How to Send Money from Germany to Russia in 2024?
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How to Send Money from Germany to Russia in 2024?

How to Send Money from Germany to Russia in 2024?

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Profee - current information.
Support team response:
Starting August 1, we will no longer be able to send transfers to certain Russian banks, such as Ozon Bank and Yandex Bank, due to new EU regulations.
But don't worry — transfers to most other banks in Russia are still working perfectly. To ensure your next transfer goes smoothly, we recommend choosing another bank, for example:
- Raiffeisen Bank
- OTP Bank
- UniCredit Bank
KoronaPay has disabled transfers to Russia and Ukraine; these destinations are no longer available in the service.

As of May 23, 2024, transfers from Europe to Russia via KoronaPay are no longer being carried out.
Shortly before that, from April 10, it became impossible to transfer money through the service to bank cards in Russia. However, cash pickup at banks was still possible.
Now Russia has simply disappeared from the list of countries for transfers. When trying to make another transfer using old details, an error appears. KoronaPay support replied: "As of 23.04.2024, sending to several destinations is unavailable. We recommend using alternative sending options."

At present, due to the EU sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation, it has become impossible to send money to Russia through most previously popular services.

Zolotaya Korona and Profee are two reliable instant money transfer systems that are still available for sending money to Russia.
Both systems have their pros and cons, and the choice between them depends on your preferences and needs.

Volunteers from Put Domoy and members of the eponymous Telegram chat compared them based on their own experience. The results are below.

As of today, the following no longer work in 2024:

  • Western Union
  • Contact
  • Unistream
  • Wise
  • Paysend
  • TransferGo
  • Paypal

Direct bank transfers via SWIFT are also problematic. Transfers to Russian banks under sanctions are impossible.
However, it is possible to send funds to banks that are not under sanctions. You can see the full list at this link. You can contact your bank in Germany and find out which Russian banks it works with. They may offer alternative transfer options, for example through partner banks in Russia.

However, bear in mind that the National Bank of Germany may block such transactions and act in accordance with sanctions policy. Large sums may be frozen for further investigation, which can take a long time. In the worst case, the money may be confiscated. In addition, fees for bank transfers may be quite substantial.

What works?

At the moment, the money transfer services "Zolotaya Korona" and "Profee" are still functioning properly.

How does it work?

  • Install the app on your mobile phone and register.
  • Follow the simple instructions to transfer money.
  • The recipient withdraws the money in cash at a bank or receives the transfer directly to a bank card (MIR, Visa or Mastercard issued by Russian banks). The recipient does not have to install the app, though it can be convenient for tracking the payment.
You send money in euros, and it is received in rubles. Neither system charges a fee, but each has its own exchange rate, which is in any case lower than when exchanging cash at a bank. The systems are reliable and tried and tested. There have been no cases of fraud.

Which is better, KoronaPay or Profee? Below is a comparison of the two instant money transfer systems.

Zolotaya Korona or KoronaPay

A Russian mobile transfer service, registered in Cyprus.

The official website and detailed instructions can be found here: koronapay.com

- no fee
- the transfer takes a couple of minutes (card to card)
- you can send money to yourself (cash pickup)
- Russian-language support
- a slightly unfavorable euro exchange rate is used for the transfer

Follow the instructions to register with the system. Enter your details and address. Upload a photo of your international passport or residence permit (Ausweis).

When sending money from Germany to Russia, you must provide a German mobile phone number. Even if you are currently in Russia. If you enter a Russian number, transfers from Germany to Russia will not be available in the app. Only transfers from Russia to CIS countries will be available.

There are two transfer options:

Card to card

A transfer from a German card to a bank card in Russia. You enter the recipient's name and card number in the Russian Federation. The money will arrive on the card immediately. The recipient does not have to install the app.

Transfers are only possible to cards from the following banks in Russia:
- Raiffeisen Bank
- UniCredit Bank
- Energotransbank - branches are located only in Kaliningrad, Moscow, and St. Petersburg

We would like to single out Ozon Bank. You can open an account with it online, even from Europe, but only if you have a verified Gosuslugi profile or a SIM card from any Russian operator registered in your name.

Tinkoff Bank, Ak Bars Bank, and Pochtabank have been sanctioned, and transfers to cards from these banks are now impossible.
If you enter a card number from another bank under sanctions, the system will display an error message.
If you have successfully transferred money to a card from another bank, please write about it in the comments.

In the app, you enter your debit or credit card in Germany, from which the money will be debited.

For card-to-card transfers, you can link only Visa or Mastercard cards in the app. It does not matter whether it is a credit or debit card. A regular Maestro bank card will not work!

Cash

A transfer from a German card or bank account for cash pickup at any bank in the Russian Federation that works with the "Zolotaya Korona" system.
You only enter the recipient's name and phone number. A patronymic is not required. The recipient does not need to install the app either. A transfer notification will be sent to the recipient's phone. To collect the money, they must present their passport and the transfer number at any bank that works with "Zolotaya Korona".

A transfer from a German Visa or Mastercard works in the same way.

If you choose a bank transfer, the system will give you the account details to which you need to transfer the money. Once the payment arrives, the money will be ready for the recipient to collect. This usually takes 1-2 days, depending on the bank. At present, payment for a money transfer from Klarna/Sofort accounts is unavailable.

Some banks that work with "Zolotaya Korona" do not pay out transfers sent from abroad. Check this directly with the bank branch.

What are the limits?

The maximum amount you can send in 6 months:
- Level 1: up to 1.000€ in 3 months (basic). For transfers from "Germany - Russia"
- Level 2: up to 7.500€ in 6 months (after identity verification)
- Level 3: up to 15.000€ in 6 months (after proof of residence. A certificate of registration, utility bill, or letter from any government office will suffice.)
- Level 4: more than 15.000€ in 6 months (after proof of income).

Put Domoy: how to send money from Germany

To send more than 15,000 euros, you first need to complete transfers totaling at least 10,000 euros. After that, a "Limits" section will display a "Increase limit" button in the mobile app.
You will then need to verify the source of your income. You will need one of the following documents:
— Bank statement for the last 3 months, clearly showing the sources of incoming money;
— Payslips (salary certificate for the last 3 months);
— Employment contract showing salary details;
— Official letter from your employer stating your salary;
— Tax return for the year;
— Pension documents;
— Other official evidence of legal income;
— Documents relating to your assets (for example, proof of property ownership, together with documents confirming that the property generates income: rent, dividends, etc.)

Profee

A newer service, also registered in Cyprus.

The official website and detailed instructions can be found here: profee.com

- no fee
- you can send up to 1000 euros without identity verification
- the exchange rate is always slightly higher than with Koronapay
- the transfer takes a few minutes
- a slightly unfavorable euro exchange rate is used for the transfer
- if you encounter problems, it is difficult to get through to support
You must provide a German phone number when registering. If you are currently in Russia, you need to enable a VPN with any European location during registration. There have already been cases of accounts being blocked.

Unlike Zolotaya Korona, Profee allows transfers only from card to card.

A transfer from a German card to a bank card in Russia works in the same way.
You enter the recipient's name and card number in the Russian Federation. The money will arrive on the card immediately. The recipient does not have to install the app.

The list of banks to which transfers are possible is the same as for "Zolotaya Korona". The requirements for German cards are identical.

What is the limit?

The maximum amount you can send in 12 months:

  • Basic: up to 1.000€ (without identity verification, name and address only)
  • Plus: up to 15.000€ in 12 months (after identity and residence verification)
  • Premium: up to 100.000€ in 12 months (after proof of income source)
To upgrade to Premium and be able to send up to 100,000 per year, you need to write to support chat and ask to increase your limit. You can do this directly in the app, in your own words. After that, an email will be sent to your email address (provided during registration), asking you to send documents and answer several questions.

Step 1. Please provide a valid document confirming your address (issued within the last 6 months).

Step 2. Please answer the following questions to update your profile:
A. What is your annual income?
B. What is your source of income (you can indicate more than one):
Salary; (if yes, provide your 2 most recent payslips)
Savings; (if yes, provide a bank statement)
Other. Please specify and provide any document that may be useful as proof of income.
C. What is your current occupation? Choose one of the following:
Employment (state the company name and your position);
Entrepreneur/business owner (state the type of business and give a brief description);
Other. Please specify.
D. Please indicate how much money you plan to transfer through your Profee account per year.
E. Purpose of transfers?
F. Provide us with a statement for the card and/or photos of the front and back of the card you will use for Profee transfers, ensuring that only the first 6 and last 4 digits are visible, as well as the cardholder's and issuing institution's details. Please make sure the 3-digit security code on the back of your card (CVV) is hidden.

 

The most important question!

What if I want to send a large amount all at once?
How to send via KoronaPay: read here 
How to send via Profee: read here

Some tips for using instant money transfer services

When transferring a large sum of money (more than 10.000 euros), split it into several parts. Otherwise, under German law, the service will ask you to write an explanatory letter to the National Bank of Germany. The consequences are clear.
If you need to send more than the limit, for example because you have sold an apartment or house, you can send transfers from your spouse or other adult family members.
If you are not planning to leave immediately, but, for example, within a year, then on your next trip to Russia, open a card in your own name with any of the banks listed above. And periodically make transfers from your account to this card.
Attention! A temporary or permanent registration is required to open a card. Some banks will not open an account using a Russian international passport and require a domestic Russian passport.
If you have what is known as a p-konto and it is blocked for some reason, neither a card-to-card transfer nor a bank transfer to Koronapay will work.

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Publication date: July 29, 2025

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