SWIFT/BIC codes in Italy: banks starting with S

Italy: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

For Italy our database holds 26259 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 3414 banks. You will need a SWIFT/BIC code mainly when making international transfers, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Every bank is listed with its own page with the head office code and if there are any, branch codes. Further down we explain how a code from Italy is put together, how to send money to Italy at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

Which bank in Italy has the most codes?

In our directory, Unicredit SPA holds the most SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Italy. Its head office code is UNCRITM1001 – the code most transfers need.

How many codes a bank has says more about how it registers branches and services than about how big it is. Making a payment to Unicredit SPA? Use UNCRITM1001 except when a specific branch code is requested.

What a sender needs to pay you in Italy

For an international payment in Italy, the person paying you needs more than the SWIFT code. In practice that means: your name as your bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your postal address.

Find your bank in the list on this page. Certain banks may also want your bank’s address, so keep it at hand.

Expect that the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Charges on incoming payments differ per bank; check the price list of your bank. Agree with the sender who covers the fees.

How reliable is this list?

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. An incorrect BIC can cause a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges, so compare it with the list on this page.

The directory on GoldexPay is based on public sources. Still, banks merge or retire codes, so information can be out of date. For any payment that matters, check the BIC with the recipient. We are an independent comparison service for money transfers, not a bank.

Watch out for payment requests containing a new account – a common fraud method. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account – scammers use the codes of real banks.

Banks in Italy beginning with the letter :letter

This list shows only banks in Italy beginning with :letter in alphabetical order. The totals on this page cover every bank we list and not only this letter.

If the bank you need is missing here, try another letter – the registered name can differ from the name people use. Use the full list for Italy when you are not sure the exact name.

Paying in euros to Italy

Because Italy is part of SEPA, a euro payment to a bank in Italy usually requires just an IBAN. Many banks do not require the BIC in that case.

A SWIFT code does come into play when the currency is not euros. SEPA transfers normally land within one business day or faster with instant payments. Costs stay low as long as everything stays in euros.

The cheapest way to send money to Italy

An international bank payment to Italy often costs more than you think. There is the transfer fee, possibly fees from correspondent banks and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate if the money is converted.

The markup on the rate tends to be the biggest cost item because it is hidden in the rate. Compare the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate.

Specialist money transfer services often use rates closer to the mid-market rate. On GoldexPay we compare the amount that arrives in Italy with different services, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot.

How SWIFT codes from Italy are built

Each SWIFT/BIC code has 8 or 11 characters. First comes four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

You can spot a code from Italy from letters five and six. Codes with a different country code come from another country, even if the bank name looks familiar.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a specific branch; XXX means the head office. Use a branch code only if the recipient explicitly gives you one; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

The currency of Italy is the Euro (EUR). A payment in a foreign currency is converted into EUR – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Check what EUR the recipient gets with several services. Exchange rates change during the day, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

Transfer times to Italy

How quickly money reaches Italy depends on several factors: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually start the next business day.

If the money is delayed, ask the sender to contact the sending bank; only the sending side can start an official trace. Save the payment confirmation until the money has arrived; a bank needs it to start a trace.