SWIFT/BIC codes in China: banks starting with N

China: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

On this page you find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 668 institutions in China. Each code points to a bank or one of its branches, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Pick the bank from the list to see its head office code and any branch codes, plus practical notes for sending and receiving money. Further down you can read how a code from China is put together, how to send money to China at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

Sending money to China for less

A bank transfer to China often costs more than the fee suggests. Besides the fee, intermediary banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually applies a rate below the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee. Compare the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate. The difference is your real cost.

Specialised transfer providers frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before you send money to China, it is worth comparing the total cost via GoldexPay.

How SWIFT codes from China are built

Bank identifier codes follow one international format: eight characters. It starts with a four-letter bank code, then a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

No matter which bank, all China codes have the same country code in positions five and six. A code with a different country code come from another country – a quick way to catch mistakes.

The long version ends in three characters for a branch – XXX stands for the head office. For most transfers the head office code is fine.

Tracking a payment to China

A SWIFT payment to China usually needs anywhere from one to several business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Transfers sent late in the day or on a weekend or public holiday usually go out the next business day.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact the sending bank for a trace – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Specialist transfer services often show a status online, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

Which bank in China has the most codes?

Of the 668 banks we list for China, Bank of Communications is listed with the largest number of codes. The head office of Bank of Communications uses COMMCNSHXXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes. Making a payment to Bank of Communications? Use COMMCNSHXXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

Receiving money in China from abroad

For a transfer from abroad into a China account, the person paying you has to have not just the SWIFT code. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

Your bank’s code is in our list, yet the version on your own statement or in your banking app is leading. You can add the name and city of your bank.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is below what the sender paid. Charges on incoming payments differ from bank to bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. On invoices, state who bears the costs.

China and the Chinese Yuan

Bank accounts in China are typically held in CNY, the local currency. If you send another currency, it has to be converted at some point.

Which bank converts the money matters. Often it is cheaper if you send CNY directly via a provider that converts near the mid-market rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. Rates for CNY move during the day.

SWIFT transfers to China

Since China is outside SEPA, a transfer from abroad is usually sent through SWIFT. This means the payment always needs the BIC of the recipient’s bank.

In some countries, the account is identified by a domestic account number instead of an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. The receiving bank usually has instructions for incoming international payments – follow them exactly. SWIFT payments sometimes go via one or more intermediary banks.

Banks in China starting with :letter

The letter filter narrows the list to banks from China that begin with :letter, so you can find a bank faster. The counts in the introduction still cover all banks in China, not just this letter.

Some banks are listed under their official name, so the letter can differ from what you expect. Use the full list for China if you do not know how the name is spelled.

Check the code before you pay

The safest 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 our list, do not guess.

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check our list from time to time. Banks reorganise, change names and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. Use our data as a starting point rather than the last word. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers, not a bank.

Scammers regularly use payment requests with new bank details from what looks like a familiar address. Before paying, verify a change of bank details by phone.