SWIFT/BIC codes in Germany: banks starting with K

Bank SWIFT codes for Germany

Our directory covers 2804 banks and financial institutions in Germany, with 8518 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. A SWIFT code tells the banks handling a transfer which institution is meant to get the money.

Choose the bank below to see the head office code and any branch codes. Further down you can read how a code from Germany is put together, how to send money to Germany without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

Which bank in Germany has the most codes?

Among the 2804 institutions we list, Deutsche Bank AG holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes in Germany. The head office of Deutsche Bank AG has DEUTDE2HXXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

Practice differs in how many codes they register – a high count is not a measure of size. Making a payment to Deutsche Bank AG? Use DEUTDE2HXXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

How long does a transfer to Germany take?

There is no single answer for payments to Germany: many land the same day or the next while others need several business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday often start a business day later.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each payment gets a unique reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Specialist transfer services often show tracking in their app, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

What a sender needs to pay you in Germany

To receive a transfer from abroad in Germany, the person paying you needs more than the SWIFT code. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and, often, your postal address.

The code of your bank appears in the list on this page. It helps to include your bank’s name and city as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

What lands in your account is often lower than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. On invoices, state who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

What the letters in a Germany BIC mean

Each SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters. Characters one to four identify the bank, characters five and six form the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

You can recognise a code from Germany from the fifth and sixth characters – those always form the country code of Germany. If the country letters do not match Germany, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else – worth double-checking.

An 11-character code adds three characters for a branch – XXX stands for the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

The cheapest way to send money to Germany

What you pay for a payment to Germany is made up of several parts, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent banks can take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually uses a rate below the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites.

Money transfer services often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives in Germany across services, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot.

How reliable is this list?

The safest source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. An incorrect BIC may lead to delays, a returned payment or extra fees – compare it with the code in our list.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check our list from time to time. Institutions merge, close branches and change codes. Treat our data as a reference rather than the last word. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site.

Scammers regularly send fake invoices with changed bank details that look completely genuine. A valid BIC says nothing about whether a request is genuine.

Banks in Germany starting with :letter

This page only shows banks in Germany beginning with :letter, sorted alphabetically. The totals mentioned above still cover all banks in Germany and not only this selection.

If the bank you need is missing under :letter, check the full list: banks are often registered under their full legal name. The full overview for Germany remains one click away if the letter filter does not help.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Germany uses the Euro (EUR). When you pay another currency, it gets converted at some point: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Who does the conversion has an effect on how much arrives. Compare how much EUR arrives via different providers. On larger amounts, even a small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

Euro payments to Germany: is a BIC needed?

Germany is a member of the SEPA area. For a standard euro transfer within SEPA, the IBAN is usually enough; many banks no longer ask for the BIC.

You still need the BIC when sending non-euro payments or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Instant euro transfers are widely supported within SEPA. Fees are generally low provided everything stays in euros – conversion is what costs money.