SWIFT/BIC codes in India

Finding a SWIFT code in India

Our directory contains 394 banks and other institutions in India, with 4272 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. You will need such a code mostly when making payments across borders and for payments in a foreign currency.

Select the bank from the list to see its head office code and any branch codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. Further down we explain how codes from India are built, how to send money there at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

The cheapest way to send money to India

If you send money to India via your bank, the stated fee is rarely all of the cost. On top of the fee, intermediary banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank often uses a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate. Check the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites. The difference is your real cost.

Specialised transfer providers often use rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before your next transfer to India, it is worth comparing the total cost via GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

How long does a transfer to India take?

An international transfer to India usually takes one to a few business days. Public holidays in either country add a day or more to the journey.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR; only the sending side can start an official trace. Money transfer services often show a status in their app, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

The largest SWIFT network in India: State Bank of India

In our directory, State Bank of India holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes in India. The head office uses SBININBBXXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

The number of codes says more about how it organises its payments than about its size. Making a payment to State Bank of India? Use SBININBBXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in India

When you are waiting for money from abroad on an account in India, give the sender everything they need in one go. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

Look up your bank in the list above to check its code. Certain banks also ask for the name and address of your bank.

The amount you receive is often less than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments differ from bank to bank. For business payments, state who bears the costs.

Verifying a SWIFT code from India

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. A wrong code may lead to a delay, a returned payment or additional charges – compare it with the code in our list.

We gather bank codes from public sources and check our list regularly. Banks reorganise, close branches and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. For any payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

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

Why a transfer to India needs a SWIFT code

India is not part of the SEPA area, the European zone for uniform euro payments. International transfers to India normally travel over the SWIFT network – which is why you need the BIC of the recipient’s bank.

In some countries, the account is identified by a domestic account number instead of an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. The receiving bank often provides a list of required details for payments from abroad. On the way to India, a payment may pass through intermediary banks that take a fee.

India and the Indian Rupee

India uses the Indian Rupee. When you pay another currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Who converts the money makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. Check what INR the recipient gets with different providers. On larger amounts, even a small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

How SWIFT codes from India are built

SWIFT/BIC codes follow one international format: eight characters plus an optional three-character extension. First comes four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

For banks in India, characters five and six show the ISO country code of India – that is the quickest way to spot one. If the country letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank in another country, so check again.

The last three characters, if present, identify a specific branch; XXX means the head office. In most cases the head office code is what you need unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.