SWIFT/BIC codes in Italy: banks starting with J

Finding a SWIFT code in Italy

Our directory covers 3414 banks and other institutions in Italy and 26259 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. A BIC tells the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank should receive the money.

Each bank is listed with its own page showing the head office code and if there are any, codes for branches and departments. The rest of this page explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing.

Filter: banks in Italy with :letter

This filter narrows the list down to banks from Italy that begin with :letter to make searching quicker. The counts in the introduction still cover all banks in Italy, not just this letter.

Cannot find the bank? The registered name may begin with another word. Try the full list for Italy if you do not know how the name is spelled.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Italy

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. If the code you have differs from our list, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

The directory on GoldexPay is based on publicly available sources that we update periodically. Banks merge, change names and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. Treat our data as a starting point. GoldexPay is not a bank.

Scammers regularly send fake invoices with new bank details that look completely genuine. Always verify changed details by phone, using a number you already had.

The cheapest way to send money to Italy

What you pay for a payment to Italy has more than one component. Besides a fixed fee, intermediary banks can take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank usually uses a rate below the real market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Compare the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites.

Money transfer services frequently offer rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. On GoldexPay we compare what recipients in Italy receive across services, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Most accounts in Italy are usually held in EUR. If you send money in a different currency, the amount has to be converted at some point – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Who converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Compare how much EUR the recipient gets via several providers; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. On larger amounts, a seemingly small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

The largest SWIFT network in Italy: Unicredit SPA

Among the 3414 institutions we list, Unicredit SPA has the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes in Italy. Its head office code is UNCRITM1001.

How many codes a bank has says more about how it registers branches and services than about how big it is. Unless a branch code is given, the head office code UNCRITM1001 works for a payment to Unicredit SPA.

Euro payments to Italy: is a BIC needed?

Since Italy is in the SEPA zone, a euro transfer to a bank in Italy usually requires just the IBAN. Many banks no longer ask for the BIC for these payments.

You will still need the BIC for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Instant payments in euros have become widely available within SEPA, though not every bank offers them for every account. Fees are generally low as long as everything stays in euros; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

How SWIFT codes from Italy are built

SWIFT/BIC codes use one international format: 8 characters. It starts with a four-letter bank code, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

For banks in Italy, letters five and six show the two-letter ISO code of Italy, which makes these codes easy to recognise. If those two letters do not match Italy, the code belongs to a bank in another country, so check again.

The long version ends in a branch code, where XXX means the head office. For most transfers the head office code is fine unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

When does money sent to Italy arrive?

How quickly money reaches Italy is determined by several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and differences in time zone. Transfers sent late in the day or on a weekend or public holiday usually start a business day later.

If a transfer is late, ask the sender to contact their own bank. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived – you will need it if something goes wrong.

What a sender needs to pay you in Italy

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for a few details from you, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. That means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and, often, your address.

Find your bank in the list above and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. Certain banks also want your bank’s address; it does no harm to include it.

What lands in your account is often less than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank. On invoices, agree how the fees are split.