Do the Western Balkans use SEPA?
Mostly yes. Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have joined the SEPA schemes, with 18 Serbian banks joining on May 5, 2026. Kosovo has filed a pre-application, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is not yet a member.
In detail
Mostly yes. Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have joined the SEPA schemes, with 18 Serbian banks joining on May 5, 2026. Kosovo has filed a pre-application, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is not yet a member.
How people pay in the Western Balkans in 2026
The payment rails are converging with the EU. Serbia became the fifth enlargement partner to join the SEPA schemes, after Albania, Moldova, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The region uses four national currencies: the Serbian dinar, the convertible mark, the denar and the lek, while Montenegro and Kosovo use the euro.
Payment by bank transfer in the Western Balkans
Euro transfers are getting cheaper. Serbia's 18 banks joined the SEPA schemes on May 5, 2026, which the European Commission says could save up to 400 million euros. Kosovo has filed a pre-application and is waiting for its new payment laws to take effect.
Instant payments follow a similar path. On July 20, 2026, the TIPS Clone platform built by Banca d'Italia went live in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia are due to join in November 2026. In Montenegro, all 11 banks offer instant payments, at no more than 0.05 euros for transfers up to 200 euros.
More detail in our #PayWorldTour guide Payment methods in the Western Balkans.