SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium: banks starting with L

SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium

In Belgium our database holds 651 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 333 banks. Each code identifies a bank or a specific branch or department, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Choose a bank below to view its head office code and any branch codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. Further down you can read how a code from Belgium is put together, how to send money there without overpaying and how to check a code before you pay.

Check the code before you pay

Ask the recipient to send you the account details straight from their online banking. When the code you were given differs from our list, stop and ask.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory draws on public sources. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes. Use this list as a reference; the recipient’s bank details are leading. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Be wary of payment requests containing changed bank details – a common fraud method. Always verify a change of bank details by phone.

Filter: banks in Belgium with :letter

This filter narrows the list to banks from Belgium that begin with :letter. The counts in the introduction still refer to all banks in Belgium, not just this letter.

Many institutions appear under their official name, so the letter can differ from what you expect. Use the full list for Belgium when you are not sure how the name is spelled.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Belgium

If you are waiting for a payment from another country in Belgium, send the payer everything they need in one go. That means: your name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your address.

Find your bank in the list above to check its code, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. Some banks also ask for the name and address of your bank.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is below what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin applies. On invoices, state how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

Paying in EUR: what conversion costs you

The currency of Belgium is the Euro (EUR). A payment in a foreign currency is converted into EUR – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who converts the money makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Compare what EUR arrives with different providers. Exchange rates move all the time.

The largest SWIFT network in Belgium: BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium

In our data, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium has the most SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Belgium. The head office of BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium uses PARBBEBZXXX and that code covers most payments.

Banks differ in whether they register branch codes. Making a payment to BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium? Go with PARBBEBZXXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

Belgium and the SEPA area

Inside SEPA, euro transfers to Belgium use common rules. A field for the BIC is often optional for those payments.

The BIC still matter when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. SEPA transfers usually arrive by the next business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Costs stay low provided everything stays in euros; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

Bank or transfer service for Belgium?

A bank transfer to Belgium can cost rather more than you think. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent banks can deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank often applies a rate below the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. An easy check: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. Before your next transfer to Belgium, take a minute comparing what arrives via GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

Tracking a payment to Belgium

How quickly money reaches Belgium is determined by several factors: the currency, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Public holidays in either country can add a day or more.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Keep the payment confirmation until the money has arrived – you will need it if something goes wrong.

The structure of a Belgium SWIFT/BIC code

A SWIFT code is 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. Characters one to four stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and the next two give the location.

You can spot a code from Belgium by letters five and six – those always form the country code of Belgium. A code with a different country code belong to another country, even if the bank name looks familiar.

If the last three are XXX, it means the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine.