How to send money to the Vatican in 2026: in euros, to an institution's account and as a donation
The Vatican uses the euro and has been part of the single euro payments area since 1 March 2019, so a transfer from countries in the area arrives in 1 business day to a 22-character account. The Vatican bank serves more than 12,000 clients in 110 countries, and donations to Peter's Pence came to €54.5 million in 2025.
In short
- The Vatican's currency is the euro.
- Part of the single euro payments area since 1 March 2019.
- The Vatican bank serves more than 12,000 clients in 110 countries.
- Donations to Peter's Pence in 2025: €54.5 million.
In detail
A transfer to the Vatican on 9 October 2026: four routes in euros
Routes to the Vatican were checked on 9 October 2026. The Vatican uses the euro under a 2009 monetary agreement with the EU, so money arrives in euros, from the single euro payments area in 1 business day. That day a dollar was worth about 0.89 euros: $1,000 gives the recipient €893.
| Route | Now | Credited in | Time | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer in euros to a Vatican institution's account | works | euros | 1 business day | a 22-character account number, the recipient's name and address |
| Transfer to an account at the Vatican bank | works for its clients | euros | 1 business day | the account of a Church institution, a priest or a Vatican employee |
| Transfer in dollars or another currency | works | euros after conversion | 1-3 business days | the international code of the recipient's bank |
| Donation to Peter's Pence | works | euros | from 1 business day | through your parish or by transfer to the collection's account |
Not sure which account in the Vatican to send money to? There are usually more options than it seems: ask a manager, and they will suggest a route for the recipient and the sum.
The single euro payments area: the Vatican has been in it since 1 March 2019
On 1 March 2019 Vatican City and the Holy See joined the single euro payments area, as the Holy See announced on 30 November 2018. Since then a euro transfer from countries in the area reaches the Vatican under the same rules and in the same time as within one country, and the recipient's account number has 22 characters and starts with the Vatican's country code.
The payment order gives the recipient's name and address, the account number and the international code of their bank. A dollar transfer is converted into euros by the sending bank at its own rate, so it is better to send euros straight away: the credited sum is then known in advance.
If you are paying a Vatican institution for the first time, we will suggest the best way to send money to the Vatican. More about the city-state is on the Vatican City page, and about the neighbouring capital on the Rome page.
We will help you send money to the Vatican
Mistakes cost more than fees: sending dollars with an extra conversion instead of euros, an account number without the Vatican's country code, payment for a service to a priest's account instead of the institution's account. We will help you avoid them: we will choose the route and timing, prepare the source-of-funds documents for the bank and carry out the transfer through to crediting.
Details and terms are with a manager in the chat: the cost depends on the sum and the purpose of the transfer.
The Vatican bank: 12,000 clients in 110 countries
The Vatican bank, the financial institution of the Holy See, serves more than 12,000 clients in more than 110 countries: these are the figures in its report for 2025, published on 11 May 2026. Clients hold $6.6 billion (€5.9 billion) with it, against €5.7 billion a year earlier.
Accounts at this bank are opened by Catholic institutions, priests and members of religious orders, Vatican employees and pensioners, and embassies and diplomats accredited to the Holy See. So money for a priest or a monastery arrives in their account as an ordinary euro payment, and payment for a service is sent to the account of the institution that issued the invoice.
If the recipient is a Church institution in another country, a manager will check where it is more convenient to credit the money.
Donations to the Vatican: €54.5 million in 2025
Peter's Pence, from which the Pope supports the ministry of the Holy See and aid to those in need, collected $61 million (€54.5 million) in donations in 2025. Of the payments, €41.2 million went to the work of the Holy See and €13.3 million to 252 aid projects in 74 countries. Almost two thirds of the donations, 63.6%, came through collections in dioceses; the rest came from foundations, private donors and religious orders.
A donation is sent through your parish on the collection day or by euro transfer to the collection's account. A large gift to a Church institution is documented with a donation letter, and the sending bank accepts it as the basis for the payment.
Documents for a transfer to the Vatican: from a fee to a large gift
- Up to $10,000. The recipient's name, the 22-character account number and the purpose: payment for a service, a fee, a donation.
- $10,000-100,000. The sender's account statement and the basis for the payment: the institution's invoice, a contract or a donation letter.
- From $100,000. The source of the money, a contract or gift agreement and the receiving institution's details. For such a sum a specialist will gather the documents with you.
How to prove where the money comes from is covered in proof of source of funds, and a large payment in sending large sums abroad. If moving also changes the country for all your savings, see the capital relocation page.
Sending money to neighbouring countries
- How to send money to Italy: the country that surrounds the Vatican on all sides
- How to send money to San Marino: another small state with the euro
- How to send money to Monaco: a principality with the euro on the Côte d'Azur
- How to send money to Germany: the largest economy in the euro area
- How to send money to Europe: an overview of transfers across the continent
How to move your capital in full is covered on the capital relocation page.
FAQ
Is the Vatican part of the single euro payments area?
How many characters does an account number in the Vatican have?
Can anyone open an account at the Vatican bank?
How many aid projects did Peter's Pence fund in 2025?
We will suggest the best way to send your money
We will choose a transfer method for your amount and country, prepare the documents on the origin of the money for the bank, make the transfer through licensed partners and follow it until the money is credited. Ask your question in the chat - the manager will suggest the best terms and the cost. The legal side with banks and government bodies is handled by Murblz specialists and locally licensed partners.
Details and cost are with the manager in the chat. Describe your situation and we will reply right away.
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