Good to know · Money
Send money abroad, receive it from abroad, and declare cash you carry
Transfers in euros inside the SEPA area are cheaper and faster by rule, transfers outside it or in other currencies come with information you are entitled to see before you send, and carrying cash of 10,000 euros or more across the EU border (or 100,000 euros inside Spain) has to be declared in advance.
- Why it matters
- Many newcomers send money home, pay rent or a mortgage abroad, or receive a pension or salary from another country. The Banco de España, EU rules and the Tax Agency set out what your bank must tell you, how to check a payment provider and what to declare when you carry cash.
- When
- Before your first international transfer, when a provider offers a currency conversion, or before you travel with cash.
- How long it takes
- Ordinary SEPA transfer: credited no later than the next business day after the receiving bank gets the funds; instant: up to 10 seconds (Banco de España). Non-SEPA: can take longer.
- Official page
- Voy a hacer una transferencia internacional: ¿qué debo tener en cuenta?
- Last checked
- 21 Oct 2026
In the guide: the 8 steps, what to bring (3 items), the 3 offices with addresses and hours, and tips and what to watch for, with every official source.