SWIFT/BIC codes in Caribbean Netherlands

Caribbean Netherlands: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

In Caribbean Netherlands our database holds 8 SWIFT/BIC codes from 8 financial institutions. A SWIFT code tells the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank is meant to get an international payment.

Every bank has its own page showing the head office code and, where available, branch codes. The rest of this page explain how the codes work, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing before you send money.

What a transfer to Caribbean Netherlands really costs

What you pay for a payment to Caribbean Netherlands is made up of several parts – not only the fee you see. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent banks may take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank usually uses a rate below the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the largest cost item because it is hidden in the rate. A simple test: set the offered rate next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialist money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before your next transfer to Caribbean Netherlands, it is worth comparing what arrives via GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Caribbean Netherlands

The safest source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details. A wrong code can cause a delay, a returned payment or additional charges, so compare it with the list on this page.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and check them from time to time. Even so, banks merge or retire codes. Use our data as a reference rather than the last word. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and has no link to the banks in this list.

Fraudsters often use fake invoices with changed bank details that look completely genuine. A valid BIC says nothing about who owns the account.

The largest SWIFT network in Caribbean Netherlands: Banco del Orinoco N.V.

In our data, Banco del Orinoco N.V. holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Caribbean Netherlands. The head office of Banco del Orinoco N.V. has ORIBBQC1XXX and that code covers most payments.

Banks differ in whether they register branch codes, so the count is not a ranking of size. Paying someone at Banco del Orinoco N.V.? Use ORIBBQC1XXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

How SWIFT codes from Caribbean Netherlands are built

Every SWIFT/BIC code has eight or eleven characters, always in the same order. It starts with a four-letter bank code, followed by two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

In every code from Caribbean Netherlands, letters five and six are the ISO country code of Caribbean Netherlands – that is the quickest way to spot one. When those two letters do not match Caribbean Netherlands, you are looking at a bank somewhere else, so check again.

The last three characters, if present, identify a specific branch; XXX is used for the head office. Use a branch code only when the recipient’s bank asks for it.

How long does a transfer to Caribbean Netherlands take?

There is no single answer for payments to Caribbean Netherlands: many land the same day or the next while others need several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday usually go out a business day later.

If the money seems delayed, ask the sender to contact their own bank. Specialist transfer services usually show tracking online so you can follow the payment.

International payments to Caribbean Netherlands and the BIC

Since Caribbean Netherlands does not belong to SEPA, an international payment is usually sent through SWIFT. That means you always need the SWIFT/BIC code of the recipient’s bank.

Depending on the country, accounts are identified by a local account number instead of an IBAN and sometimes a local routing or branch code. Check with the recipient which details their bank requires for payments from abroad; banks often publish instructions for this. On the way to Caribbean Netherlands, a transfer may pass through correspondent banks that take a fee.

Paying in USD: what conversion costs you

The currency in Caribbean Netherlands is the US Dollar (USD). When you pay money in a different currency, it has to be converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on the final amount. Often you pay less to send USD directly via a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. Exchange rates change all the time.

What a sender needs to pay you in Caribbean Netherlands

To receive a transfer from abroad in Caribbean Netherlands, the person paying you needs not just the SWIFT code. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and, often, your address.

Your bank’s code is in the list on this page but always compare it with your own bank details. It helps to include your bank’s name and city as well.

The amount you receive can be lower than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate applies. Agree with the sender who covers the fees.