SWIFT/BIC codes in Italy: banks starting with U

SWIFT/BIC codes in Italy

This directory covers 3414 banks and other institutions in Italy, with 26259 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. A BIC shows the banks handling a transfer which institution is meant to get an international payment.

Choose a bank below to see the head office code and any branch codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. Below the list we explain how codes from Italy are built, how to send money to Italy at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

How reliable is this list?

Have the recipient send you the account details directly from their banking app. If the code you have differs from our list, do not guess: check with the recipient or the bank.

This list is compiled from publicly available sources and is updated regularly. Still, banks merge or retire codes and our data may lag behind. Before any payment of any size, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is not a bank.

Watch out for invoices with a new account. Always verify changed details through a separate channel.

Filter: banks in Italy with :letter

You are looking at a filtered list: just institutions in Italy with a name starting with :letter. The counts in the introduction still cover all banks in Italy.

Bank not listed? Its official name may start with a different letter. Use the full list for Italy if you are not sure the exact name.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Italy

If you are waiting for money from abroad in Italy, give the sender everything they need in one go. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Your bank’s code is in the list on this page, yet the version on your own statement or in your banking app is leading. Certain banks also want your bank’s address.

What lands in your account can be lower than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. On invoices, agree how the fees are split.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Italy pays in the Euro, with the currency code EUR. A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into EUR.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference. In many cases it is cheaper to send EUR directly through a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. Exchange rates move during the day, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

Which bank in Italy has the most codes?

Unicredit SPA tops the list of Italy banks when it comes to SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office of Unicredit SPA uses UNCRITM1001 and that code covers most payments.

A large number of codes often means that the bank registers branches and departments separately – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. Paying someone at Unicredit SPA? Use UNCRITM1001 except when a specific branch code is requested.

SEPA transfers to Italy

Inside SEPA, euro transfers to Italy follow common rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. The BIC field is usually optional in that case.

A SWIFT code still come into play when the currency is not euros and for transfers from outside SEPA. SEPA transfers normally land within one business day or faster with instant payments. Costs stay low as long as everything stays in euros; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

How long does a transfer to Italy take?

There is no fixed answer for payments to Italy: some arrive within a day, others take several business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often start a business day later.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services usually show a status online.

How SWIFT codes from Italy are built

A SWIFT code is either 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. The first four letters stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

You can spot a bank code from Italy from letters five and six – those always form the country code of Italy. When those two letters do not match Italy, you are looking at a bank somewhere else.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a specific branch; XXX is used for the head office. In most cases the head office code is what you need, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

The cheapest way to send money to Italy

An international bank payment to Italy can cost more than the fee suggests. There is a transfer fee, sometimes fees from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup if the money is converted.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate. An easy check: put the offered rate next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service turns out to be less expensive than a bank. GoldexPay lists transfer services side by side, showing the amount that reaches the recipient before you commit.