Easiest Way To Receive Money From Abroad in Italy

Ways to receive money from abroad in Italy

Easiest means the fewest extra steps for you, although the sender’s choice still affects the price and when you can use the money.

Here is how the main receiving methods differ in the setup they require:

A card with an IBAN receives a bank transfer through that IBAN, so it is different from a service paying a card number.

Start with the account you already use

For money already held in euros, a SEPA transfer can reach your Italian account using your name and IBAN, much like a domestic payment.

Copy your details from the bank’s app or statement, keeping the account-holder name consistent with the records the bank holds.

The sender needs these details to set up an ordinary euro transfer:

• Your full account-holder name.

• Your IBAN, copied accurately from the account.

• A payment reference identifying the reason for the transfer.

You do not need to supply BIC for a standard SEPA payment, although other international payment types can require it.

I think this is worth considering for family support from another euro account, because you can receive and spend without another registration process.

If the sender’s account holds pounds or dollars, being able to make a SEPA payment does not establish that its currency conversion is cheap.

Let the sender convert and deposit euros

A transfer company can convert the sender’s currency and pay euros into your account, leaving you with the same receiving setup as an ordinary bank deposit.

Wise, Remitly and Western Union support Italian bank delivery from relevant sending markets, although the available services depend on where the sender lives.

Your sender registers and funds the transfer, while you normally just provide your full name and the receiving account’s IBAN.

They should choose Italy and bank deposit, entering your address or other requested beneficiary information during the setup.

The quote shows an expected euro amount, which gives you something concrete to check against a foreign wire converted by your bank.

This is my starting point for a payment from the UK or US when you need euros and already have an account.

You can receive through the sender’s app without downloading it, although a payment into an app balance would require an account with that service.

The international money transfer services in Italy guide covers the wider company choice if you are arranging the transfer yourself from an overseas account.

For substantial savings or property proceeds, a broker such as Currencies Direct can coordinate conversion and bank delivery from a supported sending country.

Confirm its funding instructions and your bank’s document requirements before agreeing a deadline that depends on the money arriving.

Local receiving details for supported currencies

9.2

Wise

Fees

0.1% - 2.6%

Exchange Rate Markup

0%

Transfer Speed

Minutes - 24 hours

Visit

"Over 15 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."

Receiving foreign income alongside app spending

8.8

Revolut

Fees

0.3% - 1%

Exchange Rate Markup

0.1% - 0.6%

Transfer Speed

Minutes - 5 days

Visit

"Revolut has 70+ million customers globally. You can hold up to 25+ currencies in the app and send money quickly in 25+ currencies to 140+ countries."

US Disclaimer: Revolut is not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. Fees may apply. See revolut.com/en-US/ for details.

Receive using Postepay Evolution or another IBAN card

If you already use Postepay Evolution, its IBAN can receive transfers and salary or pension credits, avoiding a separate current account for ordinary euro receipts.

Postepay Standard does not have the same account features, so check your product rather than assuming every Postepay card accepts bank transfers.

Use the IBAN shown in the app for euro receipt, keeping the beneficiary name aligned with your card account.

For eligible extra-SEPA payments to a Postepay card with an IBAN, Poste specifies the card’s IBAN and BIC PPAYITR1XXX.

BancoPosta current accounts use different international receiving instructions, so do not substitute the BancoPosta BIC when the payment is for your Postepay card.

The card has balance and incoming-payment limits, making it less suitable than an unrestricted receiving arrangement for some larger or recurring foreign wires.

I suggest keeping an existing IBAN card for a straightforward euro payment, after confirming the sending company can deliver to that account.

An IBAN is not a promise that every currency and payment system is accepted, so check a foreign wire separately from SEPA receipt.

Receive a wire from the payer’s overseas bank

SWIFT receipt can be the simplest available arrangement when an employer, pension administrator or other institution insists on sending through its own bank.

The drawback is that bank conversion and intermediary charges can be harder to establish before the payment reaches your account.

Ask your Italian bank for its incoming instructions for the currency being sent, including whether your account will exchange it automatically.

Prepare the following information for the overseas bank sending the wire:

• Your full name and address.

• Your IBAN and the bank’s BIC/SWIFT code.

• The receiving bank’s name and any required bank or intermediary details.

• The payment currency, amount and reference.

Sending USD to a euro account does not mean you will hold dollars, so settle that point before redirecting a recurring payment.

If your bank will convert each instalment, compare the net euros with having the payer or a transfer company arrange euro delivery.

Open a currency account when you want to retain foreign currency

A multi-currency account in Italy lets you receive supported currencies and choose how much to convert, although opening it adds verification and another account to manage.

I think that extra setup is worth considering for regular foreign-currency income or spending abroad, rather than for a single payment you need entirely in euros.

Holding currency leaves you exposed to exchange-rate changes, so keeping dollars does not guarantee a better euro result when you eventually convert.

Wise for local receiving details

Wise offers local details for supported currencies, including GBP and EUR, and USD details that can receive ACH payments from a US payer.

That lets someone pay using a supported local method while your balance stays in the currency received, before you exchange or transfer it onwards.

Local GBP and EUR payments and USD ACH receipts are free, while USD domestic wires and USD SWIFT payments cost US$6.11 to receive.

You pay a separate conversion fee when exchanging currencies, and moving the balance to your Italian bank can also carry a fee.

I like this for a payer able to use local account details, because it avoids requesting an international wire for every payment.

Revolut for an account you also use for spending

Revolut can receive supported currencies into their balances, using the Local or International details displayed when you open that currency in the app.

If you open an account with Revolut’s Italian branch, you receive an Italian IBAN, while older accounts may need to complete migration first.

Use your current details when changing a payer’s instructions, especially if you have recently received a new IT IBAN.

Incoming bank transfers have no Revolut receiving fee, but correspondent charges can still apply and conversion costs depend on your plan and usage.

If you already use Revolut, receiving there can reduce the number of steps before spending, provided the incoming currency and payment method are supported.

A foreign account can also bring Italian reporting obligations, so check your account’s legal location when choosing where to keep a recurring balance.

Collect cash at an agent or post office

Cash collection is the alternative when you cannot receive into an account, with Western Union and MoneyGram offering collection in Italy.

MoneyGram payments can be collected at participating Poste Italiane offices, giving you a local counter option without opening a bank account.

For Western Union, the sender chooses cash collection and gives you the MTCN tracking number once they have arranged the payment.

Take accepted photo ID and make sure your name matches the transfer, keeping the sender’s name and expected amount available.

MoneyGram uses its own reference number, and you should confirm the documents accepted by the collection office before travelling.

Poste’s MoneyGram receiving information sets a maximum payout of €999.99 per operation, so confirm another arrangement when you need a larger amount.

This is a limit for that service, rather than a rule that every incoming bank transfer or cash agent in Italy uses.

I'd say check that the payment is ready and the office is open before leaving, since a sender’s receipt does not guarantee immediate collection.

Use an app you both already have

PayPal can receive a personal payment through your registered email address, with eligible money then withdrawn from the balance to your linked bank account.

There is no PayPal personal receiving fee when no currency conversion is involved, while international sending charges can fall to the person paying you.

Payments for goods or services follow commercial pricing, so the personal-payment fee rule should not be used to price work or sales.

For payments between Revolut users, your registered phone number or Revtag can be enough, with the money received inside your Revolut account.

BANCOMAT’s EuroPA connection also supports payments with participating Bizum and MB WAY services in Spain and Portugal, using the registered mobile number.

You both need access through a participating service, so it does not replace bank instructions for a payer using an unrelated overseas account.

The money transfer apps in Italy guide explains the wider app choice, including services that pay your bank without requiring you to join.

What does it cost to receive money in Italy?

The easiest method for setup can still cost more if the sender’s exchange rate is poor or your account deducts a receiving fee.

For a Postepay Evolution extra-SEPA receipt covered by its tariff, the charge is €7.50 plus 0.15%, with a €1.50 minimum on the percentage charge.

That makes the receipt charge €9 on a covered €500 payment, before any conversion or intermediary deductions that also apply.

Here are transfer options using rounded sending amounts roughly equivalent to €500 before fees, showing the original payment alongside the euro receiving amount.

Last updated at 16/10/2026

GBP EUR

Mid Market Rate £1 = €1.1847

Transfer Amount £450

1

Remitly

2

TapTap Send

3

Revolut

Transfer amount

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

£450.00

€538.79

£0.00

1.1973

-1.06%

Within a week

Visit

£450.00

€532.80

£0.00

1.1840

0.06%

Minutes

Visit

£450.00

€531.44

£0.00

1.1810

0.31%

Within minutes

Visit

USD EUR

Mid Market Rate $1 = €0.8909

Transfer Amount $600

1

Instarem

2

Remitly

3

Revolut

Transfer amount

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

$600.00

€533.70

$0.00

0.8895

0.16%

Minutes - 24 hours

Visit

$600.00

€532.86

$0.00

0.8881

0.32%

Within minutes

Visit

$600.00

€532.28

$0.90

0.8885

0.27%

Within minutes

Visit

CHF EUR

Mid Market Rate CHF 1 = €1.0771

Transfer Amount CHF 500

1

Revolut

2

Wise

3

Currencies Direct

Transfer amount

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

CHF 500.00

€537.57

CHF 0.00

1.0752

0.18%

Within minutes

Visit

CHF 500.00

€536.05

CHF 2.36

1.0772

0.00%

Within minutes

Visit

CHF 500.00

€535.85

CHF 0.00

1.0717

0.51%

Minutes - 24 hours

Visit

Match the quoted receiving method to your account and add any charge your bank or card applies separately to the incoming payment.

For a wire, ask the sender about charge sharing before assuming that paying their bank’s sending fee covers every deduction.

Under SHA you can bear receiving and intermediary costs, OUR puts transfer charges with the sender, and BEN deducts them from the money sent.

If you receive foreign currency into a separate balance, include the cost of exchanging and moving it before comparing that arrangement with direct euro delivery.

How fast can the payment arrive?

An eligible SEPA Instant payment reaches the account within ten seconds, while an ordinary electronic euro transfer usually takes one banking business day.

A foreign bank wire often takes several working days, so ask the payer for the expected delivery date before relying on it for a bill.

Transfer-company delivery depends on how the sender pays and how you receive, with the estimate shown for their specific transfer during setup.

Cash collection can be available within minutes, but verification and the collection office’s opening hours still determine when you can use it.

For the least waiting, ask whether the sender can deliver euros through a compatible instant payment rather than sending foreign currency for your bank to process.

Limits and documents before a larger receipt

Your account’s product limits and the sender’s transfer limits can both affect the payment, even when the bank transfer itself is allowed.

Postepay Evolution has a €30,000 balance ceiling and a €15,000 cumulative annual limit for incoming extra-SEPA transfers under its current terms.

The extra-SEPA receiving limit is separate from ordinary SEPA receipt, so do not apply the €15,000 figure to every foreign euro transfer.

For larger sums, confirm your available balance capacity and payment acceptance before asking the sender to use the card account.

Banks and transfer services can also request evidence of where the funds came from, independently of the amount limits shown in their apps.

Keep documents that explain the payment, such as savings statements, a property-sale contract, pension records or a letter recording a family gift.

If you receive wages or client payments, retain the employment agreement or invoices as well as the transfer receipt and reference.

If the payment belongs to your company, compare business currency accounts in Italy by permitted receiving routes and the foreign balances you need.

Do you pay tax on money received from abroad?

Tax depends on the underlying income or transfer of ownership and your circumstances, rather than the payment simply arriving from another country.

Moving existing savings between your own accounts does not create a new salary payment, although the original income and investment gains can need declaration.

Foreign wages, freelance receipts and pensions can have Italian tax consequences, with residence and applicable treaty rules affecting the treatment.

Gifts and inheritances follow separate rules, including cross-border territorial conditions, so establish the position before treating a substantial family payment as exempt.

How to receive with the fewest extra steps

Start with your existing account and only add another service when its receiving currency or access method solves a specific problem.

What if the money has not arrived?

Ask the sender for the payment receipt and delivery estimate, then check the beneficiary name, IBAN and chosen receiving method.

If your IBAN recently changed, compare the receipt with the current details rather than an old card, saved contact or previous statement.

The sender should contact their service if funding or processing is incomplete, or request a trace from their bank for a missing SWIFT wire.

If delivery is confirmed, give your receiving bank or card issuer the reference, amount, currency and date to locate any held payment.

For cash collection, check readiness and name matching before visiting the agent, then ask the sender to correct any error through their service.

Check the sender’s transfer rates into Italy before deciding whether euro delivery or receipt in another currency suits your next payment.