Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale - SWIFT/BIC code

What BRLADE22 means for a payment to Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -

BRLADE22 and BRLADE22XXX are two ways of writing the same bank identifier, and both point to Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale - in Bremen. Banks worldwide use these codes to route international transfers to the right institution. In practice you usually see it on international invoices, in payment forms and on the account details that Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale - provides.

We wrote this page to help people who pays into an account at Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale - and wants to get the details right. The BIC identifies an institution, not a specific account.

International transfers from Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -: the real cost

If you send money to another country through Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -, the fee you see is only part of what you pay. You pay the fee for the transfer itself, possibly charges from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee: many banks convert using an exchange rate with a margin built in. Check their rate against the mid-market rate. The difference is your real conversion cost.

Money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate. On GoldexPay we compare what recipients receive with different services. You can always use your account at Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale - as the source of the money; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

When will the money arrive at Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -?

A SWIFT payment usually takes one to a few business days. Weekends and public holidays in the sending or receiving country can add a day or more to the journey. Extra checks by one of the banks may also add a delay, even when all details are correct.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask your bank for the tracking status or the UETR. Specialist transfer services usually show tracking online showing where the money is.

Only the sending bank can request a trace – the recipient’s bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. As a recipient, it helps to look at your statements for a slightly lower amount.

Watch out for payment fraud

One of the most common tricks goes like this: an email arrives with a message saying that a contact has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. The fact that BRLADE22 exists is no guarantee that the account is legitimate – fraudsters use real bank codes as well.

Verify changed bank details through a separate channel, such as a phone number you already know. Urgency or requests to keep it quiet tend to be red flags; a genuine business can wait for you to check. Already paid? Call the bank you paid from without delay and have them try to recall the payment; also report it to the police.

Scams can also target the receiver. Someone sends more than agreed and asks you to return the difference to a new account. Do not act before the money has really arrived.

SEPA payments and the Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale - BIC

Germany is a member of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), where euro transfers follow common rules. When you send euros from another SEPA country, the IBAN is usually enough.

You will still need BRLADE22XXX for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. A few banks and apps also ask for the BIC out of habit; if so, enter BRLADE22 or BRLADE22XXX.

Instant euro transfers are widely available across SEPA. Fees for SEPA payments are generally low as long as everything stays in euros.

Head office or branch code at Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -?

Having 2 codes in 2 locations, Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale - belongs to the banks that register separate codes for branches. The main code remains BRLADE22XXX.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, use BRLADE22XXX. A branch code only makes sense when the account holder specifically mentions it.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Codes are sometimes changed or retired over time.

Is BRLADE22 still correct? How to check

Have the recipient copy their account details directly from their banking app. Check that code with BRLADE22 here; if they differ, ask before you pay.

If the code is wrong, the payment might be delayed, bounce back or cost extra. A mistake in the account number is more serious, because the money may be credited to someone else; check it just as carefully.

An automatic check in your banking app merely confirms that the IBAN exists. More and more banks compare the name with the account before you confirm – do not ignore a mismatch warning. A small test payment is worth it for a large first payment despite the extra fee.

Receiving money from abroad at Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -

If you expect a payment from another country, give the sender all details at once. That means: your name as registered with Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -, your account number or IBAN, the BIC BRLADE22XXX (or BRLADE22) and, often, your address.

Certain banks want the bank’s address, so keep it at hand. A mistake in the IBAN is harder to fix than you might think.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Charges on incoming payments differ per bank. For business payments, you can state how the fees are split.

The Euro and what conversion costs you

The national currency in Germany is the Euro (EUR). A payment in a foreign currency is converted into EUR on its way to Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -. Each conversion eats into something – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Who converts the payment makes a difference. Compare what EUR arrives with different providers.

The EUR rate fluctuates throughout the day, so the amount you see is usually only valid for a short time. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

What the XXX in BRLADE22XXX means

The structure of a BIC is always the same: four characters for the institution, a two-letter country code and two for the location. The result is BRLADE22 for Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -.

XXX at the end of BRLADE22XXX does not stand for a placeholder or an error: it stands for the main office of Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -. Some banking apps ask for 11 characters, in which case you simply add XXX after BRLADE22.

Enter the code as one block, in capitals and without separators. Pasting the code beats retyping it, because one wrong letter changes the bank.

About this information

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is based on public sources and is updated regularly. It is possible that information here is out of date. Counts and locations come from our directory and may differ from what Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale - publishes.

For any payment that matters, confirm the code with the recipient’s bank or with the recipient. GoldexPay is not affiliated with Norddeutsche Landesbank - Girozentrale -; we are a comparison site for money transfers. Spotted an error? Let us know via our contact form.