HSBC Bank PLC SWIFT/BIC code

HSBC Bank PLC SWIFT code: MIDLGRAA

The 8-character code MIDLGRAA and the 11-character code MIDLGRAAXXX identify one and the same institution: HSBC Bank PLC, with its head office in Athens. The code has a single purpose: it makes sure that money from abroad reaches the right bank. It comes up mainly for payments that cross a border and payments in foreign currencies.

Further down you will find the practical questions: money coming in from abroad, paying someone in another country and how to check the code before you confirm a payment. A SWIFT code names an institution, never a single account.

Receiving money from abroad at HSBC Bank PLC

For a transfer from abroad at HSBC Bank PLC, the person paying you needs more than the SWIFT code. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the BIC MIDLGRAAXXX and sometimes your address.

The sender’s bank may request the address of your bank; the head office in Athens is usually fine. A typo in your account number is more trouble than you might think.

An incoming payment will not always land for the full amount. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, HSBC Bank PLC may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. On invoices, you can state how the fees are split.

SEPA payments and the HSBC Bank PLC BIC

Because Greece is part of SEPA, a euro transfer to HSBC Bank PLC from within the SEPA area normally only needs an IBAN. Most banking apps no longer ask for the BIC in that case.

You still need MIDLGRAAXXX when sending payments in other currencies or money from outside the SEPA area. A few forms also ask for the BIC; in that case, fill in MIDLGRAA or MIDLGRAAXXX.

SEPA transfers usually arrive within one business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Fees for SEPA payments are generally low as long as everything stays in euros.

Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Greece uses the Euro (EUR). If you send another currency, the amount has to be converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, by HSBC Bank PLC or by a bank in between. Every conversion eats into something – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Who converts the payment matters. Check what EUR the recipient gets with several providers; the difference between options can be larger than you expect.

Rates for EUR change during the day. On larger amounts, even seemingly small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

HSBC Bank PLC: head office code versus branch codes

With 3 codes in 2 cities, HSBC Bank PLC belongs to the banks that register individual codes for branches and departments. The head office code remains MIDLGRAAXXX.

For most incoming transfers, the head office code MIDLGRAAXXX is the right choice. When you receive a specific code, use it as it is instead of replacing it with the head office code.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying for the exact BIC in their bank details. Branch codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise, so do not rely on old paperwork.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

The directory on GoldexPay is based on publicly available sources. It is possible that information on this page is out of date, for example after a merger. The number of codes on this page reflect our own data, not official figures from HSBC Bank PLC.

Treat our directory here as a helpful check and rely on the recipient or HSBC Bank PLC for the final confirmation. GoldexPay is independent of HSBC Bank PLC, we only compare transfer services. If you notice something that is out of date, we appreciate a short note.

How long does an international transfer to HSBC Bank PLC take?

There is no single answer: many land the same day or the next. Weekends and public holidays in either country add extra days, since banks do not process on those days. Compliance checks by one of the banks may also cause some delay.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms.

The bank that sent the money is able to start an official trace. Ask the sender for the payment receipt including the reference.

What the XXX in MIDLGRAAXXX means

Each SWIFT/BIC code has an 8-character core: four letters for the bank, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. That gives you MIDLGRAA, the short form of the code.

Many payment forms work with either length. If a form asks for eleven characters, use MIDLGRAAXXX, otherwise MIDLGRAA is fine.

As a rule the code is typed in capitals and without spaces. Watch for O versus 0 and I versus 1; they are easy to mix up.

Is MIDLGRAA still correct? How to check

The most reliable place for the right code remains a document from the bank itself. Check it with MIDLGRAA here; if they differ, ask before you pay.

If the code is wrong, the transfer may get stuck, be returned or cost extra – sometimes after weeks of searching. Do not forget the account number: an error there can be harder to correct than a wrong BIC.

A validity check in your banking app only confirms that the IBAN exists – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. More and more banks compare the name with the account before you confirm – do not ignore a mismatch warning. Sending a small amount first is a sensible step for a large first payment, even if it costs an extra fee.

Sending money abroad from HSBC Bank PLC

A bank transfer abroad costs rather more than the fee suggests. There is the fee for the transfer itself, possibly charges from correspondent banks in between and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate when the money is converted.

Many banks rarely show the margin on the rate as a cost. Check the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer. GoldexPay lists these services side by side so you can see what actually arrives. You can always keep your account at HSBC Bank PLC to fund the transfer.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

One of the most common tricks goes like this: you receive a message claiming that a supplier now has new bank details and asking you to pay there from now on. That MIDLGRAA is a real code does not mean that the account is legitimate; criminals use the codes of real banks too.

Verify new bank details through a separate channel, never via the email that asked for the change. Urgency and requests to keep it quiet are warning signs; a genuine business can wait for you to check. Already paid? Call the bank you paid from straight away and have them try to recall the payment.

Recipients can be targeted as well: a classic trick is an overpayment followed by a request to send back the difference to another account. A screenshot of a transfer is no proof.