Buy bitcoin with SEPA Instant in Germany

Status: Legal
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Takes SEPA Instant: 7 exchanges
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12

7 of the exchanges we recommend in Germany take SEPA Instant for funding bitcoin purchases. It is one of several rails in use here; the full picture is in the Germany guide.

What is SEPA Instant?

SEPA instant is the real time version of the euro bank transfer, formally the SEPA Instant Credit Transfer scheme, launched by the European Payments Council in November 2017 and settled across Europe through instant payment infrastructure including the ECB's TIPS service. It works from an ordinary bank account with an IBAN and runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so a weekend exchange deposit arrives straight away rather than on the next business day. Not every payment service provider offers it yet: the EU Instant Payments Regulation is phasing the obligation in, with euro area banks already required to send and receive and non euro area providers following in 2027.

Speed: Funds must be made available to the recipient within ten seconds of the payment order, at any hour including weekends and public holidays.
Cost: Under the EU Instant Payments Regulation a provider may not charge more for sending or receiving an instant credit transfer than it charges for an ordinary one.
Limits: Euro only, and any amount ceiling comes from your own payment service provider rather than from the scheme, so check your bank's instant transfer limit before a large deposit.

More about SEPA Instant, and everywhere it works

Sources

Exchanges that take SEPA Instant in Germany

Ranked as in our Germany guide. Every payment method shown is verified for this exact exchange and country pairing.

1
Bitvavo4.5
The largest euro spot exchange in the world, licensed under MiCA by the Dutch regulator, with free euro and iDEAL deposits.
Fees
A nine-tier schedule by 30-day volume, starting at 0.15 percent maker and 0.25 percent taker. Euro deposits by SEPA and iDEAL are free.
KYC
Required
Pay with
SEPA transfer, SEPA Instant
MiCA-authorised by the Dutch regulator; the largest euro order book in the EEA
Buy on Bitvavo Read the Bitvavo review
2
Bitpanda4.4
Austria's regulated broker with three MiCAR licenses, built for European savers who fund by SEPA.
Fees
Bitcoin buys show no separate commission; the cost sits in a premium built into the quoted price. SEPA deposits are free, card deposits carry a fee.
KYC
Required
Pay with
SEPA transfer, SEPA Instant, Credit or debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Buy on Bitpanda Read the Bitpanda review
3
Relai4.5Bitcoin-only
Swiss bitcoin-only app with SEPA instant buys, self-custody by default, and a MiCA license covering the EEA.
Fees
Around 1 percent per purchase, varying by volume and tier.
KYC
Required
Pay with
SEPA transfer, SEPA Instant
Buy on Relai Read the Relai review
4
Kraken4.7
A 2011-vintage exchange with one of the cleanest security records in the business, heading toward a US stock listing.
Fees
Kraken Pro charges 0.25% maker and 0.40% taker below $10,000 in 30-day volume, falling from there. The simple Buy widget and card purchases include a spread and cost noticeably more.
KYC
Required
Pay with
SEPA transfer, SEPA Instant, Credit or debit card
Buy on Kraken Read the Kraken review
5
Coinbase4.5
The easiest US on-ramp for beginners, publicly listed, and legally in the clear since the SEC dropped its case.
Fees
Simple buys layer a flat fee and a spread and are the expensive way in. Advanced Trade, in the same account, uses maker-taker pricing that falls with 30-day volume and costs a fraction of simple-buy rates.
KYC
Required
Pay with
SEPA transfer, SEPA Instant, Credit or debit card
Buy on Coinbase Read the Coinbase review
6
Bitstamp4.3
One of the oldest bitcoin exchanges, now owned by Robinhood and powering its UK and institutional crypto rails.
Fees
Order-book trading uses maker-taker pricing that falls with 30-day volume. Card purchases and instant buys cost more than order-book trades.
KYC
Required
Pay with
SEPA transfer, SEPA Instant, Credit or debit card
Buy on Bitstamp Read the Bitstamp review
7
Binance4.2
The largest crypto exchange by volume: the deepest bitcoin liquidity anywhere, the lowest headline spot fee of any major platform, and quarterly proof of reserves, under a settled US case and an independent monitor.
Fees
Spot trading starts at 0.1% maker and taker, with a 25% discount for paying fees in BNB. Card purchases and instant buys cost more because a spread and processing fee are added.
KYC
Required
Pay with
SEPA transfer, SEPA Instant, Credit or debit card, Sofort, Klarna, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Buy on Binance Read the Binance reviewReferral link: signing up is credited to us and may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

See the full how-to-buy guide for Germany Everything about buying bitcoin with SEPA Instant

Watch: how to choose an exchange

0:39

We have not filmed a walkthrough for Germany yet, so this is our general one, from our YouTube channel @dontgetrekt. It also sits on the home page, next to the country search it starts from.

Do you need a VPN?

A VPN hides which sites you visit from the network you are on and from your internet provider, which is worth having when you move money over a connection you do not control. It does not get you past an exchange's identity checks: every platform we list verifies who you are no matter where you connect from.

If you want one, the strongest records on our list belong to NordVPN (6 independent no-logs audits, the most of any service we review), Windscribe (its no-logs claim tested in the real world 3 times) and Proton VPN (the most audited service with a free tier).

Compare every VPN, including the ones we caution against

Other ways to pay in Germany

SEPA Instant in other countries

See all 22 countries where SEPA Instant works

Frequently asked questions

Which exchanges accept SEPA Instant in Germany?

Of the 7 exchanges we recommend in Germany, Bitvavo, Bitpanda, Relai, Kraken, Coinbase, Bitstamp, Binance accept SEPA Instant for funding purchases.

Is buying bitcoin with SEPA Instant legal in Germany?

Bitcoin is fully legal in Germany. Exchanges serving German customers need authorisation under the EU's MiCA regulation, supervised nationally by BaFin, and Germany was among the first countries to issue MiCA licences in 2025. German tax law is unusually favourable to patient holders: gains on bitcoin held for more than one year are tax-free for private individuals, a treatment confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Finance in its 2022 guidance and reaffirmed in its March 2025 update.

How long does a SEPA Instant deposit take?

Funds must be made available to the recipient within ten seconds of the payment order, at any hour including weekends and public holidays. That is the rail itself; an exchange may hold a first deposit for longer while it verifies your account.

What does it cost to buy bitcoin with SEPA Instant?

Under the EU Instant Payments Regulation a provider may not charge more for sending or receiving an instant credit transfer than it charges for an ordinary one. Any fee the exchange adds on top is separate, and is shown per exchange above.