SWIFT/BIC codes in Burundi

Burundi: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

In Burundi our database holds 17 SWIFT/BIC codes from 15 financial institutions. You will need such a code mostly when making international transfers.

Search for the bank you need in the list and click through 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.

Transfer times to Burundi

There is no fixed delivery time for transfers to Burundi: some arrive within a day, others take several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday often start a business day later.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact their own bank. Money transfer services often show a status online so you can follow the payment.

What the letters in a Burundi BIC mean

Every SWIFT/BIC code has 8 or 11 characters in a fixed order. First comes four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

In every code from Burundi, letters five and six are the ISO country code of Burundi. When those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else.

The long version ends in three characters for a branch, where XXX means the head office. For most transfers the head office code is what you need, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

The largest SWIFT network in Burundi: Banque de la Republique du Burundi

Banque de la Republique du Burundi leads our list of Burundi banks in SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office of Banque de la Republique du Burundi uses BRBUBIB2XXX and that code covers most payments.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes – a high count is not a measure of size. Making a payment to Banque de la Republique du Burundi? Go with BRBUBIB2XXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

Paying a bank in Burundi from abroad

Burundi is outside the SEPA area, the European zone for uniform euro payments. International transfers to Burundi normally go through the SWIFT network, and the BIC of the receiving bank is required.

In some countries, accounts are identified by a domestic account number rather than an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. The recipient’s bank usually has instructions for payments from abroad. On the way to Burundi, a transfer may go through intermediary banks that take a fee.

About our data and how to check a code

Have the recipient send you the account details directly from their banking app. An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a payment being sent back or extra fees, so compare it with the list on this page.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is based on publicly available sources and is updated regularly. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes, so information can be out of date. Use our data as a starting point, not as the final word. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site for money transfers, not a bank.

Fraudsters often use fake invoices carrying changed bank details from what looks like a familiar address. A valid BIC tells you nothing about who owns the account.

What a sender needs to pay you in Burundi

If you expect a payment from another country on an account in Burundi, give the sender a complete set of details. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Look up your bank in the list on this page, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. Some banks may also ask for the name and address of your bank.

What lands in your account can be less than the amount sent. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. For business payments, state how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

The cheapest way to send money to Burundi

What you pay for a payment to Burundi is made up of several parts, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. Besides the fee, correspondent banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually uses a rate below the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. An easy check: set the rate you get 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. Before your next transfer to Burundi, take a minute to compare what arrives on GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.