The European Payments Council (EPC) Board has approved adding Serbia to the geographical scope of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) payment schemes, taking the SEPA scheme footprint to 41 countries. This change means SEPA scheme participants should be able to exchange SEPA payments with counterparties in Serbia once Serbian financial institutions adhere to the relevant schemes. The expanded scope covers SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT), SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) and SEPA Direct Debit (SDD). Under the EPC calendar, adherence by Serbian financial institutions will be enabled from November 2025, with the earliest Operational Readiness Date for payment service providers from Serbia set for May 2026; the EPC will communicate the exact Operational Readiness Date later.
European Payments Council 2025-05-22
European Payments Council approves Serbia’s inclusion in SEPA payment schemes expanding the scope to 41 countries
The European Payments Council has approved the inclusion of Serbia in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) payment schemes, expanding the SEPA footprint to 41 countries. This allows SEPA participants to exchange payments with Serbian counterparties once Serbian financial institutions adhere to the relevant schemes. The expanded scope includes SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Instant Credit Transfer, and SEPA Direct Debit.