BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) SWIFT/BIC code

What GEBADE33 means for a payment to BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV)

The short code GEBADE33 and the 11-character code GEBADE33XXX refer to the same bank: BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) in Koeln, Germany. The code has a single purpose: it makes sure that money from abroad ends up at the right bank. You will need it mainly when dealing with payments that cross a border or a currency.

We wrote this page to help people who pays into an account at BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) and wants to get the details right. The SWIFT code on its own cannot identify an individual account holder; that is what the IBAN or account number is for.

Incoming international payments to BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV)

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for several details about your account, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. That means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code GEBADE33XXX (or GEBADE33) and usually your postal address.

It helps to include BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) and Koeln too, because some payment forms have separate fields for them. A mistake in the IBAN can be more trouble than it looks.

An incoming payment will not always arrive in full. Charges on incoming payments differ from bank to bank; check the price list of BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV). Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

How to check GEBADE33 before you pay

Ask the recipient to send you the bank details straight from a recent statement. Compare that code against GEBADE33 on this page and ask if anything does not match.

An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a returned payment or extra fees. An error in the account number can be a bigger problem because it can reach the wrong person, so check that just as carefully.

A format check in your banking app only confirms that the code exists, not that it is the right account. More and more banks compare the name against the account. When you pay someone new, many people start with a small amount first before sending the rest.

Paying someone abroad from your BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) account

The price of a payment abroad has several parts. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can take a cut, and when the money changes currency, the bank usually applies a rate that is less favourable than the actual market rate.

Many banks do not show the margin on the rate separately – you only notice it if you compare. Check their rate against the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites. The difference is your real conversion cost.

For many routes, a specialist provider is less expensive than a bank. GoldexPay compares transfer providers next to each other so you can see what actually arrives for the same amount sent. You can still keep your account at BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) as the source of the money.

GEBADE33 or GEBADE33XXX – which one to use?

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with an 8-character core: four letters for the bank, a two-letter country code and two characters for the location. That gives you GEBADE33 for BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV).

XXX at the end of GEBADE33XXX does not stand for a placeholder or an error: it indicates the main office of BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV). Some forms ask for 11 characters, in which case you can enter XXX after GEBADE33.

Leave out spaces when you enter GEBADE33. Watch for O versus 0 or the letter I and the digit 1, a common source of typos.

How up to date is this code?

This directory is compiled from publicly available sources and is updated regularly. Institutions reorganise, close branches and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. Counts and locations are from our own dataset and may differ from what BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) publishes.

For any payment that matters, always check the BIC with the recipient’s bank or the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service and not affiliated with BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV). If you notice something that is out of date, we appreciate a message.

The Euro and what conversion costs you

Germany pays in the Euro (EUR). If you send another currency it has to be converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, by BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) or by a bank in between. Every conversion eats into the amount – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Where the conversion happens affects the final amount. Sending the money already in EUR often prevents a second conversion by BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV).

The EUR rate changes constantly and quotes are often valid only for a short time. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate add up over time.

Tracking a transfer to or from BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV)

How quickly a transfer arrives at BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) depends on a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Weekends and public holidays in the sending or receiving country add extra days. Occasionally a bank wants to know what the payment is for before releasing it.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which your bank can use to see where the money is. Keep your transfer receipt until the money has arrived; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

If the money does not arrive within the expected time, the sender should contact their own bank, not the receiving bank. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation – it helps your own bank look for the money.

Head office or branch code at BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV)?

We have 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) in 1 places. Besides the head office code GEBADE33XXX, there are codes for branches, departments or specific services.

For the vast majority of payments to a private or business account, the head office code GEBADE33XXX works fine. If you have been given a branch code, stick to it rather than replacing it with the head office code.

The best way is to copy the code directly from the account holder’s invoice. Codes for branches are more likely to be retired than GEBADE33XXX.

SEPA payments and the BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) BIC

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) use common rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. A field for the BIC is usually optional or missing for those payments.

A SWIFT code like GEBADE33 does matter when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. A few forms also show a field for the BIC; if so, enter GEBADE33.

SEPA transfers usually arrive within one business day; instant payments are faster if both banks offer them. As long as the payment stays in euros, a SEPA transfer tends to be inexpensive; it is the conversion that costs money.

Changed bank details? Be careful

Criminals regularly send payment requests containing new bank details. A valid SWIFT code says nothing about whether the request is genuine – scammers simply use real codes.

Verify changed bank details via a separate channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract, never via the email that asked for the change. Urgency or requests to keep it quiet are red flags. If money has already gone to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

People receiving money can be targeted as well: a classic trick is an overpayment followed by a request to send back the difference to another account. Do not act before the money has really arrived – ask BNP Paribas S.A. Niederlassung Deutschland (Formerly BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV) if something looks wrong.