International transfers from Germany for business: SEPA, SWIFT and FX

Inside SEPA, a German company pays suppliers in euros for little or nothing. Outside it, a SWIFT payment brings a bank fee, an FX margin and sometimes an intermediary deduction.

Alexia M.Comparisons and market guides editor

Published: 28 July 2026
Reading time: 2 min read

Google's suggestions after "Germany international transfer" include "germany money transfer services" and "germany money transfer limit". For a business, the line to understand is the SEPA border.

Inside and outside SEPA

Payment	Rail	Cost	Speed
EUR to an EU or EEA country	SEPA	Same as domestic	Seconds (Instant) to 1 day
EUR to the UK or Switzerland	SEPA, where both banks participate	Often lower than SWIFT; check your bank	Same
USD, GBP or other currency	SWIFT	Bank fee, FX margin, possible intermediary fee	1 to 3 days

A month for a Munich exporter

Pays a supplier in Spain €20,000 by SEPA: no extra cost.
Pays a US logistics firm $15,000 by SWIFT: a bank fee, the margin on EUR to USD, and possibly an intermediary fee if sent SHA.
Pays a UK designer £3,000: SWIFT or SEPA depending on the bank, plus conversion.

Reporting

German residents report certain payments to and from abroad above €12,500 to the Bundesbank under the Foreign Trade and Payments Regulation. Many companies file these monthly. Check whether your flows are covered.

Cutting the cost outside SEPA

Hold the currencies you pay often, funded from revenue in that currency.
Pay on the recipient's local rail where your provider offers it: ACH in the US, Faster Payments in the UK.
Send invoice payments on OUR terms so they arrive in full.

Paying into Germany: the local rail

What	Detail
Local rail	SEPA Instant Credit Transfer
Run by	European Payments Council scheme, run by each bank
Settlement	Under ten seconds, 24/7
Published fee	By the EU Instant Payments Regulation, no more than the bank charges for a standard SEPA transfer

Source: European Payments Council: SEPA Instant Credit Transfer. Checked when this guide was last updated; the scheme's own page has the current figures.

Where Rivet fits

Rivet gives German companies EUR details for SEPA on Growth, plus USD and GBP details, and pays out to 120+ countries on local rails where available, with fee and FX shown before you confirm. Rivet is not a bank; regulated partner institutions hold the funds. See SEPA transfer from the US and SWIFT vs SEPA vs ACH.

Questions people ask

How much does an international transfer from Germany cost?

A SEPA euro transfer costs the same as a domestic one. A SWIFT payment outside SEPA carries the bank's fee, often an FX margin, and possibly intermediary fees.

How long does a SWIFT transfer take?

Usually one to three business days, depending on currency, cut-off times and intermediaries.

Should I choose OUR or SHA?

Choose OUR if the recipient must receive the full amount, such as an invoice payment. It costs more but avoids short payments.

Do I need to report foreign payments?

German companies report certain cross-border payments above €12,500 to the Bundesbank under the Foreign Trade Regulation. Check whether your payments are covered.

Sources

Written by

Alexia M.

Comparisons and market guides editor

Alexia compares the accounts, cards and payment tools companies weigh before they switch, and writes Rivet's market guides for founders in a specific country. Prices in Alexia's comparisons come from each provider's own pricing page on the date given in the article, rules come from the regulator or tax authority that sets them, and every source is listed at the end.