SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium: banks starting with P

SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium

Here you will find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 333 banks in Belgium, 651 codes in all. A SWIFT code shows every bank in the chain exactly which bank should receive an international payment.

Each bank is listed with its own page with its main code and, where available, codes for branches and departments. The sections below explain the structure of the codes, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes before a payment.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Belgium

Each SWIFT/BIC code consists of 8 or 11 characters in a fixed order. First comes four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

For banks in Belgium, letters five and six show the two-letter ISO code of Belgium, which makes these codes easy to recognise. If the country letters do not match Belgium, you are looking at a bank somewhere else.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the head office, and the 8-character version leads to the same place. Choose a branch code just when the recipient’s bank asks for it.

Which bank in Belgium has the most codes?

BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium leads our list for Belgium when it comes to SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses PARBBEBZXXX.

Banks differ in whether they register branch codes – a high count is not a measure of size. Paying someone at BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium? Use PARBBEBZXXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

The cheapest way to send money to Belgium

When you send money to Belgium through a regular bank, the fee you see is only part of the cost. You pay the transfer fee, possibly fees from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest part of the cost because it is hidden in the rate. Check the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites. The difference is your real cost.

For a lot of routes, a specialist provider is less expensive than a bank. GoldexPay compares these providers next to each other so you can see what actually arrives in Belgium.

Receiving money in Belgium from abroad

To receive a transfer from abroad into a Belgium account, the person paying you has to have more than the SWIFT code. Give them your name as registered with the bank, the IBAN or account number, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Find the bank in the list on this page to check its code, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. It helps to include the name and city of your bank as well.

What lands in your account can be less than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate applies. On invoices, state who bears the costs.

About our data and how to check a code

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details. An incorrect BIC can cause a delay, a returned payment or extra fees, so compare it with the list on this page.

The directory on GoldexPay is compiled from publicly available sources that we update periodically. Banks reorganise, change names and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Before any payment of any size, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. We are an independent comparison site, not a bank.

Scammers often send payment requests with new bank details that look completely genuine. A valid BIC says nothing about who owns the account – scammers use the codes of real banks.

Banks in Belgium starting with :letter

You are looking at a filtered list: just institutions in Belgium whose name begins with :letter. The totals mentioned here apply to every bank we list, not just the ones under :letter.

Many institutions are listed under their legal name. Try the full list for Belgium when you do not know how the name is spelled.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

The currency in Belgium is the Euro (EUR). When you pay money in a different currency, it gets converted somewhere along the way.

Who converts the money matters: every bank has its own margin. Often you pay less to send EUR straight away through 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 adds up quickly.

SEPA transfers to Belgium

Since Belgium is in the SEPA zone, a euro payment to an account in Belgium normally requires just an IBAN. Most banking apps no longer ask for the BIC for these payments.

A SWIFT code does come into play when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. Euro payments within SEPA usually arrive within one business day. As long as the payment stays in euros, the transfer tends to be cheap.

Transfer times to Belgium

How quickly money reaches Belgium depends on several factors: the currency, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Public holidays in either country can add a day or more, because banks do not process payments on those days.

If the money is late, ask the sender to contact their own bank and ask for the status or the UETR; only the sending side can start an official trace. Money transfer services usually provide tracking online.