SWIFT/BIC codes in Germany: banks starting with R

Germany: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

In Germany we have 8518 SWIFT/BIC codes from 2804 banks. You need such a code mostly for international transfers and for payments in a foreign currency.

Every bank has its own page with the head office code and if there are any, codes for branches and departments. Below the list you can read how codes from Germany are built, how to send money to Germany without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

Sending EUR to Germany

The national currency of Germany is the Euro (EUR). When you pay money in a different currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on the final amount. Check how much EUR the recipient gets with several services before choosing one. Rates for EUR change all the time, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

Euro payments to Germany: is a BIC needed?

Germany belongs to the SEPA area, where euro transfers follow common rules. For a regular euro transfer from another SEPA country, the IBAN is usually enough; many banks no longer ask for the BIC.

You still need a SWIFT code when sending non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. Instant euro transfers have become increasingly available within SEPA – check whether your bank supports them. Provided the payment stays in euros, a SEPA transfer tends to be inexpensive.

How long does a transfer to Germany take?

How fast money arrives in Germany depends on a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Bank holidays in either country add a day or more, because banks do not process payments on those days.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact their own bank and ask for the status or the UETR; only the sending side can start an official trace. Specialist transfer services often provide a status online so you can follow the payment.

Bank or transfer service for Germany?

The price of a payment to Germany has several parts – not only the fee you see. On top of the fee, intermediary banks can deduct a charge and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually uses a rate below the real market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate – the bank builds a margin into its rate. A simple test: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialist money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate. On GoldexPay you can compare the amount that arrives in Germany with different services, so you can pick the cheapest route.

Deutsche Bank AG and its SWIFT codes

In our data, Deutsche Bank AG has the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes in Germany. Its head office code is DEUTDE2HXXX – the code most transfers need.

A large number of codes usually means that the bank registers branches and departments separately – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. Paying someone at Deutsche Bank AG? Go with DEUTDE2HXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Germany

Each SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters, always in the same order. It starts with a four-letter bank code, followed by two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

For banks in Germany, characters five and six are the two-letter ISO code of Germany – that is the quickest way to spot one. Codes with other letters in that position belong to another country – a quick way to catch mistakes.

An 11-character code ends in three characters for a branch, where XXX means the head office. Use a branch code just if the recipient’s bank asks for it.

What a sender needs to pay you in Germany

To receive a transfer from abroad in Germany, the sender has to have more than the SWIFT code. In practice that means: your name as your bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and, often, your address.

Find your bank in the list on this page and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. You can include the name and city of your bank as well because some forms have separate fields for it.

What lands in your account is often lower than what was sent. 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 before the money is sent.

SWIFT codes in Germany: banks under :letter

This filter limits the list to banks in Germany starting with :letter, so you can find a bank faster. The totals on this page apply to all 2804 banks and not only this letter.

If a bank is missing under :letter, check another letter. The full overview for Germany remains available when the letter filter does not help.

Check the code before you pay

Ask the recipient to copy the account details directly from their online banking. If the code you have does not match our list, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

We collect bank codes using publicly available data and check our list regularly. Even so, banks merge or change codes, so information can be out of date. For a payment that matters, check the code with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Be wary of invoices containing a new account, especially when they come by email. Always confirm changed details by phone on a number you know.