SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium: banks starting with S

Finding a SWIFT code in Belgium

This overview lists 333 banks and financial institutions in Belgium, with 651 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. A SWIFT code shows the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank is meant to get the money.

Each bank is listed with its own page showing the head office code and if there are any, branch codes. The sections below covers how the codes work, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing.

Sending money to Belgium for less

A bank transfer to Belgium can cost rather more than the fee suggests. On top of the 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. Compare the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

Specialised transfer providers frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives in Belgium across providers.

Banks in Belgium starting with :letter

This list only shows banks in Belgium beginning with :letter in alphabetical order. The counts in the introduction always cover the whole country.

If the bank you need does not appear under :letter, check 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.

About our data and how to check a code

Ask the recipient to copy their bank details straight from a recent statement. When the code you were given differs from our list, stop and ask: check with the recipient or the bank.

We collect bank codes from public sources and check them regularly. Banks reorganise, close branches and retire codes. For a payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank. We are a comparison service for money transfers.

Fraudsters often send payment requests with new bank details that look completely genuine. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details by phone.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Belgium uses the Euro (EUR). A payment in a foreign currency will be converted into EUR before it reaches the account, and whoever converts it chooses the rate.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. Compare how much EUR the recipient gets via several services. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

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 uses PARBBEBZXXX.

Banks differ in how many codes they register. If not the recipient asks for a branch, PARBBEBZXXX is fine for a payment to BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium.

Tracking a payment to Belgium

There is no fixed answer for payments to Belgium: many land the same day or the next, others take several business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday often go out a business day later.

If the money is late, the sender should contact the sending bank; only the sending side can start an official trace. Specialist transfer services often show a status in their app, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Belgium

Each SWIFT/BIC code has 8 or 11 characters. The first four letters stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and the next two give the location.

You can spot a bank code from Belgium from letters five and six. If the country letters do not match Belgium, the code belongs to a bank in another country.

The long version ends in three characters for a branch – XXX stands for the head office. Use a branch code only when the recipient explicitly gives you one.

Incoming international payments in Belgium

When you are waiting for money from abroad on an account in Belgium, send the payer all details at once. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

Your bank’s code appears in our list. Certain banks 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 differ per bank. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

SEPA transfers to Belgium

Belgium belongs to the SEPA area. When you send euros within SEPA, the IBAN is usually enough; many banks no longer ask for the BIC.

You will still need the BIC when sending payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Euro payments within SEPA usually arrive by the next business day or faster with instant payments. Provided no conversion is involved, a SEPA transfer tends to be inexpensive.