SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium: banks starting with E

SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium

Our directory lists 333 banks and financial institutions in Belgium and 651 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. Each code points to an institution or a specific branch or department, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Every bank has its own page with its main code and, where available, codes for branches and departments. The sections below explain the structure of the codes, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing before you send money.

What the letters in a Belgium BIC mean

Bank identifier codes use one international format: eight characters plus an optional three-character extension. It starts with a four-letter bank code, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

You can recognise a code from Belgium from the fifth and sixth characters: they always show the ISO country code of Belgium. When those two letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank in another country – worth double-checking.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the head office, and the 8-character version leads to the same place. In most cases the head office code is what you need, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

When does money sent to Belgium arrive?

How fast a payment reaches Belgium is determined by several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Bank holidays in either country add extra days, because banks do not process payments on those days.

If the money is delayed, ask the sender to contact the sending bank – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Save the payment confirmation until the money has arrived.

Sending EUR to Belgium

Belgium uses the Euro, with the currency code EUR. A payment in a foreign currency is exchanged into EUR before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who does the conversion affects how much arrives, since every bank sets its own rate. In many cases you pay less if you send EUR directly through a provider that converts near the mid-market rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. Exchange rates change during the day.

Incoming international payments in Belgium

When you are waiting for a payment from another country in Belgium, give the sender a complete set of details. In practice that means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and sometimes your address.

Find your bank in the list on this page, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. Some banks may also ask for your bank’s address.

Expect that the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank. For business payments, agree who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

Belgium and the SEPA area

Because Belgium is in the SEPA zone, a euro transfer to an account in Belgium normally only needs the IBAN. Most banking apps no longer ask for the BIC in that case.

You will still need the BIC for payments in other currencies or money from outside the SEPA area. Euro payments within SEPA normally land within one business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Fees are generally low as long as everything stays in euros – conversion is what costs money.

The cheapest way to send money to Belgium

What you pay for a payment to Belgium is made up of more than one component. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank often uses a rate below the actual market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate. Compare the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service turns out to be less expensive than a traditional bank transfer. Before your next transfer to Belgium, take a minute comparing the total cost via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Most SWIFT codes in Belgium: BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium

Of the 333 banks we list for Belgium, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium has the largest number of codes. The head office uses PARBBEBZXXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

A large number of codes often reflects separate codes for branches, departments or services. If not the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code PARBBEBZXXX works for a payment to BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium.

Banks in Belgium beginning with the letter :letter

The letter filter narrows the list to banks in Belgium starting with :letter to make searching quicker. The counts in the introduction always cover the whole country and not only this selection.

Many institutions appear under their legal name rather than the name on their app or website, so the letter can differ from what you expect. The full overview for Belgium remains one click away if the letter filter does not help.

Check the code before you pay

The best place to find the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank. When the code you were given differs from the code listed here, do not guess.

We gather bank codes using publicly available data and update our list from time to time. Banks merge, close branches and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. For a payment that matters, confirm the code with the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service and not part of any bank listed here.

Watch out for payment requests with changed bank details. A real SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account – scammers use the codes of real banks.