Send money to Spain

Australia and Spain may be nearly 16,000 kms apart but the two countries enjoy a strong bilateral relationship. Pre-pandemic, Spain was a popular destination for Australians on work or holiday visas, while on the commercial front it was Australia’s 25th largest goods and services trading partner in 2019, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs .

Whether you have a business transaction to make in Spain or want to purchase property there,  you’ll need to know the ins and outs of making an international money transfer. Good thing you’ve come to the right place.

Want to transfer Australian dollars to euros for your next holiday to Spain? Then you need to visit Mozo’s Travel Money section instead. There you’ll find a lot of great information on the dos and don’ts when traveling as well as the best travel cards and exchange rates for your trip and transactions abroad. 

An IMT specialist can help you convert Aussie dollars to euros and transfer those funds to anywhere in Spain from Barcelona to Almeria - provided you have a few details in hand, including your recipient’s bank ID numbers and their account information. Not only will these various details be needed to verify the transaction, but they also help direct the money to exactly where it needs to go.

You can use one of the following agents to transfer money from Australia to Spain. Here’s a breakdown of their pros and cons. 

Banks

For most, banks are probably the most obvious vehicle in transferring money from one place to another. But it certainly is not the only way. They have a reputation of being safe, but when it comes to fees and exchange rates banks may not be your best bet. 

Pros: 

• Respectable brands you’ve known for years
• Convenient as you can use your existing bank account to make IMTs 

Cons: 

• Usually not your cheapest IMT option, with less competitive exchange rates and fees  
• Online transfers may be capped at your daily withdrawal limit, so it may not suit customers needing to send larger amounts

Foreign Exchange Specialist

While banks are financial generalists, these providers are specialists in foreign exchange and international money transfers. Since they convert and send multiple currencies on a regular basis, it means they may offer better exchange rates than your average bank. 

Unlike some financial institutions, many FX specialists like TorFX, OFX and WorldFirst don’t have maximum transfer limits, allowing you to send as much as you need in one go, whether it’s a business transaction or money to help your aunt with her home renovations in Spain. 

Pros: 

• Often comes with cheaper exchange rates and fees than the banks. For instance, all of the winners of our 2021 Mozo Experts Choice Award for best International Money Transfer were online FX specialists 
• Just as safe - all FX specialists that we compare at Mozo hold an Australian Financial Services licence which means they abide by ASIC regulations 
• Convenience of making online transfers 24/7 

Cons: 

• Some FX specialists may have minimum transfer limits as high as $10k
• No branch services available, so you’ll need to be comfortable with making transfers online or by phone 

With so many IMT agents available, including a range of banks and FX specialists, who do you pick? That ultimately depends on your individual situation, but to help you reach a decision, we’ve come up with a list of factors to consider when comparing your transfer options to Spain:

• Exchange rates: Generally speaking, the higher the AUD/EUR exchange rate you secure, the more Euros you’ll get from the same amount of Aussie dollars and therefore the more you’ll save. In other words, a cent or two difference can certainly add up when you’re transferring thousands.
• Limits: The amount of money you send may also influence which money transfer agent you choose. Reason being, some restrict you to minimum or maximum amounts per transfer. Others are not so fussed, so shop around and see who suits your situation best.
• Transfer speed: Is your transfer urgent? These days, you can expect your money to reach your recipient in 1-5 business days, although timing will vary depending on the provider and where you’re sending money to (in your case, it would be Spain). 
• Fees: Transfer fees are usually charged per transaction, so they may have the biggest impact on your wallet if you’re expecting to make regular transfers. That said some FX specialists may waive transfer fees if your transfers are more frequent or exceed a certain amount. 
• Online vs phone or in person: You guessed it - international money transfers completed online nearly always cost less in fees. That’s not to say that a more personable way of making a transfer isn’t still popular. It comes down to how you like to do business - in the privacy of your own home or with the assistance of someone in person or over the phone. You decide.

If you’re looking to send money to Spain soon, get started with our comparison tool below. Just enter the amount of Australian dollars you want to convert and our tool will give you an estimate of how many Euros you’ll get from various IMT providers today. Or for an even more wider range of exchange rate deals available today, head on over to our international money transfers comparison hub. Our service updates euro exchange rates every hour.

Wiring money to Spain sounds risky. Is it?

Whether you walk into a bank or use a FX specialist, your money transfer should be pretty safe as long as you go with a reputable provider. That means making sure the provider you pick is authorised by domestic watchdogs like ASIC and AUSTRAC, and offers good customer service to help you through any issues you may encounter. Nowadays, banks and money exchange agents also use some of the best and most up-to-date encryption technologies around, protecting your money transfer and personal details. 

If you’re afraid of the hacker stories you hear about, it’s usually because customers haven’t downloaded the latest protection software or installed the latest updates for their computer, leaving them unprotected when they’re managing their finances over the web. So it’s essential that you follow basic security measures such as using unique passwords and multi-factor authentication, updating apps and turning on privacy settings to protect your information! 

Can I make a one-off transfer to Spain?

Yes. It’s really up to you how often you transfer money to Spain. For small one-off transfers such as a cash gift for your friend in Barcelona, you may consider using PayPal, although both sender and receiver will need to have a PayPal account for this option to work. For larger one-off transfers such as an investment property purchase in Valencia, you’ll want to shop around and find the best exchange rates out there, as that could save you potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars.

How do I set up an international money transfer?

Now for the practical bit - how to actually set up an account and send money to Spain. Firstly, you’ll need to decide which direction you will take - online, in person or over the phone? That will help you determine your next steps: 

• Will you be logging on to your online bank account or app?
• Visiting a branch?
• Filling out a form online?

Whichever way you choose to transfer money to Spain, some crucial bits of information you’ll need for a successful transfer include:

• Full name and address of the recipient’s bank
• Recipient's full name, address and account name
• Their account number or International Bank Account Number (IBAN)
• Their bank’s SWIFT/BIC code - this is a 8 or 11 digit code that identifies banks around the world. Use this tool to see if you have the right SWIFT/BIC code.
• Amount you would like to send
• Your sending and receiving currency (in your case, it would be AUD and EUR)
• Details of your account from which money will be withdrawn and sent to your recipient. 

For more information on how to send money to different destinations around the globe, check out our other country guides for transferring money internationally.