How does a payment from abroad to a Czech account work? Complete info and overview of fees

Are you receiving a salary from abroad or paying someone in Czechia from overseas? In these situations, it’s important to know how an incoming payment from abroad to a Czech bank account works. And do you have to pay for it? You’ll find all the answers below.

We're also introducing the Wise account which allows you to have local account details in 9+ currencies, including EUR, USD, and GBP — all in one place. You can convert your money at the mid-market rate, and we'll show you the fees upfront.

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Wise account 🔎

Payment from abroad to a Czech account – SEPA or international foreign payment?

Foreign payments are divided into SEPA transfers and all others.

SEPA payments are transfers in euros within EU countries, the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. They are fast, cheap, and simple. They take a maximum of three days¹ and are usually free with most banks, or they come with a nominal fee of a few Czech crowns.

Other foreign payments are any payments in a currency other than EUR or outside the SEPA zone. They are more expensive and take longer. Banks usually charge a percentage fee with a specified minimum and maximum, whether you are sending or receiving them – more on that shortly.

How to send money from abroad to a Czech account?

By bank transfer

Sending money from abroad to a Czech account works similarly to a transfer between accounts within Czechia. The sender simply indicates that it's a foreign payment when making the transfer and will need bank details in international format, which you can see at the end of the article. From a user's perspective, everything else works the same. For non-SEPA payments, expect higher fees.

Via other methods

You can also use other services that are widely available worldwide to send payments from abroad. These include:

Western Union

With Western Union, you can send money online or from a branch. Similarly, as a recipient, you can receive it directly into your account or pick it up in person at one of their branches. Of course, there are fees involved.

PayPal

Who doesn't know PayPal, the online payment service that has been around for over 20 years? You can transfer money to another PayPal account, as well as to a classic bank account. You won't escape fees with PayPal either.

And what about the exchange rate? Unfortunately, an extra cost

The problem with all the mentioned transfer methods is the exchange rate. Both banks, as well as Western Union and PayPal, set their own rates. They add a markup to the market rate that is known as the mid-market rate so they can profit from the exchange. But you don't. In practice, money loses value, and you either pay more as a sender or receive less as a receiver.

This is noticeable even with SEPA payments, which are free – for example, with Komerční banka. If someone sends you 1,000 EUR from Slovakia, you will receive 759 CZK less with Komerční banka than if you received it in a Wise account. How is this possible? The exchange rate is the deciding factor. And Wise uses the mid-market rate.

*after fees are deducted

Data valid as of the article's writing date.

Since you can have a sub-account in euros on your Wise account, you will receive euro payments as a SEPA transfer for free. You can then exchange EUR to CZK for a low and transparent fee – in this case, it was 155 CZK, and you still saved 752 CZK.

Advantageous international transfers with the mid-market rate – that's Wise

Send and receive foreign payments quickly with a Wise account and save. Wise transfers money using the mid-market rate without markups. Holding a Wise account is free. You only pay low fees for transactions, which are completely transparent and you can calculate them in advance, even before you register.

Open your Wise account for free, quickly and easily. All you'll need is your ID and a mobile device – there's no need to visit a bank office.

With the Wise Account you can:

• Hold 40+ currencies and convert between them at the mid-market rate. We will show our conversion fees upfront
• Get local account details in up to 9 currencies, including EUR, GBP, and USD
• Receive balance cashback on EUR, GBP and USD held in your account
• Order a Wise debit card which you can use with our Smart Conversion technology
• Set up Auto Conversions based on your desired rate in the Wise app or use our Wise Rate Tracker to request exchange rate notifications directly to your email
• Create Wise virtual cards, and save on online shopping
• Get instant notifications of all your transactions via the Wise app. If you lose your card, you can easily cancel it in the app to keep your money safe

Open your Wise account
for free 🚀

Are you a business owner? Then you'll love the Wise Business account. It adds handy business tools to all the benefits of a personal account.

Incoming foreign payment and its fee

Unfortunately, banks charge a fee for receiving a payment from abroad, unless it's a SEPA transfer. This usually involves a percentage fee of the incoming amount with a set minimum and maximum. In addition to the fee, it's also good to know the bank's exchange rate so you're not surprised to get less than you calculated, for example, via Google. Google shows the mid-market rate that banks don't use.

Compare fees and rates at several Czech banks, Western Union, and PayPal.

Bank transfer of money from abroad to a Czech account

In the following table, you'll see an example of how much you'll receive from each bank in comparison to Wise if you send your earnings of 1,000 AUD from a working holiday in Australia to your Czech account. Why is it that with Wise, you receive up to 739 CZK more than with regular banks? The exchange rate plays the main role – Wise uses the mid-market rate.

Data valid as of the article's writing date.

💡 With a Wise account, you can have a sub-account directly in AUD, so you receive money as a domestic payment free of charge. When you want to exchange it to CZK, it will be done at the mid-market rate for a small transaction fee – in this case, 80 CZK.

Payment from abroad to a Czech account with Western Union and PayPal

We've mentioned two popular services used for international transfers. With them, you don't pay for incoming payments; the sender pays the fee. However, the question remains the same: how much will you receive if 1,000 AUD is coming your way? With Wise, you'll receive up to 476 CZK more, even though it charges a low fee for converting AUD to CZK.

Data valid as of the article's writing date.

How long does a payment from abroad take?

While most SEPA payments arrive in your account on the next business day (and can take up to 3 days)¹, you'll have to wait a bit longer for other foreign payments. The exact time depends on the sender's bank and possibly intermediary banks. However, in most cases, the money should arrive within a week. For a clearer idea, you'll need to request information from the specific bank.

How to send a payment from abroad to a Czech account?

For a payment from abroad to a Czech account, two pieces of information are crucial: IBAN and BIC/SWIFT. These are the international account number and the international bank code. Along with the recipient's name, these are sufficient for a SEPA payment. Other international payments require additional details besides these, which may include:

• the name matching the recipient's account name,
• the bank's name and address,
• possibly your address,
• the purpose of the payment.

Whether you are sending the payment to Czechia yourself or receiving it from abroad, exchange these details with the other party.

You now know exactly what an incoming payment from abroad to a Czech account entails. If you want to reduce the associated costs, manage international transfers with Wise that specializes in them: international payments are made quickly, cheaply, and with a clear exchange rate.

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Sources:

Sources checked on 17. 2. 2026