SWIFT/BIC codes in Germany: banks starting with M

Germany: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

Our directory contains 2804 banks and financial institutions in Germany and 8518 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. A BIC shows the banks handling a transfer which institution is meant to get an international payment.

Search for the bank you need below and click through for all codes we have and the details a transfer needs. Further down you can read how codes from Germany are built, how to send money there at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

Euro payments to Germany: is a BIC needed?

Since Germany is in the SEPA zone, a euro payment to a bank in Germany usually requires just an IBAN. Many banks no longer ask for the BIC for these payments.

You will still need a SWIFT code when sending non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. SEPA transfers normally land within one business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Fees are generally low as long as everything stays in euros; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

Tracking a payment to Germany

How fast a payment arrives in Germany depends on several factors: the currency, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Public holidays in Germany or in the sending country add a day or more to the journey.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived.

How reliable is this list?

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. A wrong code can cause a delay, a returned payment or extra fees.

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and update them regularly. Banks reorganise, change names and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. For a payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient. We are a comparison service and not part of any bank listed here.

Watch out for payment requests containing changed bank details, especially when they come by email. A real SWIFT code says nothing about whether a request is genuine – scammers use the codes of real banks.

Banks in Germany beginning with the letter :letter

Here you see a filtered list: just banks in Germany with a name starting with :letter. The counts in the introduction always refer to the whole country, not just this letter.

Some banks are listed under their legal name rather than the name on their app or website. The complete list remains available when you cannot find the bank here.

Which bank in Germany has the most codes?

Among the 2804 institutions we list, Deutsche Bank AG holds the most SWIFT/BIC codes in Germany. Its head office code is DEUTDE2HXXX.

Many codes usually means that the bank registers branches and departments separately – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. Unless the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code DEUTDE2HXXX works for a payment to Deutsche Bank AG.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Germany

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs several details about your account – incomplete details often cause delays. Give them your name as registered with the bank, the IBAN or account number, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Find the bank in the list on this page. It helps to add your bank’s name and city.

What lands in your account can be less than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank; check the price list of your bank. On invoices, state how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

The structure of a Germany SWIFT/BIC code

Every SWIFT/BIC code consists of 8 or 11 characters. Characters one to four identify the bank, characters five and six are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

No matter which bank, all Germany codes share the same fifth and sixth letters. A code with a different country code belong to a bank abroad.

When a code ends in XXX, it refers to the head office, and the 8-character version leads to the same place. Use a branch code only if the recipient’s bank asks for it.

Germany and the Euro

The currency in Germany is the Euro (EUR). If you send money in a different currency, the amount has to be converted at some point – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Which bank converts the payment matters. Compare how much EUR arrives with different services; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. On larger amounts, even a small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

What a transfer to Germany really costs

If you send money to Germany through your bank, the stated fee is only part of what you pay. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent banks can take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank usually uses a rate below the actual market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the largest cost item, even though it is not listed as a fee. An easy check: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Money transfer services frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay lists these providers next to each other, showing what actually arrives in Germany.