SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium: banks starting with U

Belgium: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

For Belgium we have 651 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 333 banks. You need a SWIFT/BIC code mostly when making payments across borders.

Every bank has its own page showing its main code and, where available, branch codes. Below the list you can read how a code from Belgium is put together, how to send money to Belgium without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

SWIFT codes in Belgium: banks under :letter

This list only shows banks in Belgium beginning with :letter in alphabetical order. The totals mentioned above always refer to all banks in Belgium and not only this selection.

Many institutions appear under their official name. Use the full list for Belgium if you are not sure how the name is spelled.

Check the code before you pay

Ask the recipient to copy their bank details straight from a recent statement. A wrong code may lead to a delay, a returned payment or extra fees.

This list is based on publicly available sources. Institutions merge, close branches and retire codes. Before any payment that matters, check the code with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is not a bank and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Fraudsters often send fake invoices carrying new bank details that look completely genuine. A valid BIC tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine – scammers use the codes of real banks.

Belgium and the SEPA area

Inside SEPA, euro transfers to Belgium follow the same rules. A field for the BIC is usually optional in that case.

A SWIFT code does matter for payments in other currencies. SEPA transfers normally land by the next business day or faster with instant payments. As long as no conversion is involved, the transfer is usually cheap.

What the letters in a Belgium BIC mean

Each SWIFT/BIC code has 8 or 11 characters in a fixed order. The first four letters identify the bank, characters five and six are the country code and the next two give the location.

For banks in Belgium, letters five and six show the ISO country code of Belgium. When the country letters do not match Belgium, you are looking at a bank in another country – worth double-checking.

An 11-character code ends in a branch code, where XXX means the head office. For most transfers the head office code is what you need unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

Incoming international payments in Belgium

A sender in another country will ask for several details about your account – incomplete details often cause delays. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and, often, your address.

Your bank’s code appears in our list but always compare it with your own bank details. Certain banks also want the name and address of your bank.

Expect that the amount credited is below what the sender paid. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin applies. For business payments, agree how the fees are split.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

The currency of Belgium is the Euro (EUR). If you send money in a different currency, the amount gets converted at some point – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Which bank converts the money matters. In many cases you pay less if you send EUR straight away through a transfer service with a good rate. With bigger transfers, even a small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

The cheapest way to send money to Belgium

If you transfer money to Belgium via a regular bank, the stated fee is only part of what you pay. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent banks may take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank often applies a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest part of the cost because it is hidden in the rate. An easy check: put the offered rate next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Money transfer services often use rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay compares these providers side by side, showing the amount that reaches the recipient.

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

In our data, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Belgium has the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes in Belgium. Its head office code is PARBBEBZXXX.

How many codes a bank has tells you something about how it registers branches and services than about how big it is. If not a branch code is given, PARBBEBZXXX is fine for transfers to this bank.

Transfer times to Belgium

An international transfer to Belgium usually needs one to a few business days. Bank holidays in either country can add a day or more, because banks do not process payments on those days.

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