Send Money from the UK to Europe: Euros, SEPA & Big Transfers

The cheapest way to send money from the UK to Europe is usually a specialist such as Wise or Revolut, sending in the recipient’s local currency: euros to Spain, France or Ireland, zloty to Poland, lei to Romania. On £1,000 to a euro account, Wise charged £3.81 in total when we checked, while a bank’s exchange-rate margin can easily cost £20–£30. For large sums such as a property purchase, compare Wise with a currency specialist like OFX or Xe, which can fix your rate in advance.

The quick answer

SEPA from the UK: what still works

SEPA (the Single Euro Payments Area) is the system for cheap, fast euro transfers across the EU and a number of neighbouring countries. After Brexit, the European Payments Council kept UK payment providers in the SEPA schemes, with the UK as a non-EEA SEPA country. In practice:

• You can still send euros from the UK to EU accounts via SEPA, usually within a working day. Specialists such as Wise often deliver within minutes.
• Only euro payments count. Sending pounds, zloty or lei is not SEPA. It is an ordinary international transfer.
• Some EU banks ask for the payer’s full name and address on payments from the UK, because of rules for payments coming from outside the EEA. Specialists handle this for you.
• Your UK bank sets its own charges for euro payments, so check its tariff.

A note on currencies: Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands and Croatia use the euro, and so does Bulgaria since 1 January 2026. Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czechia and Sweden don’t. If your family’s account is in zloty or lei, send zloty or lei.

What it actually costs: worked examples

The fee is only half the story. The other half is the exchange-rate markup, the gap between the mid-market rate (the one on Google) and the rate you get. It’s where most of the money is lost.

Example 1: sending £1,000 (Wise quotes checked 5 November 2026, paid by bank transfer)

Illustrative comparison: a bank that charges no fee but uses a rate 2.5% below mid-market would pay out about €1,169 on the same £1,000. That’s roughly £25 of hidden cost, more than six times Wise’s fee. Banks rarely publish their margins, so ask how many euros will arrive and compare. Our transfer cost calculator does this for you.

Paying by debit card instead of bank transfer raised Wise’s fee on £1,000 to euros from £3.81 to £6.96. Bank transfer is the cheapest way to fund it.

Example 2: £100,000 towards a property in Spain (illustrative, using a Wise quote checked 5 November 2026)

On big transfers, small percentages add up to real money. Wise’s percentage fee fell from 0.33% at £1,000 to 0.25% at £100,000 in our checks. The broker and bank lines are illustrative only. Brokers negotiate their rate, and the margin you get depends on the amount and on asking. Always get at least two firm quotes on the same day.

Our pick: For everyday euro, zloty or lei transfers, Wise is the benchmark. For a property purchase, get a quote from Wise and from a specialist such as OFX or Xe, and choose on the euros delivered, plus whether you need to fix the rate in advance.

The main options compared

Wise

Mid-market rate, a visible fee that falls as a percentage on larger amounts, and SEPA euro payouts that often arrive the same day. A Wise account also gives you euro account details, so you can receive euros (from an EU employer, tenant or pension) and hold them until you need to convert. See our Wise vs Revolut comparison.

Revolut

Good for frequent smaller euro transfers, especially if you already use it. On the Standard plan, currency exchange is fee-free up to £1,000 a month, then a 1% fair-usage fee applies. Exchanges at weekends carry an extra markup (checked November 2026). Paid plans raise or remove the allowance. More in our Revolut review.

Remitly and WorldRemit

Remitly and WorldRemit cover many European routes, including Poland and Romania, and sometimes offer first-transfer promotions. They’re worth a quote for family support, especially if you send to several countries.

OFX and Xe for large transfers

Currency specialists are designed for sums such as property deposits, completions and moving savings:

• A named dealer who can talk you through timing and payment deadlines.
• Forward contracts to fix today’s rate for a future date. Useful if you’re exchanging contracts now and completing in a few months. You normally pay a deposit, and you’re committed to the transfer even if the rate later moves in your favour.
• Limit orders to convert automatically if the rate reaches a target you set.
• Pricing is mostly in the exchange-rate margin rather than a fee. Minimum amounts, fee thresholds and deposit requirements for forwards and limit orders vary by provider and change, so check the current terms before you commit.

Check any broker is FCA-authorised and how it safeguards client money before you send anything.

Your UK bank and euro accounts

UK banks can send euros, often with no fee for euro payments to the EEA, but the margin built into the rate is usually the main cost. Some banks, including HSBC, offer euro currency accounts, which can be handy if you’re paid in euros. If you bank with HSBC, Santander or Nationwide, see our bank-specific guides for steps and costs.

Large transfers and property purchases: a checklist

1. Talk to providers early. Open and verify your account weeks before completion, not the day before.
2. Have source-of-funds evidence ready. Expect to be asked where the money came from: sale of a UK home, savings statements, an inheritance. Spanish, Portuguese and other EU notaries and banks also run their own anti-money-laundering checks.
3. Get two quotes on the same day. Compare the amount arriving in euros, for example Wise against OFX or Xe.
4. Decide whether to fix the rate. If a 2–3% move in sterling would wreck your budget, a forward contract gives certainty, at the cost of flexibility.
5. Confirm bank details by phone. Ring your lawyer or notary on a number you found independently, not one from an email, and confirm the IBAN before sending.
6. Send a small test payment first if the timings allow.
7. Keep every confirmation. You may need proof of the transfer for the deed, for local tax registration or for your own records.

Buying abroad can also have UK tax implications, for example rental income from the property, which is generally taxable in the UK if you’re UK resident. Take advice from a qualified adviser for your situation.

How to send euros (or zloty or lei) from the UK: step by step

1. Get the recipient’s IBAN and full name. For euro payments, a BIC isn’t usually needed with specialists, but have it to hand.
2. Choose the right currency. Euros for eurozone accounts, local currency for Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czechia and others.
3. Compare quotes. Wise and Revolut for everyday amounts. Add OFX or Xe for large sums.
4. Verify your identity and, for large amounts, have source-of-funds documents ready.
5. Pay by bank transfer. Cheaper than card and needed for large amounts. Very large payments may go by CHAPS, so check your bank’s daily limits.
6. Track it and send the recipient the confirmation.

Safety and scam warnings

• Payment diversion fraud. The biggest risk on property transfers. Criminals hack or spoof email accounts and send “updated bank details” just before completion. Never act on emailed bank details without a phone check.
• Use FCA-authorised firms. Check the FCA Firm Checker and the FCA Warning List before using any broker you don’t know.
• Be wary of “too good” rates from unregulated brokers or individuals offering cash exchanges.
• Never move money for someone else. Offers to “receive and forward” payments are money-mule recruitment, which the FCA warns can be a serious criminal offence.

If you think you’ve been scammed, call your bank or provider straight away, then contact Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) on 0300 123 2040.

Bottom line

Send euros through SEPA via a specialist, and send local currency to non-euro countries such as Poland and Romania. Use Wise or Revolut for everyday transfers. For a property or other large sum, compare Wise with OFX or Xe, consider fixing the rate, and verify every bank detail by phone. For the full picture, see our best way to send money abroad guide.