SWIFT/BIC codes in Germany: banks starting with H

Finding a SWIFT code in Germany

Here you will find codes for 2804 banks in Germany – 8518 codes altogether. You need such a code mostly when making payments across borders.

Choose the bank from the list to view its head office code and its other codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. The rest of this page covers the structure of the codes, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing before a payment.

Bank or transfer service for Germany?

An international bank payment to Germany can cost rather more than the fee suggests. You pay a transfer fee, sometimes fees from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. A simple test: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the exchange rate. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives in Germany with different services, so you can pick the cheapest route.

Transfer times to Germany

There is no single answer for transfers to Germany: some arrive the same day or the next, others take several business days. Public holidays in either country can add extra days.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment gets a unique reference, the UETR. Money transfer services usually show tracking in their app so you can follow the payment.

Germany and the Euro

Germany uses the Euro (EUR). A payment in a foreign currency is exchanged into EUR on its way to the recipient – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. Often it is cheaper to send EUR directly through a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. On larger amounts, even a small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

The largest SWIFT network in Germany: Deutsche Bank AG

Deutsche Bank AG leads the list of Germany banks when it comes to SWIFT/BIC codes. Its head office code is DEUTDE2HXXX – the code most transfers need.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes, so the count is not a ranking of size. Paying someone at Deutsche Bank AG? Use DEUTDE2HXXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

What a sender needs to pay you in Germany

When you expect money from abroad in Germany, send the payer everything they need in one go. That means: your full name as your bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and usually your address.

Look up your bank in the list on this page. Certain sending banks may also want your bank’s address; it does no harm to include it.

Expect that the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

Germany and the SEPA area

Because Germany is in the SEPA zone, a euro payment to an account in Germany normally only needs an IBAN. Many banks do not require the BIC in that case.

The BIC still matter when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. Instant payments in euros are increasingly available across SEPA – check whether your bank supports them. As long as the payment stays in euros, a SEPA transfer tends to be cheap.

SWIFT codes in Germany: banks under :letter

This filter limits the list to banks from Germany that begin with :letter to make searching quicker. The figures for Germany on this page cover every bank we list.

Many institutions are listed under their official name. The full overview for Germany remains one click away when the letter filter does not help.

The structure of a Germany SWIFT/BIC code

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

In every code from Germany, characters five and six are the ISO country code of Germany – that is the quickest way to spot one. Codes with other letters in that position belong to a bank abroad – a quick way to catch mistakes.

An 11-character code ends in three characters for a branch. Use a branch code only if the recipient’s bank asks for it – otherwise stick with the head office.

About our data and how to check a code

The most reliable place for the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank. If the code you have differs from our list, do not guess.

The directory on GoldexPay is based on public sources that we update periodically. Institutions merge, change names and change codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. For a payment of any size, confirm the BIC with the recipient. GoldexPay is a comparison service.

Watch out for invoices with a new account. A real SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account.