SWIFT/BIC codes in Finland: banks starting with L

Bank SWIFT codes for Finland

Here you will find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 569 institutions in Finland, 602 codes in all. A SWIFT code tells every bank in the chain which institution should receive an international payment.

Search for the recipient’s bank in the list and click through to see all codes we have and what else a transfer requires. The rest of this page explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing before a payment.

Bank or transfer service for Finland?

If you send money to Finland with a regular bank, the fee you see is only part of what you pay. There is the transfer fee, sometimes fees from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup if the money is converted.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the largest cost item, even though it is not listed as a fee. A simple test: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialist money transfer services frequently offer rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists these providers next to each other so you can see what actually arrives in Finland for the same amount sent.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Finland uses the Euro, with the currency code EUR. When you pay another currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way.

Where the conversion happens affects the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. Often you pay less to send EUR straight away via a transfer service with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. On larger amounts, a seemingly small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

The structure of a Finland SWIFT/BIC code

Each SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters, always in the same order. Characters one to four identify the bank, the fifth and sixth characters are the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

Whatever the bank, every code from Finland have the same country code in positions five and six. When those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else.

An 11-character code ends in a branch code. Choose a branch code only when the recipient’s bank asks for it; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

The largest SWIFT network in Finland: Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank

In our directory, Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank holds the most SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Finland. Its head office code is SPFBFIHHXXX.

A large number of codes often reflects that the bank registers branches and departments separately, not necessarily that the bank is the biggest in the country. If not the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code SPFBFIHHXXX works for transfers to this bank.

SEPA transfers to Finland

Since Finland is part of SEPA, a euro transfer to an account in Finland usually only needs an IBAN. Most banking apps do not require the BIC in that case.

The BIC does matter for payments in other currencies. Instant payments in euros are increasingly supported within SEPA. As long as no conversion is involved, a SEPA transfer is usually inexpensive.

Incoming international payments in Finland

To receive an international payment into a Finland account, the person paying you has to have more than the BIC. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and, often, your postal address.

Look up your bank in the list on this page and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. Some banks also ask for the name and address of your bank; it does no harm to include it.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate comes on top. On invoices, agree who bears the costs.

When does money sent to Finland arrive?

How quickly money reaches Finland depends on a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday often go out the next business day.

If the money seems delayed, ask the sender to contact the sending bank; only the sending side can start an official trace. Save your transfer receipt; a bank needs it to start a trace.

Banks in Finland beginning with the letter :letter

The letter filter narrows the list down to banks from Finland that begin with :letter, so you can find a bank faster. The totals mentioned here apply to all 569 banks, not just the ones under :letter.

Bank not listed? The registered name may start with a different letter. Try the full list for Finland when you do not know how the name is spelled.

Check the code before you pay

The most reliable source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. A wrong code can cause delays, a payment being sent back or additional charges.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes using public sources and update them regularly. Even so, banks merge or change codes. Use this list as a starting point rather than the last word: the bank details from the recipient come first. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site.

Scammers regularly send fake invoices carrying changed bank details that look completely genuine. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a separate channel.