SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium: banks starting with M

Finding a SWIFT code in Belgium

Our directory lists 333 banks and other institutions in Belgium. A SWIFT code shows the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank is meant to get the money.

Pick a bank from the list to view its head office code and any branch codes, plus practical notes for sending and receiving money. The rest of this page explain the structure of the codes, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing before a payment.

How SWIFT codes from Belgium are built

A SWIFT code is 8 or 11 characters long. It starts with a four-letter bank code, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

No matter which bank, all Belgium codes share the same fifth and sixth letters. If the country letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank in another country, so check again.

The long version ends in a branch code – XXX stands for the head office. Choose a branch code only when the recipient’s bank asks for it.

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

Of all banks we list for Belgium, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium is listed with the most codes. The head office of BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium uses PARBBEBZXXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

A large number of codes often reflects separate codes for branches, departments or services – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. Unless a branch code is given, PARBBEBZXXX is fine for transfers to this bank.

Paying in euros to Belgium

Inside SEPA, euro transfers to Belgium follow common rules, so the IBAN does the job in most cases. The BIC field is usually optional in that case.

You still need the BIC for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. SEPA transfers usually arrive by the next business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. As long as the payment stays in euros, the transfer tends to be inexpensive.

Tracking a payment to Belgium

How quickly a payment arrives in Belgium is determined by several factors: the currency, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Payments made late in the day or just before weekends and holidays often go out the next business day.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Save your transfer receipt; a bank needs it to start a trace.

Incoming international payments in Belgium

For an international payment in Belgium, the sender has to have not just the BIC. In practice that means: your name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and usually your postal address.

Find your bank in the list on this page. Certain sending banks may also want your bank’s address; it does no harm to include it.

What lands in your account is often lower than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank; check the price list of your bank. For business payments, state how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

Belgium and the Euro

The local currency of Belgium is the Euro (EUR). Money sent in a different currency is exchanged into EUR.

Where the conversion happens affects how much arrives, since every bank sets its own rate. Check what EUR the recipient gets with different providers before choosing one. With bigger transfers, even a small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

The cheapest way to send money to Belgium

If you transfer money to Belgium with a regular bank, the stated fee is rarely all of what you pay. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent banks can take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually uses a rate below the real market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. A simple test: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the rate. Before you send money to Belgium, take a minute comparing the total cost on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Banks in Belgium starting with :letter

You are looking at a filtered list: just institutions in Belgium with a name starting with :letter. The totals mentioned here cover every bank we list.

Some banks are listed under their legal name, which may start with words like Bank or Banco, so the letter can differ from what you expect. The complete list is available if you cannot find the bank here.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Belgium

The best place to find the right code remains a document from the bank itself. A wrong code may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges.

The directory on GoldexPay draws on public sources that we update periodically. Banks reorganise, change names and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Treat our data as a starting point, not as the final word: the bank details from the recipient come first. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers.

Watch out for invoices with changed bank details – a common fraud method. A valid BIC says nothing about who owns the account: criminals use real codes too.