Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question
What is the best way to transfer money from USA to Spain? Looking into transferring a large sum of money into a bank account in Spain to purchase a property. In La Caixa they said they would charge around 800 euros to receive the transfer. Does this sound right? In the US my bank charges me $20 for outgoing or incoming transfers regardless of the amount.
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
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“Never any issues with Wise. And because Wise has a US address as well, my US bank to Wise transfer is $0.00. It is not considered an international transaction or a wire transfer.”
“Most lawyers work with their own transfer services always trying to promote them for a commission! Wise works just fine.”
“I’ve been scammed already by lawyers in Spain, so I don’t trust them.”
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Here’s a list of recommended bank accounts and money transfer services: https://spainguru.es/bank-accounts-money-transfer-services/
All our recommended financial services in Spain, have been personally vetted by Spainguru: https://spainguru.es/financial-services/
“I transferred a large sum of money to New Zealand for a property and everything was great with Wise . Fast, reasonable, no charges on the other end.”
“Use Wise for my large transfers when buying our homes. Although my USA bank actually has reasonable fees, Wise is still less.”
“Santander Bank both in Spain and Portugal does not charge a fee to receive the funds.”
“Santander charges a significant amount of money for the check required to make the final (after the Arras) payment for a property.”
“I use USAA, they only charge me $45 no matter how much I transfer, and my Spanish bank doesn’t charge anything.”
“Use an online bank like Revolut or N26; they don’t charge you anything. They’re in Spain and many other countries.”
“Wise is the most logical and economical way to transfer funds. The problem with the banks is not the fee but the type of exchange rate that they apply.”
Conclusion
The consensus in the group leans heavily towards using services like Wise for international transfers due to lower fees and efficient service, as opposed to traditional banks like La Caixa which may charge high fees.
It’s clear that exploring different transfer services and understanding their fee structures and exchange rates is crucial when moving large sums internationally.
Wise, in particular, was recommended by many members for its transparency and low cost, contrasting sharply with the potentially high fees quoted by some Spanish banks.
If you would like to compare several money transfer services, visit Spainguru’s money transfer services page: https://spainguru.es/bank-accounts-money-transfer-services/
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