SWIFT/BIC codes in Albania

SWIFT/BIC codes in Albania

On this page you find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 21 banks in Albania. Every code points to a bank or a specific branch or department, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Search for the bank you need below and open its page for all codes we have and what else a transfer requires. The rest of this page explain the structure of the codes, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing.

The structure of a Albania SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC codes follow one international format: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. Characters one to four identify the bank, characters five and six are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

You can spot a code from Albania by letters five and six – those always form the country code of Albania. Codes with other letters in that position come from a bank abroad – a quick way to catch mistakes.

The optional last three characters identify a specific branch; XXX is used for the head office. Use a branch code only if the recipient explicitly gives you one; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

Tracking a payment to Albania

How fast a payment reaches Albania depends on several factors: the currency, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Public holidays in either country can add extra days to the journey.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each gpi transfer carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Money transfer services often show a status in their app.

Incoming international payments in Albania

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for several details about your account – incomplete details often cause delays. That means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your postal address.

Look up the bank in the list above to check its code – your bank statement is the final word. It helps to include your bank’s name and city as well because some forms have separate fields for it.

Expect that the incoming amount is below what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin applies. On invoices, state who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.

Paying a bank in Albania from abroad

Albania is outside the SEPA area, so European euro rules do not apply. Payments from abroad usually travel over the SWIFT network, and the BIC of the receiving bank is required.

In some countries, the account is identified by a local account number rather than an IBAN. The receiving bank usually provides a list of required details for payments from abroad – follow them exactly. International transfers can pass through correspondent banks and fees can be taken along the way.

Which bank in Albania has the most codes?

In our data, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania Sh.a. has the most SWIFT/BIC codes in Albania. The head office of Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania Sh.a. uses USALALTRXXX and that code covers most payments.

Banks differ in how many codes they register. Making a payment to Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania Sh.a.? Go with USALALTRXXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

Sending money to Albania for less

When you send money to Albania through your bank, the fee you see is only part of what you pay. There is the transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate if the money is converted.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate. An easy check: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For a lot of routes, a specialist provider turns out to be less expensive than a traditional bank transfer. On GoldexPay we compare what recipients in Albania receive with different services.

Check the code before you pay

The best place to find the correct BIC remains paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account page in online banking. When the code you were given differs from the code listed here, stop and ask.

This list is compiled from publicly available sources. Banks merge, close branches and retire codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Treat this list as a starting point. GoldexPay is a comparison service for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Be wary of invoices with a new account – a common fraud method. A real SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account.