How to send money to Germany in 2026: euros in 10 seconds or 1-3 business days

In 2026 money goes to Germany by euro bank transfer to a 22-character account number: from EU countries in 10 seconds, from others in 1-3 business days. It is credited in euros, and a payment in another currency is exchanged at the German bank's rate. From $10,000 the bank asks you to explain the source.

In detail

The purpose of a transfer to Germany and the papers for it

A German bank looks at the payment purpose, so the method and the papers are chosen to match it.

Ways to send money to Germany on 8 October 2026

In 2026 the most reliable way to send money to Germany is a euro bank transfer to an account at a German bank: within the EU an instant transfer arrives in 10 seconds, from other countries in 1-3 business days. Since 9 October 2025 the bank checks the recipient's name before the debit, so a typo shows up in advance. There is no tax on moving your own money, but a large gift to family is subject to gift tax.

Euros are converted into dollars at the European Central Bank rate of 7 October: 1.1177 dollars per euro, rounded up. The table was checked against the rules on 8 October 2026.

How to send money to a private person in Germany first time

A German account is identified by an international 22-character number: two letters of the country code, two check digits, eight digits of the bank code and ten digits of the account. For a transfer you need this number and the holder's name exactly as recorded by the bank. The international bank code for a payment from outside the EU can be found by the recipient in a statement or in their bank's app.

Since 9 October 2025 euro area banks check the recipient's name against the account number before every euro transfer. If the name does not match, the sender sees a warning before the debit and can fix the mistake. A bank must complete an instant euro transfer within 10 seconds and may not charge more for it than for an ordinary one. For a payment from a non-EU country the name and account number are checked by the sender before sending: then the money arrives first time and without extra fees.

For a recipient without a German account, the easiest time to open one is after registering a place of residence: the bank sees an address in Germany, and the tax office assigns a personal tax number. Everyone legally living in the EU, including asylum seekers, has the right to a basic payment account. A non-resident's account is opened at the bank's discretion, and a manager will check which bank suits your case.

A transfer to an account is also more convenient because it leaves a bank statement. A German bank, the tax office and, when buying a home, the notary accept it as proof of where and who the money came from.

Sending money to Germany from a non-EU country: currency, rate and fees

From a country outside the EU money goes by an ordinary international transfer through intermediary banks. It pays best to send euros straight away: if the payment arrives in dollars or another currency, the German bank exchanges it at its own rate on the day of crediting, and on a large sum the rate difference is more noticeable than the fee. From Ukraine and Belarus money is sent to Germany the same way, by euro bank transfer to the 22-character account number, and a Belarusian sending bank is chosen among those not on EU lists.

In the transfer order the sender chooses who pays the intermediary banks' fees: the sender, the recipient or each their own part. For a payment under a contract where the exact sum matters, the sender takes on the fee: then exactly the sum stated in the contract reaches the German account.

The payment purpose is written briefly and specifically: help for a son's study, payment under a contract with its number and date, a transfer of own funds to one's own account. A German bank matches such a purpose with the documents at once, and crediting goes through in the usual time. We will advise how best to send a large sum from your country: ask a manager for the transfer terms.

From Kazakhstan to a private person in Germany in euros

$10,000 (4.54 million tenge) is the amount up to which a bank in Kazakhstan sends a transfer to a private person in Germany without a contract: this is set by the National Bank of Kazakhstan currency transaction rules of 30 March 2019. Above it the bank asks for a supporting document, for example a gift agreement with a relative or a German university's tuition invoice.

The money goes in euros to the 22-character German account number and takes 1-3 business days: Kazakhstan is outside the single euro payments area, so this is an ordinary international transfer through correspondent banks. Tenge are exchanged into euros at the Kazakh bank at its rate, and for the recipient in Germany a euro account in their own name is more convenient, as there is then no second exchange.

National Bank of Kazakhstan rate on 7 October 2026: 453.65 tenge per dollar; rules checked on 9 October 2026.

The transfer steps, a student account for the visa and tax on moving are on the how to send money from Kazakhstan to Germany page.

Money for a relative in Germany: when gift tax is paid

Moving your own money to your own account in Germany is not taxed. Money given as a gift is another matter: if the recipient lives in Germany, they pay gift tax, even when the donor lives abroad. The allowance is counted over 10 years for each donor-recipient pair, and the rate depends on the relationship.

Data for 2026.

The recipient and the donor notify the tax office of the gift within three months. It is worth filing the notice even for a sum within the allowance: it records the date and amount, and the allowance is counted over 10 years. Regular support for living costs, study or medical care of a close person you support is not a gift if it is in proportion to your income.

Example. Parents have sold an apartment and send their son in Munich $90,000 (€80,000) in one payment. The bank will ask for the apartment sale contract, and a gift notice goes to the tax office: the child's allowance covers the sum, so there is no tax.

Paying for an apartment in Germany: by bank transfer through a notary

Since 1 April 2023 homes and land in Germany, as well as shares in companies that own such property, are paid for by bank transfer. The notary certifies the contract, then tells the buyer that the conditions for payment are met, and after the transfer confirms it from the bank statement. So the purchase money is sent to your own account in advance, and the seller is paid by transfer by the date set by the notary.

For such a transfer a German bank expects a document on the origin of the money: a savings statement, a sale contract for a previous home, an inheritance certificate or a gift agreement. The earlier it is with the bank, the more smoothly the payment goes on the day of the deal.

How the deal itself goes is covered in how to buy an apartment in Germany, and how to send the proceeds of a home sale in another country in moving home sale proceeds abroad.

Interest at a German bank: tax and deposit protection

Deposits at a German bank are protected up to $120,000 (€100,000) per depositor at each bank. From the interest of a German tax resident the bank itself withholds 25% capital income tax plus a 5.5% solidarity surcharge on the tax amount, and church members also pay church tax. The first $1,200 (€1,000) of such income a year is not taxed if you give the bank an exemption order.

A non-resident of Germany pays no German tax on interest from an ordinary deposit, but the bank will ask you to confirm tax residence in another country and passes account details to the countries with which automatic exchange of tax information applies.

The transfer amount and papers for a German bank

• Up to $10,000. The bank checks the recipient's name and the payment purpose. For family support or tuition a clear payment purpose is enough, and if the bank asks, a statement or certificate will do.
• From $10,000 to $100,000. The bank asks you to explain the source: a statement, an income certificate, a sale contract. If the papers are ready before sending, the transfer is credited in the usual time.
• From $100,000. A full pack is needed: where the money comes from, how it reached the sender's bank and what it is for in Germany. When buying a home both the bank and the notary look at it. More on large sums in the capital relocation section.

For a sum of $100,000 or more tell a manager about your case: they will choose a route and gather the papers in the form a German bank expects. The general rules are covered in proof of source of funds.

The sender's bank: what to check in advance

German banks work under common EU rules. The payment goes through from sending banks that are not on EU lists, so the sending bank is chosen before the transfer.

If another route is more convenient from your bank, there are working legal options: describe your situation to a manager, and they will choose a legal route for it.

Onward from Germany: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Belarus

From Germany money is most often sent to family in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia and Belarus. A euro payment from a German bank then follows the rules of the recipient's country: in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan an account is opened on a passport, in Armenia often in one visit, and to Belarus the payment goes to banks not on EU lists.

• To Kazakhstan - tenge or dollars to your own account
• To Uzbekistan - an account on a passport
• To Armenia - drams, dollars, euros
• To Belarus - to banks not on EU lists

Sending money to nearby countries

• Poland - zloty or euros to your own account
• Czech Republic - koruna or euros to your own account
• Switzerland - francs, euros or dollars
• Netherlands - euros in 10 seconds from the EU
• Austria - gifts and homes
• Denmark - the krone next to the euro and an account for payouts

We support large sums between EU countries and from outside the EU as part of our capital relocation service.

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