SWIFT/BIC codes in Germany: banks starting with E

Germany: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

This overview contains 2804 banks and other institutions in Germany and 8518 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. A SWIFT code shows every bank in the chain which institution is meant to get an international payment.

Choose a bank from the list to view its head office code and its other codes, plus practical notes for sending and receiving money. The rest of this page covers how the codes work, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing before a payment.

The cheapest way to send money to Germany

The price of a transfer to Germany has several parts. There is the transfer fee, possibly charges from intermediary banks and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate if the money is converted.

The markup on the rate is often the biggest cost item because it is hidden in the rate. Check the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites. The difference is your real cost.

Money transfer services frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists these providers next to each other, showing the amount that reaches the recipient for the same amount sent.

Paying in euros to Germany

Germany belongs to the SEPA area. When you send euros within SEPA, the IBAN is usually enough and the BIC is often filled in automatically.

The BIC still matter for payments in other currencies and when the money comes from outside SEPA. Euro payments within SEPA usually arrive within one business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Fees are generally low as long as no currency is converted; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

How long does a transfer to Germany take?

How fast a payment arrives in Germany depends on several factors: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday usually start a business day later.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Keep your transfer receipt until the money has arrived.

Most SWIFT codes in Germany: Deutsche Bank AG

Of the 2804 banks we list for Germany, Deutsche Bank AG has the largest number of codes. The head office uses DEUTDE2HXXX.

A large number of codes often reflects separate codes for branches, departments or services – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. Making a payment to Deutsche Bank AG? Use DEUTDE2HXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Incoming international payments in Germany

For an international payment in Germany, the person paying you needs more than the BIC. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

Look up your bank in the list on this page and compare the code with your own bank details, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. Certain sending banks also want your bank’s address, so keep it at hand.

What lands in your account is often less than the amount sent. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank; check the price list of your bank. For business payments, agree how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Germany uses the Euro. When you pay money in a different currency, the amount gets converted at some point: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Who does the conversion has an effect on the final amount, since every bank sets its own rate. Compare how much EUR arrives with different services. Rates for EUR move all the time, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

What the letters in a Germany BIC mean

A SWIFT code is 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. The first four letters identify the bank, characters five and six are the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

For banks in Germany, letters five and six are the two-letter ISO code of Germany, which makes these codes easy to recognise. When those two letters do not match Germany, you are looking at a bank in another country, so check again.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a specific branch; XXX means the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

Check the code before you pay

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient. A wrong code may lead to a delay, a returned payment or extra fees, so compare it with the list on this page.

This list is based on public sources that we update periodically. Even so, banks merge or retire codes and our data may lag behind. For any payment that matters, check the BIC with the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service and not part of any bank listed here.

Be wary of invoices containing a new account. Before paying, verify changed details by phone, using a number you already had.

Filter: banks in Germany with :letter

This list shows only the banks in Germany beginning with :letter. The totals mentioned above still refer to the whole country.

Cannot find the bank? Its official name might start with a different letter – think of the full legal name instead of the brand. Use the full list for Germany if you do not know how the name is spelled.