SWIFT/BIC codes in Germany: banks starting with F

Bank SWIFT codes for Germany

This overview lists 2804 banks and other institutions in Germany. A BIC shows the banks handling a transfer which institution should receive the money.

Each bank has its own page with the head office code and if there are any, branch codes. The sections below explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing before you send money.

The largest SWIFT network in Germany: Deutsche Bank AG

Of the 2804 banks we list for Germany, Deutsche Bank AG is listed with the most codes. The head office of Deutsche Bank AG has DEUTDE2HXXX.

Many codes often reflects that the bank registers branches and departments separately, not necessarily that the bank is the biggest in the country. Unless a branch code is given, the head office code DEUTDE2HXXX works for transfers to this bank.

Tracking a payment to Germany

There is no fixed delivery time for transfers to Germany: some land the same day or the next, others take several business days. Payments made late in the day or on weekends and holidays often start the next business day.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Save the payment confirmation.

What a sender needs to pay you in Germany

When you are waiting for a payment from another country in Germany, send the payer a complete set of details. In practice that means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and usually your address.

Find the bank in the list on this page, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. It helps to include your bank’s name and city as well because some forms have separate fields for it.

Expect that the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Charges on incoming payments differ from bank to bank; check the price list of your bank. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

The currency in Germany is the Euro (EUR). Money sent in a different currency is exchanged into EUR before it reaches the account.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on the final amount, since every bank sets its own rate. Check what EUR the recipient gets via different providers; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. Rates for EUR change during the day – some providers let you lock in a rate.

Sending money to Germany for less

What you pay for a transfer to Germany is made up of several parts, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes fees from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate when currencies differ.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites. The difference is your real cost.

Specialist money transfer services often use rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay lists transfer services next to each other, showing what actually arrives in Germany.

SEPA transfers to Germany

Inside SEPA, euro transfers to Germany use the same rules. The BIC field is often optional in that case.

A SWIFT code does matter for payments in other currencies and for transfers from outside SEPA. SEPA transfers usually arrive within one business day or faster with instant payments. Fees are generally low provided no currency is converted; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

How SWIFT codes from Germany are built

SWIFT/BIC codes follow one international format: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. First comes a four-letter bank code, then two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

You can spot a bank code from Germany from letters five and six – those always form the country code of Germany. When those two letters do not match Germany, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else, so check again.

The last three characters, if present, identify a specific branch; XXX is used for the head office. Use a branch code only if the recipient explicitly gives you one.

SWIFT codes in Germany: banks under :letter

This page only shows the banks in Germany beginning with :letter in alphabetical order. The totals mentioned above always cover all banks in Germany.

Cannot find the bank? Its official name might start with a different letter, for example the full legal name rather than a brand name. Try the full list for Germany if you are not sure how the name is spelled.

About our data and how to check a code

Have the recipient copy their bank details directly from their banking app. When the code you were given does not match our list, stop and ask.

This list draws on publicly available sources that we update periodically. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes, so information can be out of date. For a payment of any size, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Watch out for payment requests containing a new account, especially when they come by email. Always confirm changed details through a separate channel on a number you know.