Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and with millions of people leaving the country, it has become extremely important for for friends, family and well wishers to know the best ways to send money to Ukraine.
Read this post in Ukrainian: Як відправити гроші в Україну
Sending money to Ukraine
- The official currency of Ukraine is the hryvnia, represented by the “UAH” or the “₴” or “грн” symbols.
- You can send Hryvnas to Ukrainian card, bank account, cash pickup, mobile money, Bitcoin, etc. Many money transfer services have removed transfer fees for Ukraine.
- Ukrainian banks have IBAN format accounts used for money transfer.
Contents
How to Transfer Money to Ukraine
Service | Send to Bank Account | Send to Card | Send to Cash Pickup | Send to Phone Number | Send to Bitcoin |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wise | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
PayPal | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Remitly | No | No | Yes | No | No |
TransferGo | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Fin.do | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Paysend | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Western Union | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Xoom | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Revolut | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Cryptovoucher.io | No | No | No | No | Yes |
The following are some of the best ways to transfer money to Ukraine.
Wise Money Transfer to Ukraine
Wise is one of the cheapest and fastest way to send money to Ukraine. Wise can send your money to your loved ones in Ukraine as a same day transfer or an instant money transfer. The recipient gets money in the local currency. For a limited period, you can send up to 10,000 GBP/12,000 EUR/14,000 USD to UAH. The options you have to pay for your transfer are bank transfer, debit card, credit card, PISP, and SWIFT.
There are limits for how much you can send to Ukraine with Wise. The limits depend on which currencies you send to and from, and how you pay. However, if you want to send more than the limit, then you will just need to set up several transfers that are under the limits.
- To send money to Ukraine with Wise money transfer, sign up on Wise website or in the Wise app for free. All you need is an email address, or a Google or Facebook account. For some currencies, or for large transfers, you will need to verify your identity with a photo of your ID.
- If you have a Wise multicurrency account it’s possible to directly send money to a Ukrainian bank card. For this you need to have the 16 digits of the card, the name and the address of the recipient in Ukraine.
- If you are a Ukrainian refugee, you will be glad to know that Wise has made it easier for you to open Wise account even if you don’t have your Ukrainian ID. Wise can accept certain refugee documents depending on the country you are located in. If you are in Hungary, you can be granted temporary protection status, which comes with an ID document. Once your Wise account is set up, you can easily use it to send money to your loved ones back in Ukraine.
PayPal Money Transfer to Ukraine
Before the war in Ukraine, PayPal users in Ukraine could only send money outside Ukraine. In order to help Ukrainians receive money, PayPal has now allowed its users to transfer money to a Ukrainian bank account for free.
You can send money to friends and family in their PayPal wallet in USD, CAD, GBP and EUR. Your friends or family will be able to transfer the money into their bank account by linking an eligible Mastercard or Visa debit or credit card. The money will be available in the currency of your recipient’s card. The provider of the card or their bank need to be able to support the transfer for it to work.
You can choose to transfer funds using PayPal’s instant transfer feature for the recipient to receive the money within minutes if the instant transfer functionality is supported by your bank or card provider.
Western Union Money Transfer to Ukraine
Western Union is one of the oldest money transfer services in the world today. The company enables you to send money to a bank account, card or cash pickup in Ukraine. You can transfer money to Ukraine online at Western Union website or Western Union app. You can also use Western Union agents in your area. Your receiver can pick up hryvna in minutes.
If you send money to a pick-up location, your recipient will need to visit an agent location with a government issued ID. You also will have to give the recipient the Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) that will be given to you once your transfer is completed. Your recipient can find agent locations in Ukraine online or call PrivatBank +380 (800) 500-003 or 3700 from a mobile number.
Western Union fees vary based on where you are sending the money from and currency. In addition to fees, Western Union makes money from changing your currency into the hryvnia. For example, sending 1000 GBP, your recipient will receive 38,046.46 hryvnia. The sender pays all fees.
- Send money for 0€ transfer fee to your loved one’s bank account, card, and for cash payout in Ukraine from Lithuania. The offer for bank account and cash payout transfers is valid until 31st March 2022.
Xoom Money Transfer to Ukraine
Xoom is a PayPal money transfer service that you can use to send money to a number of Xoom cash pickup locations in Ukraine, including including Oschadbank, Privatbank and Ukrgasbank.
Sending money to Ukraine is simple and straightforward. You can create a Xoom account or if you are a PayPal user, you can log in with your PayPal details. Accepted payment methods for your transfer are PayPal, bank account, credit card, or debit card.
At the moment, sending money to Ukraine does not attract any fees. Your credit card company may charge a cash advance fee.
TransferGo Money Transfer to Ukraine
TransferGo is a reliable service you can use to send money for free to bank accounts, cards and phone numbers in Ukraine. Supported payment options for your transfer are bank transfer, credit/debit card, Google Pay or Apple Pay.
TransferGo money transfer to Ukraine is both personal and small or medium-sized businesses. This means if a business or sole trader has suppliers or freelancers in Ukraine, they can pay up to 50 suppliers or salaries in one go.
Paysend Money Transfer to Ukraine
With Paysend money transfer service, you are allowed to send directly to Visa and Mastercard, Paysend Link or to regular bank account Ukraine, including Privatbank, Oschadbank, First Ukrainian International Bank, BNP Paribas and PJSC “Ukrsotsban. The transfers usually arrive on the same day.
For transfers to bank accounts, Paysend fee is $ 0 until April 1, 2022. Sending to a card or using Paysend Link, the fee is €1.5.
- For using Paysend Link to Ukraine, The only thing you have to do is to provide a recipient’s phone number and click send. With Paysend Link the recipient will see the incoming transfer and be able to direct it to any Visa, Mastercard card or a bank account of their choice.
Remitly Money Transfer to Ukraine
Remitly is a service that you can use to send money to Ukraine from the UK, US, Poland, France, Lithuania and many other countries around the world. You can send cash to your recipient at pick up locations of Remitly partners in Ukraine. Supported payment methods for sending money with Remitly are credit card, debit card and bank transfers.
- Remitly has removed fees for sending money to Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, Slovakia, and Hungary for a limited period of time.
Revolut Money Transfer to Ukraine
Revolut is a multicurrency online bank that offers money transfer service to Ukraine. With Revolut, you can send money from your account to a bank account in Ukraine. International transfers to Ukraine usually arrive within 3 business days. You can check the live status of your transfer in-app.
To send money to your loved ones, simply tap ‘Transfer’ in the Revolut app, then tap ‘New’ in the top right corner and elect ‘Add a bank recipient’ from the list. You need to choose the currency (USD, EUR, GBP, or one of other 25+ supported currencies). Most banks in Ukraine can receive transfers in major currencies like EUR or USD, but you must make sure that the recipient bank can accept the currency that you’re sending, or it may be rejected.
Since 26 February, international money transfer to a Ukrainian bank account is free for 30 days. This include foreign exchange fees on transfers to Ukrainian bank accounts. Intermediary and recipient banks may deduct fees from the amount sent. The fee-free transfer will end at 12:00 AM UTC on March 28, 2022.
Fin.do Money Transfer to Ukraine
Fin.do is a service you can use to send money to Ukraine. You need to set up an account after downloading the Fin.do app from its website and add at least one verified card. Fin.do is not an e-wallet and doesn’t store any funds. Money simply moves from your bank account to the recipient’s account within seconds.
To use Fin.do, just link your existing Mastercard or Visa debit, credit, or prepaid cards to the Fin.do app for Android and iOS and start transferring money within minutes. You can send money to other Fin.do users, saved templates, your own cards, or a 16-digit card number in Ukraine.
Bitcoin
In March, 2022, Ukraine’s president signed into law a bill that legalizes cryptocurrency in the country.
Of course, it is possible to send Bitcoin to Ukraine. There’s a surge in Bitcoin based remittances worldwide because of lower fees and faster transactions. There are several ways you can use Bitcoin to send funds to Ukraine.
Peer Peer Bitcoin Transfer
You can send Bitcoin from your Bitcoin wallet to the address of the wallet of your recipient without involving a third party or central authority. This means both of you need to have a Bitcoin wallet. Your recipient will need to send you their wallet address, by clicking “Receive” on their wallet and copy and send the address that appears. You will then copy and paste it on the address field of your wallet after clicking “Send” on your wallet. You will indicate the amount you want to send and you will be able to see the amount and associated fees before confirming and sending.
What is the best crypto wallet for beginners in Ukraine? Muun Wallet is probably the most convenient way to send to people who don’t have any experience yet. It is easy to start with an email based backup, and Muun makes it easy to use both lightning (a function for micropayments) as well as on-chain payments. This means you can also send small amounts.
Crypto Voucher
You can send a crypto voucher using platorms such as Cryptovoucher.io. Your recipient in Ukraine needs an email address and a crypto wallet to receive and store Bitcoin. You buy Bitcoin on Cryptovoucher website and pay using approved payment methods such as debit card, SEPA transer, SOFORT, bank transfer, PayPal, Cash App, etc. Using SEPA transfer to send Bitcoin voucher is free.
Once they receive the crypto code into their email, they can redeem it on the Cryptovoucher.io website by submitting the code and email address. Their wallet will be credited with the sent Bitcoin instantly. To redeem more than 100 euros per day or 500 euros per week, your recipient will also need to provide an official document and photo ID.
Donations to organizations in your own country
If you want to help, it is also possible to give money to organizations in your own country, for example, in Estonia you can donate to the Estonian Refugee Council.
Alternatively, you can help Ukrainian refugees who arrived in your country. You can directly give cash, or help them set up a bank account.
How can I send money to Ukraine?
To send money to Ukraine, you can utilize a bank transfer or online money transfer services such as Wise, PayPal, Xoom, or Remitly. These services provide competitive rates and lower fees for your international transfers.
Best ways to send money to Ukraine from USA
When sending money from the USA to Ukraine, consider using Wise (formerly TransferWise) for direct bank transfers, PayPal for transfers between PayPal accounts, Remitly for online transfers to bank accounts or cash pickups, or Western Union for cash pickups.
How to send money to bank account in Ukraine
To send money to a bank account in Ukraine, you can use online money transfer services like Western Union, MoneyGram, Remitly, or Wise. Alternatively, you can visit a physical agent location of Western Union or MoneyGram in the United States. Another option is to initiate a bank transfer from your own bank account to the recipient's bank account in Ukraine.
This post is also available in uk.