SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium: banks starting with B

SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium

On this page you find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 333 banks in Belgium. A SWIFT code shows every bank in the chain which institution should receive an international payment.

Look for the bank you need below and click through to see all codes we have. Below the list you can read how codes from Belgium are built, how to send money there without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

What a sender needs to pay you in Belgium

A sender in another country needs a few details about your account – incomplete details often cause delays. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

Find the bank in the list above to check its code. Some banks may also ask for the name and address of your bank.

The amount you receive can be less than the amount sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate comes on top. On invoices, state how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

Check the code before you pay

The best place to find the right code 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, do not guess.

This list is based on publicly available sources that we update periodically. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes, so information can be out of date. For a payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site.

Watch out for invoices with a new account – a common fraud method. Before paying, verify a change of bank details through a separate channel on a number you know.

Paying in euros to Belgium

Belgium is a member of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the zone for uniform euro payments. When you send euros within SEPA, you normally only need the IBAN; many banks no longer ask for the BIC.

A SWIFT code does come into play when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. SEPA transfers usually arrive by the next business day or faster with instant payments. Provided the payment stays in euros, a SEPA transfer tends to be inexpensive.

Filter: banks in Belgium with :letter

Here you see a selection: just institutions in Belgium whose name begins with :letter. The totals mentioned above always refer to all banks in Belgium, not just this letter.

If a bank does not appear here, try another letter – the registered name can differ from the name people use. The complete list is one click away if the letter filter does not help.

The structure of a Belgium SWIFT/BIC code

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

Whatever the bank, all Belgium codes share the same fifth and sixth letters, namely the ISO code of Belgium. When those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else.

The optional last three characters stand for a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. Choose a branch code just when the recipient explicitly gives you one – otherwise stick with the head office.

What a transfer to Belgium really costs

If you transfer money to Belgium through your bank, the fee you see is rarely all of what you pay. There is the transfer fee, possibly charges from intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup when currencies differ.

That exchange rate margin is often the largest part of the cost, even though it is not listed as a fee. Compare the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For many routes, a specialist provider is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. GoldexPay lists transfer services next to each other, showing the amount that reaches the recipient for the same amount sent.

Paying in EUR: what conversion costs you

The currency in Belgium is the Euro (EUR). Money sent in a different currency is converted into EUR before it reaches the account.

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 provider with a good rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

Transfer times to Belgium

How fast money arrives in Belgium is determined by a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually start the next business day.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Specialist transfer services usually provide tracking in their app so you can follow the payment.

BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium and its SWIFT codes

BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium tops the list for Belgium when it comes to SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office of BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium has PARBBEBZXXX.

Practice differs in how many codes they register, so the count is not a ranking of size. Paying someone at BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium? Go with PARBBEBZXXX unless a specific branch code is requested.