Handelsbanken SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Handelsbanken

Whether you are given HANDDKKK or HANDDKKKXXX, you are looking at the identical address for Handelsbanken in Denmark. The code does one job: it ensures that a cross-border transfer reaches the right bank. In daily life you mostly see it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and on the account details of Handelsbanken customers.

On this page you can read how the code is put together, when it matters and which other details you need for a transfer to or from Handelsbanken. The SWIFT code on its own does not identify a personal account; for that you need the IBAN or account number .

Where our SWIFT data comes from

This directory draws on public sources. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes and our data may lag behind. The number of codes we show reflect what is in our directory and not on information from Handelsbanken itself.

Treat the information on this page as a handy check and rely on the recipient or Handelsbanken for the final confirmation. GoldexPay is not affiliated with Handelsbanken. Found an error? Let us know via our contact form so we can correct it.

Do you need HANDDKKK for a SEPA transfer?

Within the SEPA zone, euro transfers to Handelsbanken follow common rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. The BIC field is often optional for those payments.

You still need HANDDKKKXXX for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. A few forms also show a field for the BIC; in that case, fill in HANDDKKK or HANDDKKKXXX.

SEPA transfers normally land within one business day. As long as no currency is converted, a SEPA transfer tends to be cheap; costs rise once a conversion is involved.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

One of the most common tricks goes like this: you receive a request saying that a supplier has new bank details. A valid SWIFT code says nothing about whether the request is genuine.

Check new bank details through a separate channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract. Watch out for time pressure, unusual wording or an email address that differs by one letter. If a payment has already gone to the wrong account, call your bank right away.

Fraud also work the other way: someone sends more than agreed and wants you to return the extra to a new account. A screenshot of a transfer proves nothing – check your own account.

What a transfer from Handelsbanken abroad really costs

What you pay for an international transfer is made up of more than one component. Besides the transfer fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can deduct a fee, and if the money changes currency the bank often uses a rate below the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee: the bank converts at a rate with a margin built in. A simple test: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate for the same moment and work out the difference on your amount.

Money transfer services frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate. GoldexPay compares what recipients receive with different providers. Using a transfer service does not mean closing your account at Handelsbanken – you pay the provider from your own account.

Is HANDDKKK still correct? How to check

Ask the recipient to copy their bank details directly from their banking app. When the code you were given differs from HANDDKKK or HANDDKKKXXX, stop and ask: check with the recipient or with Handelsbanken directly.

If the code is wrong, the payment may get stuck, be returned or cost extra, and tracing it can take weeks. Remember the IBAN: a mistake there is more difficult to correct than a wrong code.

A validity check in your banking app merely confirms that the code exists. If your bank offers it, a name check before sending adds extra certainty. Sending a small amount first can be worth it for a large first payment.

Receiving money from abroad at Handelsbanken

For a transfer from abroad into your account at Handelsbanken, the sender needs not just the BIC. That means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC HANDDKKKXXX and, often, your address.

You can include the bank name and Copenhagen as well, since some forms ask for it. Check the details before you send them.

What lands in your account can be less than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments differ per bank – the price list of Handelsbanken tells you what applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

Tracking a transfer to or from Handelsbanken

How fast a payment reaches Handelsbanken 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 just before a weekend or public holiday often go out a business day later. Occasionally a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment, which can hold things up.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each gpi transfer carries a unique reference, the UETR. Save the payment confirmation until the money has arrived.

If a payment has not arrived within the expected time, the person who paid should contact the bank that sent it, not the receiving bank. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation including the reference.

Handelsbanken: head office code versus branch codes

Handelsbanken has 2 separate SWIFT/BIC codes across 1 cities. Only one is the head office code, HANDDKKKXXX; the others belong to branches or departments.

For most payments to a private or business account, the head office code HANDDKKKXXX works fine. Only use a branch code when the recipient gives you that exact code.

If you are not sure, check with the recipient for the exact BIC in their bank details. Codes can change when banks reorganise.

The Danish Krone and what conversion costs you

Denmark pays in the Danish Krone (DKK). A payment in a foreign currency will be converted into DKK on its way to Handelsbanken, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. Every conversion eats into something.

Where the conversion happens affects the final amount. Sending the money directly in DKK usually avoids a second conversion.

Exchange rates move during the day. For recurring payments, a slightly better rate make a real difference over a year.

8 or 11 characters: HANDDKKK versus HANDDKKKXXX

A BIC is built from a few fixed parts: characters one to four stand for the bank, the next two give the country and characters seven and eight indicate the location. The result is HANDDKKK, the short form of the code.

The 11-character version has three more characters for a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, the code points to the head office, which is why HANDDKKKXXX and HANDDKKK lead to the same place.

Enter the code in one piece, in capitals and without separators. A wrong letter may route a payment to a different institution, so copy it carefully.