Freie Hansestadt Bremen SWIFT/BIC code

FRHRDE81 – the SWIFT/BIC code of Freie Hansestadt Bremen

The short code FRHRDE81 and the full code FRHRDE81XXX identify the same bank: Freie Hansestadt Bremen, with its head office in Bremen. A SWIFT code tells the sending bank which institution should receive the money, much like a postcode for banks. You will need it mostly for transfers between countries.

On this page you will find what the code means, when you need it and what else a transfer to or from Freie Hansestadt Bremen requires. Keep in mind that the SWIFT code just identifies the bank, not the account: the account number or IBAN takes care of that.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

Be alert when a contact unexpectedly asks you to send money to a different account abroad. That FRHRDE81 is a real code does not mean that the account is legitimate.

Check new payment details through a separate channel, such as a phone number you already know, not by replying to the message. Be suspicious of time pressure, unusual wording or an email address that differs by one letter. When a payment was sent to the wrong account, call your bank right away: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Recipients can be targeted as well: a classic trick is an overpayment followed by a request to send back the difference to another account. Wait until the money has really arrived – ask Freie Hansestadt Bremen if something looks wrong.

Receiving money from abroad at Freie Hansestadt Bremen

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs a few details from you. What they need is: the account holder’s name, account number or IBAN, FRHRDE81XXX and often your home address.

You can include the bank name and its city too, since some forms ask for it. Check every detail before you share them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

The amount you receive is often lower than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank; check the price list of Freie Hansestadt Bremen. For business payments, you can state how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

Sending money abroad from Freie Hansestadt Bremen

What you pay for an international transfer is made up of more than one component – not just the fee on your screen. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from correspondent banks in between and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate if the currency changes.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest cost even though it is not listed as a fee. Compare the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate. The difference is your real conversion cost.

Specialist money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. On GoldexPay you can compare what recipients receive with different services, so you can pick the cheapest route. You can always keep your account at Freie Hansestadt Bremen as the source of the money, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

How long does an international transfer to Freie Hansestadt Bremen take?

There is no fixed delivery time for every transfer: some arrive the same day or the next, others take several business days. Bank holidays in either country can add a day or more to the journey. Extra checks on larger or unusual payments can also add some delay, regardless of the details.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Keep the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms – you will need it for any trace request.

Only the sending bank can start an official trace. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation including the reference – it helps your own bank look for the money.

FRHRDE81 or FRHRDE81XXX – which one to use?

The layout of a BIC never changes: four characters for the institution, a two-letter country code and two for the location, plus an optional branch code. That gives you FRHRDE81, the short form of the code.

XXX at the end of FRHRDE81XXX is not a missing value or an error: it stands for the main office of Freie Hansestadt Bremen. Some banking apps ask for 11 characters, and then you simply add XXX behind FRHRDE81.

Do not add spaces or dashes when you type FRHRDE81 or FRHRDE81XXX. Watch for the letter O and the digit 0 and I versus 1, a common source of typos.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

We gather bank codes from public sources and update them from time to time. Banks merge, change names and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. The figures on this page are based on our own data, not official figures from Freie Hansestadt Bremen.

For a payment of any size, check the code with the recipient’s bank or the recipient. We are a comparison site for money transfers and not affiliated with Freie Hansestadt Bremen. Spotted an error? Tell us via our contact form and we will look into it.

Freie Hansestadt Bremen: head office code versus branch codes

Our directory lists 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Freie Hansestadt Bremen, spread over 1 cities. Next to the head office code FRHRDE81XXX, you will find codes for branches, departments or specific services.

For most payments to a private or business account, the head office code FRHRDE81XXX is what you need. Just use a branch code when the account holder explicitly asks for it, for example on an invoice or in their bank details.

If you are not sure, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Branch codes are more likely to be retired than the head office code when a bank merges or closes offices.

Paying into Freie Hansestadt Bremen in EUR

The national currency of Germany is the Euro (EUR). A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into EUR before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate. Every conversion eats into the amount – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Who does the conversion affects how much arrives, since every bank sets its own rate. Sending the money already in EUR usually prevents a second conversion at the receiving end.

The rate for EUR changes throughout the day and quotes are often valid only for a short time. On larger amounts, even seemingly small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

SEPA payments and the Freie Hansestadt Bremen BIC

Within the SEPA zone, euro transfers to Freie Hansestadt Bremen follow the same rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. A field for the BIC is often optional for those payments.

A SWIFT code like FRHRDE81 does come into play when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. If a payment form has a field for the BIC regardless, entering FRHRDE81 does no harm.

SEPA transfers usually arrive within one business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Charges on SEPA transfers are generally low.

Is FRHRDE81 still correct? How to check

The best place to find the right code is paperwork issued by the bank. If the code you have differs from FRHRDE81 or FRHRDE81XXX, stop and ask.

Errors in the SWIFT code tend to be costly rather than fatal. Do not forget the account number: an error there is more difficult to undo than a wrong code.

Most online banking apps validate the format of an IBAN and sometimes look up the BIC automatically – that confirms the format, not the owner. If your bank offers it, a name check on the recipient gives extra certainty. A small test payment is worth it for large sums.