SWIFT/BIC codes in Bulgaria

Bank SWIFT codes for Bulgaria

This overview lists 122 banks and other institutions in Bulgaria and 132 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. Every code points to a bank or one of its branches.

Look for the recipient’s bank in the list and open its page for all codes we have and the details a transfer needs. The rest of this page explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing.

What the letters in a Bulgaria BIC mean

Bank identifier codes use one international format: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. First comes four letters for the bank, followed by a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

You can spot a code from Bulgaria from the fifth and sixth characters: they always show the ISO country code of Bulgaria. If the country letters do not match Bulgaria, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else, so check again.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. For most transfers the head office code is what you need.

When does money sent to Bulgaria arrive?

There is no fixed delivery time for payments to Bulgaria: many arrive the same day or the next while others need several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays often start a business day later.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact the sending bank for a trace. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms – you will need it if something goes wrong.

Incoming international payments in Bulgaria

A sender in another country will ask for a few details from you, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address.

Find your bank in the list on this page and compare the code with your own bank details. You can include the name and city of your bank as well because some forms have separate fields for it.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate comes on top. On invoices, state who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

What a transfer to Bulgaria really costs

The price of a transfer to Bulgaria is made up of several parts, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. You pay a transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup when currencies differ.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest part of the cost. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate.

Money transfer services frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before you send money to Bulgaria, take a minute comparing the total cost on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Euro payments to Bulgaria: is a BIC needed?

Because Bulgaria is in SEPA, a euro payment to an account in Bulgaria normally requires just an IBAN. Many banks no longer ask for the BIC in that case.

You will still need the BIC when sending non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. Instant euro transfers are widely supported within SEPA. Costs stay low provided everything stays in euros – conversion is what costs money.

Most SWIFT codes in Bulgaria: Unicredit Bulbank Ad

Of all banks in Bulgaria, Unicredit Bulbank Ad has the most SWIFT codes. The head office of Unicredit Bulbank Ad has UNCRBGSFXXX and that code covers most payments.

Many codes often means that the bank registers branches and departments separately, not necessarily that the bank is the biggest in the country. Unless the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code UNCRBGSFXXX works for a payment to Unicredit Bulbank Ad.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Bulgaria

The most reliable source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. If the code you have does not match the code listed here, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory draws on publicly available sources that we update periodically. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes and our data may lag behind. Before a payment of any size, confirm the code with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is a comparison service and not part of any bank listed here.

Scammers regularly send payment requests carrying new bank details that look completely genuine. Always confirm a change of bank details by phone on a number you know.