SWIFT/BIC codes in Austria: banks starting with I

SWIFT/BIC codes in Austria

In Austria our database holds 1191 SWIFT/BIC codes from 822 financial institutions. Each code identifies a bank or a specific branch or department, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Choose a bank below to view its head office code and its other codes. The sections below covers the structure of the codes, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing.

Unicredit Bank Austria AG and its SWIFT codes

Unicredit Bank Austria AG leads our list for Austria in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. Its head office code is BKAUATWWXXX.

How many codes a bank has tells you something about how it registers branches and services than about how big it is. Making a payment to Unicredit Bank Austria AG? Use BKAUATWWXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

About our data and how to check a code

Ask the recipient to copy their bank details directly from their online banking. If the code you have differs from our list, do not guess: check with the recipient or the bank.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is based on public sources. Institutions merge, change names and retire codes. Before any payment that matters, check the code with the recipient. GoldexPay is not a bank and has no link to the banks in this list.

Fraudsters often use fake invoices carrying changed bank details. A valid BIC says nothing about who owns the account: criminals use real codes too.

The structure of a Austria SWIFT/BIC code

A BIC is either 8 or 11 characters long. First comes four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

No matter which bank, every code from Austria share the same fifth and sixth letters: the ISO code of the country. When those two letters do not match Austria, you are looking at a bank somewhere else – worth double-checking.

If the last three are XXX, it means the head office and the short version works just as well. Choose a branch code only when the recipient’s bank asks for it – otherwise stick with the head office.

Banks in Austria beginning with the letter :letter

This filter narrows the list to banks in Austria starting with :letter to make searching quicker. The totals mentioned above always refer to the whole country and not only this selection.

If the bank you need is missing under :letter, try another letter: banks are often registered under their full legal name. Use the full list for Austria when you are not sure how the name is spelled.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Most accounts in Austria are usually held in EUR. A payment in a foreign currency is converted into EUR, and whoever converts it chooses the rate.

Where the conversion happens affects the final amount, since every bank sets its own rate. Check how much EUR the recipient gets with several services; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Receiving money in Austria from abroad

A sender in another country needs several details from you. 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 address.

Look up the bank in the list above and compare the code with your own bank details, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. Certain banks may also ask for the name and address of your bank, so keep it at hand.

Expect that the incoming amount is below what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank; check the price list of your bank. For business payments, state how the fees are split.

What a transfer to Austria really costs

When you send money to Austria with a regular bank, the fee you see is only part of the cost. Besides a fixed fee, intermediary banks can deduct a charge and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually uses a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Check the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate. The difference is your real cost.

For a lot of currency pairs, a transfer service is less expensive than a bank. GoldexPay compares transfer services side by side, showing the amount that reaches the recipient before you commit.

Euro payments to Austria: is a BIC needed?

Because Austria is part of the SEPA zone, a euro transfer to an account in Austria usually requires just the IBAN. Most banking apps no longer ask for the BIC for these payments.

You still need the BIC for payments in other currencies or money from outside the SEPA area. SEPA transfers normally land within one business day or faster with instant payments. As long as no conversion is involved, the transfer tends to be inexpensive.

Transfer times to Austria

There is no fixed delivery time for transfers to Austria: some land within a day while others need several business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays usually start a business day later.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact the sending bank for a trace; only the sending side can start an official trace. Specialist transfer services often show a status online.