SWIFT/BIC codes in Austria: banks starting with X

Finding a SWIFT code in Austria

For Austria we have 1191 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 822 institutions. Each code points to a bank or a specific branch or department and tells other banks where an international payment should go.

Choose a bank from the list to see the head office code and any branch codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. Further down we explain how codes from Austria are built, how to send money there at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

SWIFT codes in Austria: banks under :letter

This page only shows banks in Austria whose name starts with :letter in alphabetical order. The totals mentioned above still cover the whole country.

Cannot find the bank? Its official name might start with a different letter, for example the full legal name rather than a brand name. The full overview for Austria remains one click away when the letter filter does not help.

Euro payments to Austria: is a BIC needed?

Within the SEPA zone, euro transfers to Austria use common rules, so the IBAN does the job in most cases. The BIC field is usually optional in that case.

A SWIFT code still matter when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. Euro payments within SEPA normally land by the next business day. Fees are generally low provided everything stays in euros.

Check the code before you pay

Ask the recipient to copy the account details directly from their banking app. If the code you have does not match the code listed here, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

We gather bank codes from public sources and update our list regularly. Banks reorganise, change names and change codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Before a payment that matters, check the code with the recipient. We are an independent comparison site for money transfers, not a bank.

Be wary of payment requests with changed bank details. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details by phone.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Austria

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

The code of your bank appears in our list but always compare it with your own bank details. You can include your bank’s name and city.

What lands in your account can be less than what was sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate comes on top. Agree with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

When does money sent to Austria arrive?

How quickly a payment arrives in Austria depends on a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often go out the next business day.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact their own bank and ask for the status or the UETR; only the sending side can start an official trace. Specialist transfer services often provide tracking in their app.

Most SWIFT codes in Austria: Unicredit Bank Austria AG

Of the 822 banks in Austria, Unicredit Bank Austria AG is listed with the largest number of SWIFT codes. Its head office code is BKAUATWWXXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

Many codes often reflects that the bank registers branches and departments separately, not necessarily that the bank is the biggest in the country. Paying someone at Unicredit Bank Austria AG? Go with BKAUATWWXXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

Bank or transfer service for Austria?

If you transfer money to Austria through your bank, the fee you see is only part of the cost. Besides the fee, correspondent banks may deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank often uses a rate below the real market rate.

The markup on the rate is often the largest cost item. A simple test: set the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialist money transfer services often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate. Before you send money to Austria, take a minute comparing the total cost on GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

What the letters in a Austria BIC mean

SWIFT/BIC codes follow the same format worldwide: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. It starts with a four-letter bank code, then two letters for the country and two characters for the location.

You can spot a code from Austria by the fifth and sixth characters – those always form the country code of Austria. A code with a different country code belong to another country.

The last three characters, if present, identify a branch or department; XXX means the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine.

Austria and the Euro

The local currency of Austria is the Euro (EUR). If you send another currency, it gets converted somewhere along the way.

Where the conversion happens affects how much arrives, as rates and margins differ per bank. In many cases it is cheaper to send EUR straight away through a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate. On larger amounts, a seemingly small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.