SWIFT/BIC codes in Austria: banks starting with S

Finding a SWIFT code in Austria

For Austria we have 1191 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 822 institutions. You need a SWIFT/BIC code mainly for payments across borders, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Look for the bank you need in the list and open its page for all codes we have and what else a transfer requires. The sections below explain how the codes work, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing.

Sending EUR to Austria

The local currency of Austria is the Euro (EUR). A payment in a foreign currency is exchanged into EUR on its way to the recipient – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who converts the money matters: every bank has its own margin. In many cases it is cheaper to send EUR directly via a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. With bigger transfers, even a small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

Which bank in Austria has the most codes?

Unicredit Bank Austria AG leads our list of Austria banks when it comes to the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses BKAUATWWXXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

Banks differ in whether they register branch codes – a high count is not a measure of size. Unless a branch code is given, the head office code BKAUATWWXXX works for transfers to this bank.

How reliable is this list?

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. A wrong code can cause delays, a returned payment or extra fees – compare it with the code in our list.

We gather bank codes from publicly available data and update them regularly. Banks reorganise, change names and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Before any payment of any size, confirm the code with the recipient. GoldexPay is not a bank and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Be wary of invoices containing a new account, especially when they come by email. Before paying, verify changed details by phone.

Filter: banks in Austria with :letter

Here you see a filtered list: only institutions in Austria with a name starting with :letter. The counts in the introduction always refer to all banks in Austria.

Bank not listed? The registered name may begin with another word. The full overview for Austria remains one click away if the letter filter does not help.

Euro payments to Austria: is a BIC needed?

Austria is part of the SEPA area, the zone for uniform euro payments. For a regular euro transfer from another SEPA country, the IBAN is usually enough.

A SWIFT code does come into play when the currency is not euros. Instant payments in euros are widely available across SEPA. Costs stay low as long as no currency is converted; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

Incoming international payments in Austria

When you expect money from abroad in Austria, give the sender all details at once. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and, often, your address.

Find your bank in the list on this page and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. It helps to include the name and city of your bank as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank. For business payments, agree who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

Bank or transfer service for Austria?

If you transfer money to Austria via a regular bank, the stated fee is rarely all of what you pay. Besides the fee, correspondent banks can deduct a charge and, if currencies are converted, the bank often uses a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

The markup on the rate tends to be the largest cost item because it is hidden in the rate. An easy check: put the rate you get against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the rate. Before you send money to Austria, take a minute comparing what arrives on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Austria

SWIFT/BIC codes follow one international format: 8 characters plus an optional three-character extension. It starts with four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

For banks in Austria, characters five and six show the two-letter ISO code of Austria – that is the quickest way to spot one. If those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else – worth double-checking.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the head office, and the 8-character version leads to the same place. Choose a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

How long does a transfer to Austria take?

A SWIFT payment to Austria typically needs anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Bank holidays in either country can add a day or more.

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 tracking online so you can follow the payment.