How to send cash from Germany to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan

In 2026, you can send cash from Germany to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, or Kyrgyzstan through Western Union and MoneyGram. If you previously used Zolotaya Korona (KoronaPay), this option is no longer available: KoronaPay Europe has stopped accepting new transfers from Europe. In this article, we explain how Western Union and MoneyGram work, what the drawbacks of cash transfers are, and what alternatives you can use instead.

Which services allow you to send cash from Germany

The most reliable options for cash transfers are Western Union and MoneyGram:

• Western Union (WU). WU sent its first money transfer in 1871 (!). Despite its long-standing reputation for reliability, the service isn’t perfect: operational issues still occur, and in rare cases fees can reach  100 USD.
• MoneyGram. A younger service that has been operating since 1940. Today, MoneyGram is present in more than 200 countries and territories, with a network of over 470,000 locations. Scale, however, doesn’t guarantee flawless service: in 2022,  MoneyGram was sued in the US over transfer delays, late refunds, and problems with handling customer complaints and enquiries.

How Western Union and MoneyGram work

The process for sending cash is broadly similar:

1. Find the nearest Western Union or MoneyGram location in Germany.
2. Go there with your ID and the money you want to send.
3. Provide the recipient’s name, destination country, and transfer amount.
4. Pay for the transfer and the fee.
5. Receive the transfer reference number and send it to the recipient.

The recipient in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, or Kyrgyzstan then needs to find a suitable payout location, go there with an ID, and collect the money.

The transfer itself may be fast. What often takes more time is everything around it: travelling to the location, working around its opening hours, waiting in a queue, and then having the recipient repeat the process on their side.

What happened to Zolotaya Korona (KoronaPay)

Zolotaya Korona, or KoronaPay, was a common option for transfers from Europe to CIS countries for many years. In 2026, however, it can no longer be used to send money from Germany.

KoronaPay Europe Limited is in the process of voluntarily surrendering its authorisation and no longer accepts new transfers. Its European website now states directly that new transfers are unavailable; previously sent transfers can be refunded through the app if necessary.

This means that anyone who previously used KoronaPay to send money from Germany to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, or Kyrgyzstan now needs to look for an alternative.

Recommended: Top Zolotaya Korona (KoronaPay) alternatives in August 2026.

Can you send money from Germany with a courier?

You can, but it’s better not to. By “courier”, people usually mean a friend, driver, or another person travelling to the destination country who agrees to take cash with them. At first glance, the arrangement seems very simple: hand over the money in Germany and collect it in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, or Kyrgyzstan.

In practice, several problems arise.

• No tracking. You can’t open an app and check the status of the transfer. Everything depends on the person carrying the money.
• Dependence on the trip. If a flight is delayed, a car breaks down, or plans change, the delivery of the money is delayed as well.
• Risk of loss or theft. If something happens to the cash, there is no standard refund procedure or official customer support for this kind of “transfer”.
• Border requirements. Larger amounts of cash may be subject to declaration rules. Giving someone several thousand euros and asking them to “just take it with them” is very different from sending money through an official transfer service.

If the amount is more than symbolic, it’s safer to use a service where the transaction is recorded and its status can be checked.

Why cash transfers aren’t the best option

Cash transfers have several obvious drawbacks: you need to visit a branch and work around its opening hours, and the recipient has to do the same. There are also a few less obvious disadvantages:

Carrying cash is less safe

When sending a large amount, you first need to travel to the transfer location carrying the money, while the recipient has to leave the payout point with the cash in hand. If the amount is several hundred or several thousand euros, this is not the safest scenario: the money can be lost or stolen, and recovering lost cash afterwards is virtually impossible.

An error in the recipient’s details can delay collection

To collect cash, the recipient’s first and last name must match the details in their identity document exactly. Even a small mistake when setting up the transfer – a typo, a missing letter, the first and last name entered in the wrong order, or a different Latin spelling – can delay the payout. In this situation, the sender may need to correct the details through the service, while the recipient has to wait and may need to travel to the payout location again.

Collection depends on cash availability at a particular location

Even if the transfer is already available for collection, a specific payout point may not have enough cash or the required currency available. As a result, the recipient may be asked to wait until the cash desk is replenished, return on another day, or visit a different location.

Cash can be harder to use afterwards

Cash isn’t always convenient to use immediately. If the money is needed to pay rent, utility bills, make online purchases, or transfer funds to someone else, the recipient may first need to deposit it onto a card. This creates another unnecessary step: they need to find an ATM or branch, deposit the money, and only then use it for its intended purpose.

For this reason, if you have the option to send money to a card, it is usually simpler to choose that method. Profee offers this option for transfers from Germany to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Why Profee is more convenient than sending cash from Germany

With Profee, you can complete the entire transfer online via the website or app. There is no need to withdraw cash, find a transfer location, or work around its opening hours, while the recipient does not need to travel anywhere to collect the money. It is faster, more convenient, and safer:

• The transfer goes directly to the recipient. Depending on the country, money can be sent to a card.
• All conditions are shown in advance. Before confirming the transfer, you can see the exchange rate, fee, and exact amount the recipient will receive.
• Fast delivery. 95% of Profee transfers arrive within a few minutes.
• The first transfer is fee-free. Transfers from Germany to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan currently come with a 0% fee on the first transaction, as of the time of writing.
• You can send small amounts. The minimum transfer amount is 10 EUR or the equivalent.
• The service is regulated in Europe. Profee is a licensed electronic money institution. We comply with payment data protection requirements and renew our PCI DSS certification every year.
• Transfers are easy to track. You can check the status of your current transfer directly in the app, while details of previous transfers are saved in your profile history. Receipts are sent to your email, so you can quickly find them and use them as proof of transfer if needed.
• The interface is available in multiple languages. You can choose Russian, Kazakh, Uzbek, English, and other languages to make transfers more convenient. You can change the interface language at any time in the settings.

How to send money from Germany with Profee

You can send money from Germany in five steps:

1. Register with Profee. Enter your name, phone number, email address, nationality, residential address, and date of birth.
2. Enter the transfer amount. You will immediately see the exchange rate and the amount the recipient will receive.
3. Choose a payment method. For transfers from Germany, available options include Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SEPA, Klarna, Profee Wallet, and Volt.
4. Add the recipient’s details. The exact information required depends on the selected receiving method.
5. Review the transfer. Before confirming, you can see the amount, fee, exchange rate, and final amount to be received.

Where can you send money from Germany with Profee?

Available receiving methods vary by country.

• Kazakhstan. We support transfers to customers of Kaspi Bank, Halyk Bank, Otbasy Bank, Bank CenterCredit, ForteBank, Altyn Bank, and other banks.
• Uzbekistan. Money can be sent to Visa, Mastercard, UZCARD, and HUMO cards.
• Kyrgyzstan. Available banks include MBANK, Aiyl Bank, Optima Bank, DemirBank, and others.

You can send transfers from euros into local currencies – for example, Kazakhstani tenge, Uzbekistani soum, or Kyrgyzstani som – as well as US dollars. The main thing is to make sure the recipient’s card supports the selected currency. Current options are shown in the calculator after you select the destination country and receiving method.

So if you are looking for an alternative to cash transfers from Germany, try Profee. Enter the amount and destination country in the calculator, compare the final amount the recipient will receive, and, if the conditions suit you, complete the transfer in just a few minutes.

Frequently asked questions about transfers from Germany to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan