SWIFT/BIC codes in Italy: banks starting with Q

SWIFT/BIC codes in Italy

Our directory covers 3414 banks and other institutions in Italy, with 26259 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. Each code points to a bank or a specific branch or department, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Look for the recipient’s bank in the list and click through to see the full list of codes. Below the list you can read how codes from Italy are built, how to send money there at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

The structure of a Italy SWIFT/BIC code

Every SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters. First comes four letters for the bank, followed by two letters for the country and two characters for the location.

You can spot a bank code from Italy from letters five and six – those always form the country code of Italy. Codes with a different country code belong to another country – a quick way to catch mistakes.

The last three characters, if present, identify a specific branch; XXX is used for the head office. Use a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one.

Incoming international payments in Italy

If you expect a payment from another country on an account in Italy, send the payer a complete set of details. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and usually your postal address.

The code of your bank appears in our list but always compare it with your own bank details. Some sending banks also ask for your bank’s address.

What lands in your account can be less than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers vary per bank. Agree with the sender who covers the fees, especially for larger amounts.

Tracking a payment to Italy

There is no single answer for payments to Italy: many arrive within a day, others take several business days. Transfers sent late in the day or on weekends and holidays often start a business day later.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi. Every payment gets a unique reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Save the payment confirmation until the money has arrived.

What a transfer to Italy really costs

If you transfer money to Italy via your bank, the stated fee is rarely all of what you pay. You pay the transfer fee, possibly charges from intermediary banks and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate when currencies differ.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Compare the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites. The difference is your real cost.

For a lot of currency pairs, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. Before your next transfer to Italy, take a minute comparing the total cost via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Sending EUR to Italy

The local currency in Italy is the Euro (EUR). A payment in a foreign currency is exchanged into EUR before it reaches the account, and whoever converts it chooses the rate.

Who converts the money matters. In many cases it is cheaper to send EUR straight away via a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. Exchange rates move all the time.

Italy and the SEPA area

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to Italy use common rules. A field for the BIC is usually optional in that case.

The BIC still matter when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. SEPA transfers usually arrive within one business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Fees are generally low provided everything stays in euros; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

Check the code before you pay

The most reliable source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. A wrong code may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges, so compare it with the list on this page.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is based on publicly available sources and is updated regularly. Banks merge, change names and retire codes. For any payment that matters, check the BIC with the recipient. We are a comparison service for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Be wary of invoices with a new account. A valid BIC says nothing about who owns the account.

Banks in Italy beginning with the letter :letter

This page shows only banks in Italy whose name starts with :letter, sorted alphabetically. The figures for Italy mentioned here apply to every bank we list and not only this letter.

If the bank you need is missing here, try the full list. The complete list remains available if the letter filter does not help.

Unicredit SPA and its SWIFT codes

Of all banks in Italy, Unicredit SPA is listed with the most SWIFT codes. Its main office has UNCRITM1001; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

The number of codes says something about how it organises its payments than about its size. If not a branch code is given, UNCRITM1001 is fine for a payment to Unicredit SPA.