Key takeaways
- SEPA covers 41 countries: the 27 EU member states; Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; and 11 countries outside the EEA, including the UK and Switzerland.
- SEPA payments are always in euros, even to the SEPA countries that keep their own currency, such as Sweden, Poland, the UK or Switzerland.
- The newest members are Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Moldova, from 5 October 2025, and Serbia, from May 2026.
- Inside the EEA, an IBAN and the payee's name are enough. When either bank is in a non-EEA SEPA country, the payer's bank can also ask for the BIC.
The short answer
SEPA, the Single Euro Payments Area, covers 41 countries. The European Payments Council's list, version 8.0 of 24 December 2025, counts the 27 EU member states, the three other EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and 11 countries outside the EEA: Albania, Andorra, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Vatican City.
A company with a euro IBAN can be paid by SEPA from any of them, in euros, usually by the next business day, or within seconds by SEPA Instant where both banks offer it.
All 41 SEPA countries
From the EPC's list, with the country code each one uses in IBANs and its own currency. SEPA payments to and from all of them are in euros.
| SEPA country | IBAN code | Own currency | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | AT | EUR | EU |
| Belgium | BE | EUR | EU |
| Bulgaria | BG | EUR | EU |
| Croatia | HR | EUR | EU |
| Cyprus | CY | EUR | EU |
| Czech Republic | CZ | CZK | EU |
| Denmark | DK | DKK | EU |
| Estonia | EE | EUR | EU |
| Finland | FI | EUR | EU |
| France | FR | EUR | EU |
| Germany | DE | EUR | EU |
| Greece | GR | EUR | EU |
| Hungary | HU | HUF | EU |
| Ireland | IE | EUR | EU |
| Italy | IT | EUR | EU |
| Latvia | LV | EUR | EU |
| Lithuania | LT | EUR | EU |
| Luxembourg | LU | EUR | EU |
| Malta | MT | EUR | EU |
| Netherlands | NL | EUR | EU |
| Poland | PL | PLN | EU |
| Portugal | PT | EUR | EU |
| Romania | RO | RON | EU |
| Slovakia | SK | EUR | EU |
| Slovenia | SI | EUR | EU |
| Spain | ES | EUR | EU |
| Sweden | SE | SEK | EU |
| Iceland | IS | ISK | EEA |
| Liechtenstein | LI | CHF | EEA |
| Norway | NO | NOK | EEA |
| Albania | AL | ALL | Outside the EEA |
| Andorra | AD | EUR | Outside the EEA |
| Moldova | MD | MDL | Outside the EEA |
| Monaco | MC | EUR | Outside the EEA |
| Montenegro | ME | EUR | Outside the EEA |
| North Macedonia | MK | MKD | Outside the EEA |
| San Marino | SM | EUR | Outside the EEA |
| Serbia | RS | RSD | Outside the EEA |
| Switzerland | CH | CHF | Outside the EEA |
| United Kingdom | GB | GBP | Outside the EEA |
| Vatican City State | VA | EUR | Outside the EEA |
The list also covers territories. EU outermost regions and territories, such as the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira, the Åland Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin, use the IBANs of Spain, Portugal, Finland or France. Gibraltar has its own GI IBANs. Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man use GB IBANs, and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon uses French ones.
How SEPA grew
The EPC extends SEPA's scope country by country, against its own criteria:
- 2006 to 2013: Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino and the French territories of Mayotte and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.
- 1 May 2016: Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
- 1 March 2019: Andorra and Vatican City.
- 1 February 2020: the United Kingdom stays in after Brexit, by an EPC decision of March 2019.
- 5 October 2025: Albania and Montenegro, admitted in November 2024, and North Macedonia and Moldova, admitted in March 2025, could start operating.
- May 2026: Serbia, admitted in May 2025, could start operating.
A country joining the scope means its banks may adhere to the SEPA schemes. Each bank still decides whether to join, so check with a payer's bank if a payment from one of the newest members doesn't arrive.
What being in SEPA means for a payment
- Euro only. SEPA credit transfers are in euros. A payment in Swedish kronor, Polish zloty or pounds sterling goes through the local system or by SWIFT.
- IBAN and name. Under the SEPA Regulation, a payment provider in the EU can't require its customer to give the payee's BIC for a euro transfer. The EPC's rulebook adds one exception: when either bank is in a SEPA country outside the EEA, the payer's bank can ask for the BIC. SWIFT code vs IBAN vs routing number explains which details to give.
- Instant payments. In the euro area, banks have had to send and receive SEPA Instant payments since 2025. Banks in EU countries outside the euro area must receive them by 9 January 2027 and send them by 9 July 2027. The Instant Payments Regulation is EU law, so banks in non-EEA SEPA countries aren't bound by those dates. SEPA Instant vs SWIFT compares speed and cost.
- Name checks. Euro-area providers have had to offer Verification of Payee on euro transfers since 9 October 2025, and providers in EU countries outside the euro area follow on 9 July 2027.
Get paid by SEPA as a company outside the EU
Align gives companies based outside the EU a named EUR IBAN in their own name, for SEPA and SEPA Instant, so customers in any of the 41 SEPA countries can pay you in euros. Euros you receive land in your balance as USDC or USDT. See the EUR IBAN for companies outside the EU.
Sources
- European Payments Council, EPC list of countries in the SEPA schemes' geographical scope, version 8.0 (24 December 2025)
- European Payments Council, 2025 SCT rulebook, version 1.1 (October 2025)
- Regulation (EU) No 260/2012, consolidated text (as amended to April 2024)
- European Central Bank, Instant Payments Regulation (accessed October 2026)
- European Payments Council, Verification of Payee scheme rulebook, version 1.1 (March 2026)
Common questions
- Is the UK still in SEPA?
- Yes. The EPC decided in March 2019 that the UK would stay in SEPA's geographical scope after Brexit, and it's on the EPC's list as a non-EEA SEPA country. UK banks can send and receive SEPA credit transfers in euros. Because the UK is outside the EEA, the payer's bank can ask for the BIC as well as the IBAN.
- Is Switzerland in SEPA?
- Yes. Switzerland has been in SEPA's geographical scope since the EPC's decisions between 2006 and 2013, as a non-EEA SEPA country. A SEPA credit transfer to a Swiss account is in euros, not Swiss francs.
- Can I pay in Swedish kronor or Polish zloty through SEPA?
- No. SEPA credit transfers are euro payments. Sweden, Poland and the other SEPA countries with their own currency can send and receive euros through SEPA, but a payment in kronor or zloty goes through that country's own system or by SWIFT.
- Which territories are in SEPA?
- The EPC's list includes EU outermost regions and territories such as the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira, the Åland Islands and the French overseas regions, plus Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Accounts in the French overseas regions use French IBANs, and accounts in Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man use GB IBANs.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources linked above and take advice on your own situation.