SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium: banks starting with N

SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium

For Belgium our database holds 651 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 333 banks. Every code points to a bank or one of its branches, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Every bank has its own page showing its main code and if there are any, branch codes. The sections below explain how the codes work, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing.

What a transfer to Belgium really costs

When you send money to Belgium via a regular bank, the stated fee is only part of the cost. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent banks can take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank often applies a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. Compare the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites. The difference is your real cost.

Specialist money transfer services frequently use rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before you send money to Belgium, take a minute comparing the total cost on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Euro payments to Belgium: is a BIC needed?

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to Belgium follow common rules. A field for the BIC is often optional in that case.

You still need a SWIFT code when sending payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Euro payments within SEPA usually arrive within one business day or faster with instant payments. As long as the payment stays in euros, a SEPA transfer tends to be inexpensive.

When does money sent to Belgium arrive?

There is no single delivery time for payments to Belgium: many arrive within a day while others need several business days. Payments made late in the day or just before weekends and holidays usually start a business day later.

If a transfer is delayed, ask the sender to contact their own bank for a trace – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Money transfer services usually show a status online, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

Which bank in Belgium has the most codes?

Among the 333 institutions we list, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Belgium. The head office of BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium has PARBBEBZXXX.

Practice differs in how many codes they register. Making a payment to BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium? Use PARBBEBZXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

How SWIFT codes from Belgium are built

Bank identifier codes use one international format: 8 characters, sometimes followed by three more. First comes four letters for the bank, followed by two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

For banks in Belgium, characters five and six are the two-letter ISO code of Belgium, which makes these codes easy to recognise. A code with other letters in that position come from a bank abroad – a quick way to catch mistakes.

If the last three are XXX, it refers to the head office and the short version works just as well. For most transfers the head office code is what you need, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

About our data and how to check a code

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. When the code you were given does not match our list, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

This list draws on publicly available sources. Even so, banks merge or retire codes, so information can be out of date. Treat our data as a starting point, not as the final word. We are an independent comparison site for money transfers.

Fraudsters regularly send payment requests carrying changed bank details. A valid BIC says nothing about whether a request is genuine.

Paying in EUR: what conversion costs you

Belgium uses the Euro (EUR). A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into EUR before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who does the conversion has an effect on the final amount. Often you pay less to send EUR straight away via a transfer service with a good rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. With bigger transfers, even a small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

SWIFT codes in Belgium: banks under :letter

This list only shows banks in Belgium beginning with :letter. The totals mentioned above always cover the whole country.

If the bank you need is missing under :letter, try the full list: banks are often registered under their full legal name. Try the full list for Belgium if you are not sure how the name is spelled.

What a sender needs to pay you in Belgium

If you are waiting for money from abroad on an account in Belgium, give the sender a complete set of details. Give them your name as registered with the bank, the IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and your address.

Find your bank in the list on this page to check its code, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. Certain banks also want your bank’s address.

Expect that the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.