What is a SEPA transfer? Sending euros to Europe from Turkey

If you need to send euros to a child studying in Germany, pay the rent on a flat in the Netherlands or collect the proceeds of a sale from a European account, you have probably heard the word "SEPA". The recipient says "I have a SEPA IBAN", the European bank talks about "SEPA instant transfers", and from Turkey you cannot tell whether this route has anything to do with you.

This article explains what SEPA is, which countries it covers, how the types of SEPA transfer differ, why it is limited to the euro, and how an Iranian in Turkey can get euros into a European account or receive euros from one.

What is SEPA?

SEPA stands for Single Euro Payments Area. Its aim is simple: a euro payment to any account in the area follows the same rules, the same format and the same standards as a domestic payment. In the European Central Bank's words, SEPA removes the differences between domestic and cross-border euro payments.

The technical backbone of SEPA is the IBAN. Every account in the SEPA area has an IBAN, and for a SEPA transfer the recipient's name and IBAN are usually all you need; there are no complicated codes and no intermediary bank. That is why a SEPA transfer inside Europe is simple and cheap, and behaves more like a domestic transfer than like an "international remittance".

Which countries are in SEPA?

As of October 2026, according to the European Central Bank's official page, the SEPA region consists of 41 European countries and territories (status 22 May 2025), including countries that are not members of the EU or the euro area. Germany, France and the Netherlands are the familiar examples, and small states such as Monaco and San Marino are on the list despite not being EU members.

The point that matters for readers of this article: Turkey is not a SEPA member. An account at a Turkish bank, even a euro account, is therefore not a "SEPA account", and a payment from it to Europe does not count as a SEPA transfer. The complete, current list of countries is published by the European Payments Council; since the list is updated, check it before deciding.

Types of SEPA transfer

Standard SEPA Credit Transfer

The most common type: a euro transfer from one account to another within the SEPA area, usually on the next business day or the same day, depending on the banks. Most salary, rent and everyday payments in Europe use it.

SEPA Instant Credit Transfer

This scheme started in November 2017. According to the European Central Bank, with an instant transfer the funds become available in the recipient's account within ten seconds of the payment order, and the service runs at any hour of the day, every day of the year. The recipient's bank has to tell the sender's bank within those same ten seconds whether the money arrived.

The EU Instant Payments Regulation of 13 March 2024 aims to speed up the provision and uptake of these transfers across the Union. The European Payments Council states that the scheme itself no longer sets a maximum amount and that each bank sets its own transaction limits, so for a large sum ask the recipient's bank about its limit separately.

SEPA Direct Debit

The third type is direct debit: you authorise a company (an electricity supplier or phone operator, for instance) to collect the amount from your account. It has no practical use for someone paying from Turkey and is mentioned only to complete the picture.

SEPA is euro only

A point that is sometimes forgotten: SEPA works only in euros. If the recipient holds a franc or sterling account in Switzerland or the United Kingdom, a payment to that account does not travel through SEPA even though the country is on the SEPA list. For other currencies the route is a SWIFT transfer.

How do I get euros from Turkey into a SEPA account?

Because Turkey is outside the SEPA area, a euro payment from Turkey to a European account is not in itself a SEPA transfer. There are two common routes:

• From a Turkish bank account via SWIFT: your bank in Turkey carries the message through the SWIFT network, usually with one or more correspondent banks, to the European bank. The BIC of the destination bank and the purpose of the transfer are asked for as well, and the cost and timing depend on the banks on the route.
• Through an intermediary that holds an account inside SEPA: some providers hold their own account in one of the SEPA countries and deliver the payment from there to the recipient as a SEPA transfer. The last step then looks to the recipient like a European domestic transfer. Whether this route is available for a given destination and amount is confirmed after the request is reviewed.

In both cases ask the recipient for three things: their full name as on the account, the IBAN of the euro account and the bank name. If the recipient has a multi-currency account, make sure they send the IBAN of the euro account. The service is described on the SWIFT and SEPA transfers from Turkey page, and if the money is still in Iran, start with the guide to moving money from Iran to Turkey.

The other direction: receiving euros from Europe in Turkey

If someone sends you euros from a European account, the same logic applies: the sender in Europe has to order an international transfer to your Turkish IBAN rather than a SEPA transfer, or use an intermediary that delivers in Turkey. Keeping a euro account in Turkey usually makes this easier, because it avoids an automatic conversion into lira at the bank's rate.

Common mistakes

• Giving the IBAN of a lira account: if the recipient expects euros, the IBAN of the euro account is needed; otherwise the bank may convert at its own rate.
• Shortening the name: the recipient's name must be written exactly as the account holds it; a nickname or a missing surname can hold the transfer up.
• Confusing SEPA with SWIFT: a payment leaving Turkey is not a SEPA transfer; what the European bank expects as "a SEPA transfer" arrives from Turkey via SWIFT or an intermediary and may look different on the statement.
• Leaving the purpose vague: a clear purpose such as rent, tuition or sale proceeds, with a document where needed, speeds things up both in Turkey and in Europe.

Cost and timing

Inside the SEPA area a euro transfer is usually cheap and, in its instant form, almost immediate. As soon as Turkey enters the picture, cost and timing depend on the chosen route: correspondent banks may deduct from the amount and take several business days, and intermediaries have terms of their own. There is no single figure that covers every case.

At EL DÖVİZ every euro transfer request is reviewed individually, and the rate, fee and estimated timing are stated before execution; nothing happens until you confirm.

If you have the destination, the amount and the recipient's IBAN, enter them in the quote form; whether the route is available, and on what terms, is confirmed after review.