Source: https://rivet.global/blog/sepa-instant-non-euro-countries-2027
Published: 2026-11-02 · Updated: 2026-11-02 · By Rashidatou K.

# SEPA Instant outside the eurozone: the 2027 deadlines

Banks in Poland, Sweden, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary and Romania must handle instant euro payments in 2027. The dates, the rules and what it means for invoices.

## Key takeaways

- The Instant Payments Regulation, (EU) 2024/886, requires banks to offer instant euro transfers at no higher price than a standard transfer.
- Eurozone banks had to receive instant payments from January 2025 and send them from October 2025.
- Banks in non-euro EU countries must receive instant euro payments by 9 January 2027 and send them, with Verification of Payee, by 9 July 2027.
- The six non-euro EU countries are Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden. Bulgaria joined the euro in January 2026.
- For companies invoicing in euros, more customers will be able to pay in seconds, at any hour.

SEPA Instant moves euros between banks in about ten seconds, any day, any time. For years it was optional and many banks ignored it. The Instant Payments Regulation made it compulsory, in stages. Eurozone banks finished their deadlines in 2025, and banks in the EU countries that do not use the euro have theirs in 2027.

## What the regulation requires

Every payment provider that offers standard euro credit transfers must also:

- receive instant euro transfers,
- send them,
- charge no more for an instant transfer than for a standard one,
- check the payee's name against the IBAN before sending (Verification of Payee),
- screen customers against EU sanctions lists daily, in place of screening each payment.

Our [SEPA Instant and Verification of Payee article](/blog/sepa-instant-and-verification-of-payee) explains how the name check works and what the match results mean.

## The deadlines

| Obligation | Eurozone providers | Non-euro EU providers |
|---|---|---|
| Receive instant euro transfers | 9 January 2025 | 9 January 2027 |
| Send instant euro transfers | 9 October 2025 | 9 July 2027 |
| Verification of Payee | 9 October 2025 | 9 July 2027 |

The non-euro member states are Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 and now follows the eurozone dates.

## What it means if you invoice in euros

If your customers bank in Warsaw, Stockholm or Bucharest and pay you in euros, more of them will be able to pay instantly from 2027. Weekend and evening payments arrive the same day. Late-payment chasing gets simpler when "it's on its way" is no longer a reason.

The name check also matters to you as a payee. Put the exact legal name on the account, as registered, on your invoices. If the payer's bank shows a mismatch warning, some customers will stop and ask you, and the payment slows down. The [invoicing guide](/blog/how-to-invoice-international-clients) covers what to put on a cross-border invoice.

## What it means if you pay suppliers there

Paying a Polish or Swedish supplier in euros becomes faster, and the name check lowers the risk of sending money to a wrong or fraudulent account. Payments in złoty, krona or forint still run on each country's own domestic rails, which the regulation does not touch.

## Euros on Rivet

On the Growth plan, Rivet gives a company EUR account details with its own IBAN for receiving SEPA payments, and pays out on SEPA. See [Pricing](/pricing) for which plans include EUR.

## Questions

### Which countries are affected by the 2027 SEPA Instant deadlines?

EU member states outside the euro area: Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden. The rules apply to payment providers there that offer euro credit transfers.

### How fast is a SEPA Instant transfer?

The scheme target is 10 seconds from the payer's bank to the payee's bank, at any time of day, every day of the year.

### Can a bank charge more for an instant transfer?

No. Under the regulation, an instant euro transfer may not cost more than a standard euro transfer of the same type with the same provider.

### What is Verification of Payee?

A check before the payment is sent that compares the name the payer entered with the name on the receiving IBAN, and tells the payer whether it matches, nearly matches or does not match.