According to a recent report by the World Bank, Montenegro has attained the lowest costs for cross-border payments to the European Union, following its integration into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) in October 2025. This marks a significant turnaround from 2025 when Montenegro had some of the highest payment costs in the Western Balkans.
The World Bank’s third edition of the study titled Measuring the Cost of Cross-Border Business-to-Business Payments in the Western Balkans indicates that, post-SEPA integration, cross-border transactions between Montenegrin businesses and their EU counterparts have become notably quicker and more economical, with transaction costs now among the lowest in the region.
For instance, transfers from Montenegro to EU countries for amounts of €5,000 typically incur fees ranging from 0.04 to 0.05 percent of the transaction value. For larger transactions of €20,000, costs drop to under 0.01 percent, aligning Montenegro with the most efficient payment markets within the EU. Similar reductions in costs have also been observed for payments received from the EU into Montenegro.
Moreover, World Bank data reveals a significant increase in payment processing speed over the past year: the proportion of cross-border transactions processed within 24 hours from the EU to the Western Balkans surged from 6 percent in 2024 to 63 percent in 2025. Concurrently, the share of transactions moving from the Western Balkans to the EU rose from 39 percent to 74 percent during this timeframe.
The report emphasizes the advantages Montenegro has gained through SEPA membership, which include reduced transaction costs, enhanced predictability for businesses, diminished trade barriers with EU markets, and improved competitiveness for Montenegrin firms within the single European market.
Montenegro officially became an operational member of SEPA on October 7, 2025, adopting a framework that incorporates fee limits aimed at ensuring that both citizens and businesses benefit promptly from faster and less expensive cross-border payment options.
The Central Bank of Montenegro has expressed its commitment to further modernizing payment infrastructure and enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of payment services in accordance with European standards.
