As of May 22, 2025, Serbia has officially become part of the geographical scope of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) payment schemes. The announcement marks a significant step forward in Serbia’s financial modernization. The National Bank of Serbia (NBS) has worked to align national payment regulations and infrastructure with the European Union’s standards, facilitating Serbia’s acceptance into SEPA as the 41st participant.
This inclusion means all current European Payments Council (EPC) scheme participants can send and receive SEPA Credit Transfer (SCT), SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst), and SEPA Direct Debit (SDD) transactions to and from Serbia — once Serbian financial institutions officially join the schemes. According to the EPC’s implementation calendar, adherence will be enabled from November 2025. The earliest Operational Readiness Date (ORD) for Serbian payment service providers (PSPs) is expected in May 2026, with the specific date to be announced later.
Siniša Mali, Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (Image credit: srbija.gov.rs)
“Thanks to becoming a part of SEPA, our citizens will be able to carry out payment transactions in euros with SEPA member countries much more efficiently, quickly and at lower cost,” Finance Minister Siniša Mali shared via Instagram. “These include, among others, all member states of the European Union.”
What SEPA Means for Serbian Citizens and Businesses
SEPA is a flagship European Union initiative designed to simplify and standardize euro payments across participating countries. Introduced following the adoption of the euro, SEPA ensures that users — from individuals to corporations — can conduct cross-border payments in euros as easily and securely as they would domestically.
According to the European Commission, SEPA membership allows consumers to “use your bank debit card to make a payment in euro, as you would in your home country,” streamlining daily transactions abroad and boosting e-commerce convenience.
For Serbia, joining SEPA means reduced transaction costs, faster settlement times, and broader interoperability with European payment systems. Businesses in Serbia will be able to transact with European partners more seamlessly, while consumers benefit from lower bank fees and enhanced cross-border shopping experiences.
Regional Momentum and EU Integration Goals
Serbia joins a growing list of Western Balkan countries that have entered SEPA in recent months, including Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Moldova. This regional momentum aligns closely with the European Commission’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, adopted in November 2024.
The European Payments Council, an international nonprofit composed of 79 members representing nearly 4,000 banks and payment service providers, oversees SEPA schemes. These frameworks currently support over 50 billion transactions annually across 36 countries and are continuously updated to improve accessibility, efficiency, and innovation.