with the new provider to begin the transfer process. This would be the Upvest client for incoming or the external provider for outgoing.
The provider's user experience (UX) should incorporate a Transfer Authority Form (TAF) and the transfer instructions.

Discovery
The providers and counterparties exchange information related to the transfer request. The new provider forwards the Transfer Authority Form (TAF) to the ceding provider.

The discovery stage ends when the current provider accepts the transfer request.

Instruction
The transfer instructions are sent to the current provider and the transfer process begins.

Settlement
The current provider sends a Transfer History Form (THF) along with the funds to the new provider. The new provider sets up the new ISA account and the transfer process is completed.