Serbia has joined the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) payment system, which allows simple, fast, and cheaper non-cash euro payments both domestically and internationally. Economist Veljko Mijušković explained that this system will enable citizens and businesses to send and receive euro payments under uniform conditions, as if the transactions were within one country.
However, joining SEPA does not mean Serbia is adopting the euro as its official currency. The Serbian dinar remains the official currency for all domestic transactions. SEPA applies only to euro payments, making it easier for citizens to receive payments from abroad, manage euro accounts in domestic banks, and make purchases or payments to EU partners more efficiently and quickly, often within one working day. SEPA Instant payments can process transfers within seconds.
Serbia became the 41st SEPA member. While Serbia was ready earlier, political and technical factors delayed its accession. Now that Serbia has formally joined, there will be an adjustment period before the system is fully operational. According to the European Council for Payments, Serbian financial institutions will begin joining SEPA payment schemes from November 2025, with the earliest operational readiness expected by May 2026. The exact date will be announced later by the National Bank of Serbia (NBS).
