Interbank Burundi SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Interbank Burundi

The short code IBBUBIBI and the 11-character code IBBUBIBIXXX refer to the same bank: Interbank Burundi in Bujumbura, Burundi. A BIC has a single purpose: it ensures that money from abroad ends up at the right bank. In practice you mostly come across the code on international invoices, in your banking app and in the bank details that Interbank Burundi provides.

This page is meant to help people who sends money to an account at Interbank Burundi without mistakes. The SWIFT code on its own cannot identify an individual account holder; that is what the account number or IBAN is for.

Head office or branch code at Interbank Burundi?

We have 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Interbank Burundi. Next to the head office code IBBUBIBIXXX, you will find codes for individual branches and departments.

If nobody asks you for a branch code, go with IBBUBIBIXXX or its short form IBBUBIBI. Only use a branch code when the account holder explicitly asks for it, for example on an invoice or in their bank details.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Branch codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise, so a code from an old document is not always valid.

Verifying the SWIFT code of Interbank Burundi

The best place to find the correct BIC is a document from the bank itself. If the code you have differs from IBBUBIBI or IBBUBIBIXXX, stop and ask: check with the recipient or with Interbank Burundi directly.

Mistakes in the BIC tend to be costly rather than fatal. A mistake in the account number is more serious.

An automatic check in your banking app merely confirms that the code exists. More and more banks check the name against the account before you confirm; take any warning seriously. Sending a small amount first can be worth it for a large first payment, even if it costs an extra fee.

Changed bank details? Be careful

Be wary if someone unexpectedly asks you to send money to a different account. A valid SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine.

Verify new payment details via a separate channel, such as a phone number you already know, never via the email that asked for the change. Pressure or requests to keep it quiet are warning signs; a genuine business can wait for you to check. When money has already gone to the wrong account, call your bank right away.

Recipients are targeted too: one known trick is a buyer who pays too much followed by a request to send back the difference. Do not act before the money is actually in your account.

A note on our data

This directory draws on publicly available sources and we update it periodically. Still, banks merge or retire codes, so information can be out of date. The figures we show reflect our own data and not on information from Interbank Burundi itself.

For any payment of any size, check the code with the recipient’s bank or with the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and not part of Interbank Burundi. Should you notice a mistake, we welcome a message via the contact page.

Getting paid from abroad into a Interbank Burundi account

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for a few details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. What they need is: your name, IBAN or account number, IBBUBIBIXXX and often your home address.

Certain sending banks also ask for the bank’s address in Bujumbura. A mistake in your account number can be more trouble than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

What lands in your account can be lower than what was sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin applies. On invoices, it is common to state who bears the costs, so that nobody is left short.

What a transfer from Interbank Burundi abroad really costs

When you send money abroad via Interbank Burundi, the fee you see is only part of what you pay. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can take a cut, and when currencies are converted the bank often uses a rate below the actual market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee: the bank converts using an exchange rate with a margin built in. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate.

For many routes, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the rate. On GoldexPay you can compare the amount that arrives with different providers, so you can pick the cheapest route. You can always keep your account at Interbank Burundi, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

IBBUBIBI or IBBUBIBIXXX – which one to use?

A BIC is made up of fixed blocks: characters one to four stand for the bank, characters five and six give the country and the two after that indicate the location. In this case, that core is IBBUBIBI.

Most banks and apps accept both lengths. If yours asks for eleven characters, enter IBBUBIBIXXX.

In practice the code is written in capitals, without spaces or dashes. A single letter can send a payment to another bank, so copy it carefully.

How long does an international transfer to Interbank Burundi take?

A SWIFT payment usually needs one to a few business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country add extra days. Extra checks on larger or unusual payments may also cause some delay, even when all details are correct.

If a transfer seems late, contact the sending bank for the tracking status and the transaction reference; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

If the money does not arrive within the expected time, the sender should start with the bank that sent it. On the receiving end, it helps to check your account to see a slightly lower amount.