African Development Bank SWIFT/BIC code

AFDBCIAB – the SWIFT/BIC code of African Development Bank

The short code AFDBCIAB and the 11-character code AFDBCIABXXX identify one and the same institution: African Development Bank. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses BIC codes to route international transfers to the right institution. In practice you usually see it on invoices from abroad, in payment forms and on the account details that African Development Bank provides.

Below we go through the practical side: money coming in from abroad, sending money abroad and how to check the code before you hit send. The BIC identifies an institution, not a single account.

How to check AFDBCIAB before you pay

The most reliable place for the right code is paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account details in online banking. Compare it with AFDBCIAB here; if they differ, ask before you pay.

Mistakes in the BIC tend to be costly rather than fatal: often the payment comes back, minus fees. Remember the account number: an error there can be more difficult to correct than a wrong BIC.

Most online banking apps validate the format of an IBAN and sometimes look up the BIC automatically – that confirms the format, not the owner. More and more banks compare the payee name against the account before you confirm – do not ignore a mismatch warning. When you pay someone new, some people start with a small amount first before sending the rest.

How up to date is this code?

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes from public sources and update them regularly. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes, so information can be out of date. The number of codes on this page reflect our own data.

Treat our data as a starting point, not as the final word. GoldexPay is independent of African Development Bank. If you notice a mistake, we appreciate a message.

Choosing between the 31 SWIFT codes of African Development Bank

African Development Bank uses 31 different SWIFT/BIC codes across 1 cities. One of them is the head office code; the rest belong to branches, and sometimes internal departments.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, go with AFDBCIABXXX or its short form AFDBCIAB. Branch codes are only needed if the recipient’s bank specifically asks for it.

The safest route is to take the code directly from the recipient’s invoice. Codes are sometimes changed or retired over time, so do not rely on old paperwork.

Why African Development Bank has an 8- and an 11-character code

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. That gives you AFDBCIAB.

XXX at the end of AFDBCIABXXX is not a placeholder or an error: it stands for the head office of African Development Bank. Some forms ask for 11 characters, and then you can enter XXX behind AFDBCIAB.

As a rule the code is written in capitals and without spaces. Watch for O versus 0 or I versus 1.

Sending money abroad from African Development Bank

An international bank payment costs more than the fee suggests. Besides the transfer fee, banks in between may deduct a fee, and if currencies are converted the bank often uses a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

Banks rarely list the margin on the rate as a cost – you only notice it if you compare. Compare the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider is cheaper than a bank – mostly thanks to the rate. On GoldexPay you can compare what recipients receive with different services, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot. Using a transfer service does not mean leaving African Development Bank – you pay the provider from your own account.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

One of the most common tricks goes like this: you receive a message claiming that a contact now has new bank details. The fact that AFDBCIAB exists is no guarantee that the account is genuine; criminals use the codes of real banks too.

Do not rely on contact details in the same message that contains the change. Urgency or secrecy are red flags; a genuine business can wait for you to check. Already paid? Contact your bank straight away and have them start a recall; also report it to the police.

Recipients can be targeted as well: a classic trick is an overpayment and then sends a request to send back the difference. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof – check your own account.

When will the money arrive at African Development Bank?

How fast a transfer reaches African Development Bank depends on a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Payments made after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday usually go out the next business day. Occasionally a bank asks about the purpose of a payment, which can hold things up.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sending bank about the status and the transaction reference. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

The bank that sent the money is able to request a trace or a recall. As a recipient, it helps to look at your statements to see a partial amount.

Getting paid from abroad into a African Development Bank 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, account number or IBAN, AFDBCIABXXX or AFDBCIAB and, for some countries, your postal address.

The sender’s bank might also ask for the address of your bank, in which case the Abidjan head office is the usual answer. A mistake in the IBAN can be more trouble than it looks, so copy the details from your online banking.

The amount you receive can be lower than what was sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the currency changes, an exchange rate margin comes on top. For business payments, it is common to agree who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.