Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank SWIFT/BIC code

What SPFBFIHH means for a payment to Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank

The short code SPFBFIHH and the full code SPFBFIHHXXX refer to the same bank: Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank in Helsinki, Finland. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses these codes to route international transfers to the right bank. You will need it mainly for payments that cross a border and payments in foreign currencies.

This page is meant to help people who sends money to an account at Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank. The BIC names an institution, not a specific account, which is why you always need the account number too.

Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Finland uses the Euro. If you send another currency has to be converted at some point. Each conversion costs something.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. Check what EUR the recipient gets with several providers before choosing one.

Exchange rates move all the time – some services let you fix a rate in advance. For recurring payments, a slightly better rate make a real difference over a year.

Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank: head office code versus branch codes

Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank has 11 separate SWIFT/BIC codes. Only one is the head office code; the others belong to branches or departments.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, go with SPFBFIHHXXX. Only use a branch code when the account holder gives you that exact code, for example on a letter or invoice.

Unsure which code applies? Ask the recipient. Codes for branches are more prone to change than the head office code when a bank merges or closes offices.

Sending money abroad from Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank

If you send money abroad from Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank, the visible fee is rarely all of the cost. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can deduct a fee, and if the money changes currency the bank often applies a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest item, and it is easy to miss. Check their rate against the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites.

For a lot of routes, a transfer service is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the exchange rate. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives across services, so you can pick the cheapest route. You can always keep your account at Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank as the source of the money; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

When will the money arrive at Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank?

How quickly a transfer arrives at Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank is determined by several factors: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Weekends and public holidays in either country can add a day or more, since banks do not process on those days. Sometimes a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment before releasing it.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Each payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Money transfer services often provide tracking in their app so you can see how far the money has got.

If a payment has not arrived after a few business days, the sender should start with the bank that sent it rather than Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank. On the receiving end, it helps to look at your statements for a slightly lower amount, since fees may have been deducted.

Why Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank has an 8- and an 11-character code

The structure of a BIC is always the same: a bank code of four letters, two for the country and two for the location, plus an optional branch code. For Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank, the 8-character core is SPFBFIHH.

Many banks and apps accept both lengths. If a form requires eleven characters, enter SPFBFIHHXXX, otherwise SPFBFIHH is fine.

Leave out spaces when you enter SPFBFIHH; the code is always written in one block. Watch for O versus 0 and the letter I and the digit 1, a common source of typos.

How up to date is this code?

The details here are taken from public sources that we update regularly. It is possible that a code here is out of date. Figures such as the number of codes are from our directory and may differ from what Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank publishes.

Before a payment of any size, always check the BIC with the recipient’s bank or the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service and not part of Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank. Spotted an error? Tell us via our contact form.

Is SPFBFIHH still correct? How to check

The best place to find the right code remains a document from the bank itself like a bank statement or the account page in online banking. Check it with SPFBFIHH here.

If the code is wrong, the transfer might be delayed, bounce back or cost extra, and tracing it can take weeks. Remember the account number: a mistake there is more difficult to undo than a wrong code.

Many banking apps check the structure of IBANs – that confirms the format, not the owner. If your bank offers it, a name check on the recipient gives an extra layer of safety. Sending a small amount first can be worth it for a large first payment despite the extra fee.

SEPA payments and the Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank BIC

Because Finland is part of SEPA, a euro payment to Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank from another SEPA country normally only needs the IBAN. Many banks no longer ask for the BIC in that case or fill it in for you.

Outside the euro and from non-SEPA countries, SPFBFIHHXXX or SPFBFIHH is still required. Some forms still ask for the BIC out of habit; in that case, fill in SPFBFIHH or SPFBFIHHXXX.

Instant payments in euros are widely supported within SEPA – whether Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank offers them for your account is worth checking. Charges on SEPA transfers tend to be low, as long as no currency conversion is involved.

Changed bank details? Be careful

One of the most common tricks goes like this: you receive a message saying that a supplier now has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. That SPFBFIHH is a real code is no guarantee that the account is genuine.

Before paying, verify a change of bank details by phone on a number you know, not one from the message. Pressure or requests to keep it quiet are red flags – a real supplier can wait a day. Already paid? Call the bank you paid from straight away and have them start a recall.

Fraud can also target the receiver: someone sends more than agreed and asks you to return the extra to a new account. Do not act before the money has really arrived and check with Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank if anything seems off.

What to give a sender who pays you at Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank

For an international payment into your account at Suomen Pankki - Finlands Bank, the sender needs more than the BIC. What they need is: the account holder’s name, IBAN or account number, SPFBFIHHXXX and in many cases your home address.

You can add the bank name and its city as well, because some payment forms have separate fields for them. A mistake in the IBAN is more trouble than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

An incoming payment does not always land in full. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank. Agree with the sender who covers the fees.