SWIFT/BIC codes in Italy: banks starting with M

Italy: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

This overview lists 3414 banks and other institutions in Italy. You need such a code mostly for payments across borders and for payments in a foreign currency.

Each bank has its own page with the head office code and, where available, branch codes. Below the list you can read how codes from Italy are built, how to send money there without overpaying and how to check a code before you pay.

Sending money to Italy for less

If you transfer money to Italy through your bank, the fee you see is only part of what you pay. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup when currencies differ.

The markup on the rate is often the largest cost item. A simple test: set the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialised transfer providers often use rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before you send money to Italy, it is worth comparing what arrives on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Tracking a payment to Italy

A SWIFT payment to Italy usually takes anywhere from one to several business days. Public holidays in either country add a day or more to the journey.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact their own bank and ask for the status or the UETR. Specialist transfer services often provide tracking in their app.

Most SWIFT codes in Italy: Unicredit SPA

Unicredit SPA leads our list of Italy banks when it comes to the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses UNCRITM1001 – the code most transfers need.

The number of codes tells you something about how it organises its payments than about how big it is. Paying someone at Unicredit SPA? Use UNCRITM1001 except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Incoming international payments in Italy

When you are waiting for money from abroad in Italy, send the payer all details at once. In practice that means: your name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your address.

Look up the bank in the list above – your bank statement is the final word. Some banks also ask for your bank’s address.

The amount you receive can be less than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank; check the price list of your bank. Agree with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.

Paying in EUR: what conversion costs you

Bank accounts in Italy are typically held in EUR. When you pay money in a different currency, it gets converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Who converts the money matters. Compare what EUR arrives via several providers; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. On larger amounts, a seemingly small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

Paying in euros to Italy

Italy belongs to the SEPA area. When you send euros within SEPA, you normally only need the IBAN; many banks no longer ask for the BIC.

You still need a SWIFT code when sending non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. Euro payments within SEPA normally land by the next business day. Costs stay low as long as everything stays in euros.

About our data and how to check a code

Ask the recipient to copy their bank details directly from their online banking. A wrong code can cause delays, a payment being sent back or extra fees.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and update them regularly. Banks merge, change names and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Before any payment that matters, check the code with the recipient. GoldexPay is a comparison site.

Be wary of invoices containing a new account. A valid BIC tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine – scammers use the codes of real banks.

Banks in Italy beginning with the letter :letter

The letter filter limits the list down to banks in Italy starting with :letter. The totals mentioned here cover all 3414 banks, not just the ones under :letter.

If the bank you need is missing here, check another letter. The complete list remains one click away if the letter filter does not help.

What the letters in a Italy BIC mean

A SWIFT code is 8 or 11 characters long and follows a fixed pattern. It starts with a four-letter bank code, then two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

You can recognise a bank code from Italy by letters five and six. When those two letters do not match Italy, you are looking at a bank somewhere else.

The optional last three characters stand for a specific branch; XXX is used for the head office. For most transfers the head office code is what you need, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.