SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) is a single area for euro payments: in the member countries a cashless euro transfer between accounts by IBAN follows the same rules as a domestic one.
In plain words
For a customer this usually means that a euro transfer inside the area is fast and cheap, with no SWIFT involved. The area covers the whole EU and a list of other countries and territories, including Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Ukraine is not named in that list on the European Commission page (checked on 14 October 2026), so a euro transfer from a Ukrainian account abroad normally goes as an international one. Some international payment services issue accounts with a European IBAN, which makes SEPA transfers available; check the terms with your bank or service.
Sources
- European Commission: Single euro payments area (SEPA) — SEPA page. Checked 14.10.2026.
Example. A German company pays you in euro to an account with a European IBAN at a payment service: it is a SEPA transfer and needs no SWIFT. The same payment to a Ukrainian account normally arrives as an international transfer; ask your bank for details.