SWIFT/BIC codes in Guinea-Bissau

SWIFT/BIC codes in Guinea-Bissau

For Guinea-Bissau we have 6 SWIFT/BIC codes. A SWIFT code tells every bank in the chain exactly which bank should receive the money.

Every bank has its own page with the head office code and if there are any, codes for branches and departments. The sections below covers the structure of the codes, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing before a payment.

Banco da Africa Ocidental SA and its SWIFT codes

Of the 6 banks we list for Guinea-Bissau, Banco da Africa Ocidental SA is listed with the most codes. Its head office code is BAOBGWGWXXX – the code most transfers need.

How many codes a bank has tells you more about how it registers branches and services than about its size. Making a payment to Banco da Africa Ocidental SA? Use BAOBGWGWXXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

What the letters in a Guinea-Bissau BIC mean

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

In every code from Guinea-Bissau, letters five and six show the two-letter ISO code of Guinea-Bissau – that is the quickest way to spot one. Codes with other letters in that position belong to a bank abroad.

An 11-character code adds three characters for a branch. Use a branch code just when the recipient’s bank asks for it; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

Tracking a payment to Guinea-Bissau

How quickly a payment arrives in Guinea-Bissau depends on a few things: the currency, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Public holidays in either country add extra days to the journey.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Specialist transfer services often show a status in their app so you can follow the payment.

SWIFT transfers to Guinea-Bissau

For Guinea-Bissau you will almost always need a SWIFT/BIC code. Without the BIC, most banks will not send the transfer at all.

Not every country uses IBAN numbers. The receiving bank usually has instructions for payments from abroad, and it is worth following them to the letter. On the way to Guinea-Bissau, a payment can go through correspondent banks that charge for their part.

The cheapest way to send money to Guinea-Bissau

What you pay for a payment to Guinea-Bissau is made up of more than one component, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent banks can take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank often applies a rate below the real market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate. Compare the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

Specialist money transfer services frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before your next transfer to Guinea-Bissau, take a minute to compare the total cost via GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Guinea-Bissau

To receive a transfer from abroad in Guinea-Bissau, the sender needs not just the SWIFT code. That means: your full name as your bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your postal address.

Your bank’s code is in the list on this page. You can add your bank’s name and city, since some payment forms ask for it.

What lands in your account can be less than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs.

About our data and how to check a code

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient. If the code you have does not match our list, stop and ask.

The directory on GoldexPay is compiled from publicly available sources. Institutions reorganise, change names and change codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Before any payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service for money transfers, not a bank.

Scammers often use fake invoices carrying new bank details that look completely genuine. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine.