National Bank of Greece S.A. SWIFT/BIC code

What ETHNGRAA means for a payment to National Bank of Greece S.A.

The short code ETHNGRAA and the full code ETHNGRAAXXX refer to the same bank: National Bank of Greece S.A., with its head office in Athens. The code does one job: it ensures that money from abroad reaches the right bank. It comes up mostly when dealing with transfers between countries or a currency.

On this page you will find what the code is put together, when you need it and which other details a transfer to or from National Bank of Greece S.A. requires. The BIC names a bank or branch, never a single account.

Incoming international payments to National Bank of Greece S.A.

When you are waiting for money from abroad, send the payer everything they need in one go. The basics are: the account holder’s name, IBAN or account number, ETHNGRAAXXX or ETHNGRAA and in many cases your postal address.

Their bank may also ask for the bank address of National Bank of Greece S.A., in which case the Athens head office is the usual answer. Check the details before you send them.

Money from abroad will not always arrive in full. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank – the price list of National Bank of Greece S.A. tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.

Choosing between the 3 SWIFT codes of National Bank of Greece S.A.

With 3 codes, National Bank of Greece S.A. is one of the banks that use separate codes for branches and departments. The head office code is ETHNGRAAXXX.

For most payments to a private or business account, the head office code ETHNGRAAXXX works fine. Just use a branch code when the account holder explicitly asks for it, for example on an invoice or in their bank details.

The safest approach is to take the code straight from the recipient’s bank details. Codes can change over time, so do not rely on old paperwork.

When will the money arrive at National Bank of Greece S.A.?

There is no fixed answer for international payments: some land the same day or the next, others take several business days. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country can add extra days. Occasionally a bank asks what the payment is for before releasing it.

When a payment takes longer than expected, contact the sending bank for the status and the transaction reference so they can trace it along the chain. Specialist transfer services usually provide a status in their app so you can see where the money has got.

A missing payment is investigated by the sending bank on the basis of the transfer details. Ask the sender for the payment receipt – it helps your own bank look for the money.

What a transfer from National Bank of Greece S.A. abroad really costs

A bank transfer abroad costs more than the listed fee. There is the transfer fee, possibly fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup if the currency changes.

Many banks do not show the margin on the rate as a cost. A simple test: put the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialist money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay lists these services side by side, showing what actually arrives before you commit. You can still keep your account at National Bank of Greece S.A., while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

Our SWIFT/BIC directory draws on publicly available sources. Banks reorganise, close branches and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. The figures we show reflect our own data, not official figures from National Bank of Greece S.A..

See the information on this page as a helpful check. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and not part of National Bank of Greece S.A.. If you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a message via the contact page.

ETHNGRAA or ETHNGRAAXXX – which one to use?

A SWIFT code is made up of fixed blocks: the first four letters stand for the bank, characters five and six show the country and characters seven and eight indicate the location. Combined, those parts make up ETHNGRAA – the version you usually see online.

XXX at the end of ETHNGRAAXXX does not stand for a placeholder or a mistake: it stands for the head office of National Bank of Greece S.A.. Some forms insist on 11 characters, in which case you simply add XXX after ETHNGRAA.

As a rule the code is typed in capitals, without spaces or dashes. Pasting the code is safer than retyping it, because one wrong letter changes the bank.

Sending EUR to National Bank of Greece S.A.

Accounts at National Bank of Greece S.A. are typically held in EUR, the local currency of Greece. When you pay another currency, the amount has to be converted at some point – by your bank, by National Bank of Greece S.A. or by a bank in between. You rarely see a separate line for the conversion.

Who does the conversion affects how much arrives, since every bank sets its own rate. Sending the amount already in EUR often prevents a second conversion by National Bank of Greece S.A., provided the rate you get is fair.

Rates for EUR move during the day, and some providers let you lock in a rate. For recurring payments, a slightly better rate make a real difference over time.

Euro transfers to National Bank of Greece S.A.: is a BIC needed?

Greece is a member of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the zone for standardised euro payments. For a regular euro transfer from another SEPA country, the IBAN is usually enough and the BIC is often filled in automatically.

You still need ETHNGRAAXXX for non-euro payments or transfers from countries outside SEPA. A few banks and apps also ask for the BIC; if so, enter ETHNGRAA.

Instant euro transfers have become increasingly supported across SEPA – whether National Bank of Greece S.A. offers them for your account is worth checking. Provided no currency is converted, a SEPA transfer tends to be cheap.

Before you send: check the National Bank of Greece S.A. code

Ask the recipient to copy their bank details straight from a recent statement. If the code you have does not match ETHNGRAA or ETHNGRAAXXX, do not guess: check with the recipient or with National Bank of Greece S.A. directly.

With a wrong code, the transfer might be delayed, bounce back or cost extra, and tracing it can take weeks. An error in the IBAN or account number can be more serious because it can reach the wrong person.

An automatic check in your banking app merely tells you that the IBAN is valid, not that it is the right account. If your bank offers it, a payee name check before sending adds extra certainty. A small test payment is worth it for large sums.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

Scammers regularly send payment requests with new bank details sent from what looks like a familiar address. A correct SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account – scammers simply use real codes.

Check changed bank details through a different channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract, never via the email that asked for the change. Urgency or requests to keep it quiet tend to be warning signs; a genuine business can wait for you to check. When money was sent to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Fraud also work the other way. Someone claims to have sent too much and wants you to return the extra. Wait until the money has really arrived and check with National Bank of Greece S.A. if anything seems off.