National Bank of Moldova announces Moldova’s operational entry into the Single Euro Payments Area

The National Bank of Moldova announced that the Republic of Moldova has become an operational part of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) from 6 October 2025, enabling citizens and companies to make euro transfers under SEPA standards, with faster processing, higher security and lower fees that may be reduced to zero depending on the participating bank’s offering. SEPA links 41 European countries and provides cross-border euro payments on equivalent cost, security and processing-time conditions. The National Bank of Moldova highlighted expected cost reductions versus previous international transfer fees of EUR 20 to EUR 200, and pointed to 2024 flows of around 830,000 euro transactions between Moldova and SEPA countries totalling EUR 11.8 billion (over 3,200 payments per day with a daily value of EUR 45 million). It estimated macroeconomic savings of about EUR 20 million and noted that eight Moldovan commercial banks already have SEPA participant status, with customers advised to check bank-specific tariffs and the availability of standard versus instant payments. The accession process began with an application to the European Payments Council on 30 January 2024 and progressed with approval of Moldova’s inclusion in the SEPA geographical area on 6 March 2025, culminating in operational participation on 6 October 2025. The National Bank of Moldova coordinated the process with the Association of Banks of Moldova acting as the National Adherence Support Organisation, and indicated that additional payment service providers, including non-bank operators, may join SEPA in the next period.