The First International Bank of Israel LTD SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of The First International Bank of Israel LTD

FIRBIL21 and FIRBIL21XXX are two spellings of the same bank identifier, and both point to The First International Bank of Israel LTD in Tel-Aviv. A SWIFT code shows the sending bank which institution is meant to get the money. In practice you mostly see it on invoices from abroad, in payment forms and on the account details that The First International Bank of Israel LTD provides.

This page is meant to help anyone who sends money to an account at The First International Bank of Israel LTD. Keep in mind that the BIC just identifies the bank, not the account: the IBAN or account number does that part.

Paying someone abroad from your The First International Bank of Israel LTD account

An international bank payment costs more than the listed fee. You pay the transfer fee, possibly charges from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup if the currency changes.

Many banks rarely list their exchange rate markup separately. An easy check: put the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider turns out to be less expensive than a bank. Before your next transfer, take a minute comparing the total cost via GoldexPay rather than accepting the bank’s rate by default. You can still use your account at The First International Bank of Israel LTD to fund the transfer; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

How long does an international transfer to The First International Bank of Israel LTD take?

There is no single delivery time: many arrive within a day. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often go out the next business day. Extra checks by one of the banks can also add some delay.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Each payment gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Specialist transfer services often provide a status in their app showing where the payment has got.

The bank that sent the money can request a trace; the receiving side usually has nothing to trace yet. Ask the sender for the payment receipt; that often settles the question quickly.

Why The First International Bank of Israel LTD has an 8- and an 11-character code

Each SWIFT/BIC code has an 8-character core: a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. Combined, those parts make up FIRBIL21, the code most people search for.

Most payment forms accept both lengths. If a form requires eleven characters, use FIRBIL21XXX; if it wants eight, use FIRBIL21.

In practice the code is written in capitals, without spaces or dashes. Copying the code is safer than typing it by hand: a typo can point to another bank.

Is FIRBIL21 still correct? How to check

The most reliable place for the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account details in online banking. Check that code against FIRBIL21 on this page; if they differ, ask before you pay.

Mistakes in the BIC are costly rather than disastrous: often the payment comes back, minus fees. Remember the account number: a mistake there is more difficult to correct than a wrong BIC.

Many banking apps check the format of IBANs and sometimes look up the BIC automatically – that confirms the format, not the owner. Some banks now check the payee name with the account; take any warning seriously. When you pay someone new, many people start with a small test amount before sending the rest.

Choosing between the 2 SWIFT codes of The First International Bank of Israel LTD

The First International Bank of Israel LTD uses 2 different SWIFT/BIC codes across 1 locations. Only one is the head office code; the rest identify branches, and sometimes specific services.

If nobody asks you for a branch code, go with FIRBIL21XXX. Branch codes are only needed if the recipient’s bank explicitly asks for it.

The best way is to take the code straight from the account holder’s invoice. Codes can change over time.

Changed bank details? Be careful

One of the most common tricks goes like this: an email arrives with a request saying that a supplier has new bank details. A valid SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account.

Always verify changed bank details by phone. Be suspicious of urgent requests, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. Already paid? Contact the bank you paid from without delay and ask them to try to recall the payment and report the fraud.

Scams can also work the other way: someone sends more than agreed and asks you to return the difference. Do not act before the money is actually in your account.

A note on our data

The codes on this page come from public sources. It is possible that information here is out of date, for example after a merger. The number of codes on this page are based on what is in our directory.

For any payment that matters, confirm the code with the recipient’s bank or with the recipient. GoldexPay is independent of The First International Bank of Israel LTD. Should you notice something that is out of date, we appreciate a short note via the contact page.

What to give a sender who pays you at The First International Bank of Israel LTD

To receive a transfer from abroad into your account at The First International Bank of Israel LTD, the person paying you has to have more than the BIC. That means: your full name as registered with The First International Bank of Israel LTD, your account number or IBAN, the BIC FIRBIL21XXX and sometimes your address.

Certain sending banks also ask for the name and address of The First International Bank of Israel LTD, so keep it at hand. Check every detail before you share them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

Money from abroad will not always land for the full amount. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin applies. On invoices, it is common to state how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.