Send Money from the UK to Romania

Revolut advertises no transfer fee on this corridor. That is not the same as cheapest: a provider with no fee recovers it through the exchange-rate margin, which is usually the larger of the two costs. Compare the final amount that arrives in Romanian leus across two or three services before you send, because the cheapest option changes with the amount and the payout method you choose.

Delivery ranges from minutes to a few business days depending on the provider and payout method. Wise can deliver within minutes when you pay by debit card. Bank-funded and economy transfers typically take one to three business days but usually cost less. Transfers sent outside banking hours or over a weekend may not settle until the next working day.

Across the providers we compare, the available payout methods are Revolut-to-Revolut, bank deposit, cash pickup and card payout. The most widely used options in Romania are bank deposit to a mature banking network, plus cash pickup including the post office. Romania is in the EU but not the eurozone — sending euros instead of lei usually triggers a second conversion at the recipient's bank. Not every provider supports every method, so check the table above before you commit.

No. Remitly, Ria Money Transfer and Western Union offer cash pickup in Romania, so your recipient can collect the funds with valid photo ID and the transfer reference number. That said, bank deposit to a mature banking network, plus cash pickup including the post office generally cost less than cash collection.

Providers rarely give you the mid-market rate — the reference rate you see on Google or Reuters. Instead they add a margin, typically between 0.4% and 4%, and keep the difference. That margin is often larger than the visible transfer fee, which is why a "no fee" service can still be more expensive overall. For GBP to RON, compare the quoted rate against the mid-market rate to see the real spread you are paying.

Yes, provided you use a licensed provider. Every service listed on this page is regulated in the UK under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which requires safeguarding of customer funds and identity verification. Send only to people you know personally, keep your transfer reference private, and be sceptical of anyone pressuring you to send money urgently to someone you have not met.

Yes. Each provider sets its own transfer limits, which vary by how much identity verification you have completed and how you pay. Larger transfers may require additional documentation such as proof of source of funds. For transfers above roughly £10,000, a specialist foreign-exchange broker will often beat an app on rate.

WorldRemit does not serve Romania. Its European destination list names only Albania and Turkey, and its own FAQ states it does not currently offer bank transfers to countries in Europe. If you already use that service, you will need an alternative from the comparison table above for this corridor.

Romania uses the leu, not the euro, despite EU membership. Sending euros to a Romanian account triggers a second conversion at the recipient's bank — check your provider quotes RON. SEPA only carries euros, so a transfer from a sterling account is converted to euros first and then travels on SEPA rails. That conversion, not the SEPA leg, is where most of the cost sits. Leu transfers cannot use SEPA at all and instead travel over each provider's own Romanian banking partnerships.