Bank of India SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Bank of India

The 8-character code BKIDINBB and the 11-character code BKIDINBBXXX refer to the same bank: Bank of India, with its head office in Mumbai. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses these codes to route international transfers to the right bank. You will need it mainly when dealing with transfers between countries.

We wrote this page to help people who receives money at an account at Bank of India without mistakes. The SWIFT code alone does not identify an individual account holder; that is what the IBAN or account number .

Scams that use SWIFT codes

A common scam goes like this: you receive a request claiming that a company has new bank details and asking you to pay there from now on. A valid SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine – scammers simply use real codes.

Never trust contact details in the same message that contains the change. Pressure or secrecy are warning signs. Already paid? Contact the bank you paid from straight away and ask them to start a recall.

People receiving money are targeted too: a classic trick is an overpayment and then sends a request to send back the difference. A screenshot of a transfer is no proof; only your own account shows what has arrived.

Before you send: check the Bank of India code

The best place to find the right code is a document from the bank itself. Compare that code against BKIDINBB on this page.

An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or extra fees. A mistake in the account number is more serious, because the money may be credited to someone else, so check that just as carefully.

Many banking apps validate the format of IBANs and sometimes look up the BIC automatically – that confirms the format, not the owner. If your bank offers it, a name check before sending adds an extra layer of safety. Sending a small amount first is worth it for large sums despite the extra fee.

About this information

The codes on this page come from publicly available data. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes. Figures such as the number of codes are from our own dataset and may differ from what Bank of India publishes.

Before any payment that matters, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank or the recipient. We are an independent comparison site for money transfers and not part of Bank of India. Should you notice something that is out of date, we appreciate a short note via the contact page.

Sending INR to Bank of India

Most accounts at Bank of India are typically held in INR, the local currency. A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into INR before it reaches the account, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. Every conversion costs something, even when no fee is shown.

Who does the conversion has an effect on the final amount. In many cases you pay less to send INR directly via a provider with a good rate.

The INR rate changes throughout the day. If you pay regularly, a slightly better rate make a real difference over a year.

What a transfer from Bank of India abroad really costs

What you pay for a payment abroad is made up of several parts. You pay the transfer fee, possibly charges from correspondent banks in between and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup if the currency changes.

Many banks rarely list their exchange rate markup as a cost. Compare their rate with the mid-market rate.

Specialist money transfer services often use a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before your next transfer, it is worth to compare what arrives on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank. You can still keep your account at Bank of India, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Bank of India

A SWIFT payment usually needs anywhere from one to several business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Transfers sent late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday often go out the next business day. Occasionally a bank asks about the purpose of a payment before releasing it.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Each gpi transfer carries a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Money transfer services usually provide a status online so you can see how far the money has got.

A delayed transfer has to be traced from the sending side on the basis of the transfer details. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation – it helps your own bank look for the money.

8 or 11 characters: BKIDINBB versus BKIDINBBXXX

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code and two characters for the location. In this case, that core is BKIDINBB.

Many banks and apps work with both lengths. If a form asks for eleven characters, use BKIDINBBXXX.

Enter the code in one piece, in upper case and without separators, exactly as shown here. Copying the code beats retyping it.

What to give a sender who pays you at Bank of India

For an international payment at Bank of India, the person paying you has to have not just the BIC. What they need is: the account holder’s name, IBAN or account number, BKIDINBBXXX and in many cases your home address.

The sender’s bank might request the bank address of Bank of India; the head office in Mumbai is usually fine. A typo in the IBAN can be harder to fix than you might think; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank; check the price list of Bank of India. Agree with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

Choosing between the 222 SWIFT codes of Bank of India

Bank of India uses 222 separate SWIFT/BIC codes. Only one is the head office code; the rest identify branches.

For the vast majority of incoming transfers, the head office code BKIDINBBXXX is what you need. A branch code only makes sense when the recipient’s bank specifically asks for it.

If you are not sure, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Codes for branches are more prone to change than BKIDINBBXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.