SWIFT/BIC codes in Brunei

SWIFT/BIC codes in Brunei

Our directory contains 13 banks and other institutions in Brunei. You need a SWIFT/BIC code mostly for international transfers and for payments in a foreign currency.

Search for the recipient’s bank below and open its page to see all codes we have and the details a transfer needs. The sections below explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes before a payment.

About our data and how to check a code

The best place to find the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank. When the code you were given differs from the code listed here, do not guess: check with the recipient or the bank.

This list is compiled from public sources that we update periodically. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes. Use this list as a reference rather than the last word: the bank details from the recipient come first. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and has no link to the banks in this list.

Fraudsters often use payment requests carrying changed bank details. Always verify changed details by phone, using a number you already had.

Most SWIFT codes in Brunei: United Overseas Bank LTD

Of all banks we list for Brunei, United Overseas Bank LTD is listed with the largest number of codes. The head office of United Overseas Bank LTD has UOVBBNBBXXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

Banks differ in how many codes they register – a high count is not a measure of size. Paying someone at United Overseas Bank LTD? Go with UOVBBNBBXXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

What a sender needs to pay you in Brunei

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for a few details about your account. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

Look up your bank in the list above. It helps to add the name and city of your bank, since some payment forms ask for it.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Fees for incoming transfers differ from bank to bank. Agree with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

How SWIFT codes from Brunei are built

A BIC is 8 or 11 characters long and follows a fixed pattern. It starts with a four-letter bank code, followed by a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

No matter which bank, all Brunei codes share the same fifth and sixth letters, namely the ISO code of Brunei. If the country letters do not match Brunei, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the main office and the short version works just as well. Choose a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one.

Bank or transfer service for Brunei?

What you pay for a payment to Brunei is made up of more than one component. There is a transfer fee, possibly fees from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate if the money is converted.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest part of the cost, even though it is not listed as a fee. An easy check: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For many routes, a transfer service is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the rate. GoldexPay compares these providers next to each other so you can see what actually arrives in Brunei.

Paying a bank in Brunei from abroad

Since Brunei does not belong to SEPA, an international payment is usually sent as a SWIFT payment. That means you always need the SWIFT/BIC code of the recipient’s bank, together with the account number or IBAN.

In some countries, accounts are identified by a domestic account number instead of an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. The receiving bank often provides instructions for payments from abroad – follow them exactly. On the way to Brunei, a transfer can pass through correspondent banks that charge for their part.

How long does a transfer to Brunei take?

There is no single delivery time for transfers to Brunei: some land within a day. Payments made after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often go out the next business day.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each payment carries a unique reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived.