SWIFT/BIC codes in Ireland: banks starting with Z

SWIFT/BIC codes in Ireland

For Ireland our database holds 1087 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 675 banks. You need such a code mainly for international transfers, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Choose the bank below to view the head office code and its other codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. Below the list we explain how a code from Ireland is put together, how to send money there without overpaying and how to check a code before you pay.

Paying in euros to Ireland

Ireland belongs to the SEPA area, where euro transfers follow common rules. When you send euros within SEPA, you normally only need the IBAN.

The BIC does matter when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. Instant payments in euros are increasingly supported across SEPA, though not every bank offers them for every account. As long as the payment stays in euros, the transfer is usually cheap.

How SWIFT codes from Ireland are built

A BIC is either 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. The first four letters identify the bank, the fifth and sixth characters are the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

You can recognise a code from Ireland from the fifth and sixth characters – those always form the country code of Ireland. Codes with other letters in that position come from another country.

An 11-character code ends in a branch code, where XXX means the head office. In most cases the head office code is what you need.

Receiving money in Ireland from abroad

To receive an international payment into a Ireland account, the sender has to have more than the SWIFT code. Give them your name as registered with the bank, the IBAN or account number, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Your bank’s code appears in the list on this page, yet the version on your own statement or in your banking app is leading. You can add your bank’s name and city as well.

What lands in your account can be lower than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.

Banks in Ireland beginning with the letter :letter

Here you see a filtered list: only banks in Ireland with a name starting with :letter. The totals mentioned above still refer to the whole country.

Cannot find the bank? The registered name may begin with another word – think of the full legal name instead of the brand. Try the full list for Ireland if you do not know how the name is spelled.

Check the code before you pay

Have the recipient send you their bank details straight from a recent statement. An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a returned payment or additional charges, so compare it with the list on this page.

This list draws on publicly available sources that we update periodically. Still, banks merge or change codes, so information can be out of date. For any payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Watch out for invoices containing changed bank details – a common fraud method. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a separate channel.

Paying in EUR: what conversion costs you

Bank accounts in Ireland are typically held in EUR, the local currency. Money sent in a different currency is exchanged into EUR on its way to the recipient – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Where the conversion happens affects how much arrives. Check what EUR the recipient gets with different providers before choosing one. On larger amounts, even a small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

The largest SWIFT network in Ireland: Danske Bank A/S

Of the 675 banks in Ireland, Danske Bank A/S has the most SWIFT codes. The head office of Danske Bank A/S has DABAIE2DXXX and that code covers most payments.

Banks differ in whether they register branch codes, so the count is not a ranking of size. If not the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code DABAIE2DXXX works for a payment to Danske Bank A/S.

When does money sent to Ireland arrive?

How quickly a payment reaches Ireland depends on several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and differences in time zone. Payments made late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday usually go out the next business day.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Keep your transfer receipt; a bank needs it to start a trace.

What a transfer to Ireland really costs

If you transfer money to Ireland through a regular bank, the stated fee is only part of the cost. Besides the fee, intermediary banks can deduct a charge and, if currencies are converted, the bank often applies a rate below the real 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.

Specialist money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay compares what recipients in Ireland receive with different providers.