SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium: banks starting with I

Finding a SWIFT code in Belgium

Here you will find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 333 banks in Belgium. You need such a code mostly for international transfers, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Select a bank below to see the head office code and its other codes. The sections below explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes before a payment.

Bank or transfer service for Belgium?

A bank transfer to Belgium can cost more than you think. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate.

The real cost is often in the rate. A simple test: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialist money transfer services often use a rate near the mid-market rate. Before you send money to Belgium, take a minute comparing what arrives on GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

Banks in Belgium starting with :letter

The letter filter limits the list down to banks from Belgium that begin with :letter to make searching quicker. The totals mentioned here cover every bank we list and not only this letter.

If the bank you need is missing here, try the full list – the registered name can differ from the name people use. Use the full list for Belgium when you do not know how the name is spelled.

Which bank in Belgium has the most codes?

Of all banks we list for Belgium, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium has the most codes. Its head office code is PARBBEBZXXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

The number of codes says something about how it registers branches and services than about its size. If not a branch code is given, PARBBEBZXXX is fine for transfers to this bank.

Check the code before you pay

Ask the recipient to send you their bank details directly from their banking app. When the code you were given differs from our list, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

We collect bank codes using publicly available data and update them regularly. Still, banks merge or retire codes. For a payment that matters, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service.

Be wary of payment requests with changed bank details, especially when they come by email. A valid BIC tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine.

Paying in EUR: what conversion costs you

The local currency in Belgium is the Euro (EUR). Money sent in a different currency is converted into EUR on its way to the recipient – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount. In many cases it is cheaper if you send EUR directly via 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.

Belgium and the SEPA area

Because Belgium is part of the SEPA zone, a euro transfer to a bank in Belgium normally requires just the IBAN. Many banks no longer ask for the BIC for these payments.

You will still need a SWIFT code for non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. SEPA transfers usually arrive within one business day. Provided the payment stays in euros, the transfer tends to be cheap.

Transfer times to Belgium

An international transfer to Belgium typically needs one to a few business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually start the next business day.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Each payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Money transfer services often provide tracking online so you can follow the payment.

What a sender needs to pay you in Belgium

A sender in another country needs several details about your account – incomplete details often cause delays. Give them the account holder’s name, the IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

The code of your bank appears in our list but always compare it with your own bank details. Some banks may also want your bank’s address.

The amount you receive is often less than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Belgium

A BIC is 8 or 11 characters long and follows a fixed pattern. It starts with a four-letter bank code, followed by two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

Whatever the bank, all Belgium codes share the same country code in positions five and six, namely the ISO code of Belgium. If those two letters do not match Belgium, you are looking at a bank somewhere else.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the main office, and the 8-character version leads to the same place. Use a branch code only if the recipient’s bank asks for it – otherwise stick with the head office.