SWIFT/BIC codes in Germany: banks starting with V

Germany: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

Our directory covers 2804 banks and other institutions in Germany and 8518 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. Each code points to an institution or a specific branch or department.

Pick the bank below to see its head office code and any branch codes, plus practical notes for sending and receiving money. The rest of this page explain the structure of the codes, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing before a payment.

The largest SWIFT network in Germany: Deutsche Bank AG

In our directory, Deutsche Bank AG holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Germany. The head office of Deutsche Bank AG has DEUTDE2HXXX and that code covers most payments.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes. Making a payment to Deutsche Bank AG? Go with DEUTDE2HXXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

Germany and the Euro

Most accounts in Germany are usually held in EUR – the Euro. When you pay another currency, it has to be converted somewhere along the way: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on how much arrives. Check what EUR arrives with different providers. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Germany

For a transfer from abroad in Germany, the person paying you has to have more than the BIC. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Find your bank in the list above to check its code. Certain sending banks also ask for your bank’s address.

Expect that the amount credited is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

Filter: banks in Germany with :letter

This list only shows banks in Germany beginning with :letter in alphabetical order. The figures for Germany mentioned here cover every bank we list, not just the ones under :letter.

If a bank is missing here, check the full list. Use the full list for Germany if you do not know the exact name.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Germany

The best place to find the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank. When the code you were given does not match the code listed here, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

The directory on GoldexPay draws on publicly available sources. Institutions reorganise, change names and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Before a payment of any size, confirm the code with the recipient. We are an independent comparison site for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Fraudsters often use payment requests carrying new bank details that look completely genuine. A valid BIC tells you nothing about who owns the account – scammers use the codes of real banks.

Germany and the SEPA area

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to Germany use the same rules, so the IBAN does the job in most cases. A field for the BIC is often optional in that case.

The BIC does come into play when the currency is not euros. Instant euro transfers are increasingly available across SEPA, though not every bank offers them for every account. Fees are generally low as long as no currency is converted.

What a transfer to Germany really costs

A bank transfer to Germany often costs rather more than you think. There is the transfer fee, possibly charges from intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup if the money is converted.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. A simple test: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For a lot of routes, a specialist provider is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. GoldexPay compares transfer services next to each other so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient for the same amount sent.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Germany

A SWIFT code is 8 or 11 characters long and follows a fixed pattern. Characters one to four stand for the bank, characters five and six form the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

You can spot a bank code from Germany from letters five and six: they always show the ISO country code of Germany. Codes with other letters in that position belong to a bank abroad, even if the bank name looks familiar.

The long version ends in three characters for a branch – XXX stands for the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

How long does a transfer to Germany take?

How fast money reaches Germany depends on several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Public holidays in Germany or in the sending country add extra days, because banks do not process payments on those days.

If a transfer is delayed, ask the sender to contact the sending bank for a trace – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Money transfer services usually provide tracking in their app, which makes it easier to see where the money is.