SWIFT/BIC codes in Austria: banks starting with U

Bank SWIFT codes for Austria

For Austria our database holds 1191 SWIFT/BIC codes. A SWIFT code tells the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank should receive an international payment.

Search for the bank you need in the list and open its page to see all codes we have and what else a transfer requires. The rest of this page covers how the codes work, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing before you send money.

Austria and the Euro

Austria pays in the Euro, with the currency code EUR. Money sent in a different currency is exchanged into EUR before it reaches the account, and whoever converts it chooses the rate.

Where the conversion happens affects how much arrives, as rates and margins differ per bank. In many cases it is cheaper if you send EUR directly via a provider with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. On larger amounts, a seemingly small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Austria

The best place to find the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank. A wrong code may lead to a delay, a returned payment or extra fees, so compare it with the list on this page.

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and check them from time to time. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes and our data may lag behind. Use this list as a starting point rather than the last word; the recipient’s bank details are leading. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site.

Scammers regularly send payment requests with changed bank details from what looks like a familiar address. Always confirm changed details through a separate channel on a number you know.

SWIFT codes in Austria: banks under :letter

This page shows only banks in Austria beginning with :letter, sorted alphabetically. The counts in the introduction still cover all banks in Austria and not only this selection.

Many institutions appear under their official name, which may start with words like Bank or Banco, so the letter can differ from what you expect. The full overview for Austria remains one click away if you cannot find the bank here.

What a sender needs to pay you in Austria

For an international payment in Austria, the person paying you needs not just the SWIFT code. 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 sometimes your postal address.

Look up the bank in the list on this page to check its code – your bank statement is the final word. Some banks may also want the name and address of your bank; it does no harm to include it.

What lands in your account is often less than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank; check the price list of your bank. On invoices, state how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

Most SWIFT codes in Austria: Unicredit Bank Austria AG

In our data, Unicredit Bank Austria AG holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Austria. The head office of Unicredit Bank Austria AG uses BKAUATWWXXX and that code covers most payments.

Banks differ in how many codes they register. Unless the recipient asks for a branch, BKAUATWWXXX is fine for transfers to this bank.

How long does a transfer to Austria take?

There is no single answer for payments to Austria: some land the same day or the next, others take several business days. Payments made late in the day or just before weekends and holidays usually go out a business day later.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each payment carries a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Specialist transfer services often provide a status online, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

Paying in euros to Austria

Austria is a member of the SEPA area, where euro transfers follow common rules. For a regular euro transfer from another SEPA country, the IBAN is usually enough.

You still need a SWIFT code when sending non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. Instant euro transfers have become widely available across SEPA, though not every bank offers them for every account. Provided no conversion is involved, the transfer is usually cheap.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Austria

Every SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters, always in the same order. It starts with four letters for the bank, followed by two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

You can recognise a code from Austria from the fifth and sixth characters: they always show the ISO country code of Austria. If the country letters do not match Austria, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else, so check again.

An 11-character code adds three characters for a branch – XXX stands for the head office. Choose a branch code just when the recipient’s bank asks for it; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

Bank or transfer service for Austria?

If you transfer money to Austria with your bank, the stated fee is rarely all of the cost. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate when currencies differ.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. Compare the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For many routes, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a bank – mostly thanks to the exchange rate. GoldexPay compares these providers next to each other so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient before you commit.