SWIFT/BIC codes in Belize

Belize: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

This overview lists 17 banks and financial institutions in Belize and 19 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. You need such a code mostly when making international transfers and for payments in a foreign currency.

Look for the recipient’s bank below and open its page to see the full list of codes and the details a transfer needs. The sections below explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes before you send money.

About our data and how to check a code

The best place to find the correct BIC remains paperwork issued by the bank. When the code you were given does not match the code listed here, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

This list is based on publicly available sources that we update periodically. Banks merge, change names and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Before a payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is not a bank and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Fraudsters regularly use fake invoices carrying changed bank details that look completely genuine. A valid BIC says nothing about whether a request is genuine.

Paying a bank in Belize from abroad

Belize is outside the SEPA area, so European euro rules do not apply. Payments from abroad normally travel through the SWIFT network – which is why you need the BIC of the recipient’s bank.

In some countries, accounts are identified by a local account number instead of an IBAN and sometimes a local routing or branch code. The recipient’s bank often provides instructions for payments from abroad, and it is worth following them to the letter. SWIFT payments can pass through one or more intermediary banks.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Belize

Every SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters, always in the same order. Characters one to four stand for the bank, characters five and six form the country code and the next two mark the location.

No matter which bank, every code from Belize have the same fifth and sixth letters, namely the ISO code of Belize. When the country letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank somewhere else.

When a code ends in XXX, it refers to the head office, and the 8-character version leads to the same place. Choose a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Belize

For a transfer from abroad in Belize, the sender needs more than the SWIFT code. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your postal address.

The code of your bank is in our list but always compare it with your own bank details. Certain banks may also want the name and address of your bank; it does no harm to include it.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. For business payments, agree who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

Sending money to Belize for less

The price of a payment to Belize is made up of several parts. You pay a transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest part of the cost because it is hidden in the rate. Check the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a bank – mostly thanks to the exchange rate. Before your next transfer to Belize, it is worth comparing the total cost via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Transfer times to Belize

There is no fixed answer for transfers to Belize: many land the same day or the next. Payments made late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday often go out a business day later.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact the sending bank for a trace; only the sending side can start an official trace. Money transfer services usually show tracking online so you can follow the payment.

The largest SWIFT network in Belize: Atlantic Bank Limited

In our directory, Atlantic Bank Limited holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes in Belize. The head office uses LIBABZBZXXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

Practice differs in how many codes they register. Paying someone at Atlantic Bank Limited? Go with LIBABZBZXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.