SWIFT/BIC codes in Italy: banks starting with V

Italy: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

In Italy our database holds 26259 SWIFT/BIC codes from 3414 banks. You need such a code mostly for international transfers and for payments in a foreign currency.

Each bank has its own page with its main code and, where available, codes for branches and departments. The sections below explain how the codes work, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing before you send money.

Incoming international payments in Italy

For a transfer from abroad into a Italy account, the sender needs more than the SWIFT code. Share the account holder’s name, the IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

Look up the bank in the list on this page to check its code, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. Some sending banks also want your bank’s address; it does no harm to include it.

Expect that the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.

How SWIFT codes from Italy are built

Each SWIFT/BIC code has eight or eleven characters in a fixed order. First comes four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

For banks in Italy, characters five and six show the two-letter ISO code of Italy, which makes these codes easy to recognise. Codes with a different country code belong to another country – a quick way to catch mistakes.

An 11-character code ends in a branch code. Choose a branch code just if the recipient’s bank asks for it – otherwise stick with the head office.

Banks in Italy beginning with the letter :letter

The letter filter limits the list down to banks in Italy starting with :letter, so you can find a bank faster. The totals mentioned above still cover all banks in Italy.

If a bank is missing under :letter, try another letter. Try the full list for Italy if you do not know how the name is spelled.

About our data and how to check a code

Have the recipient copy their bank details directly from their online banking. An incorrect BIC can cause a delay, a returned payment or extra fees – compare it with the code in our list.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory draws on publicly available sources that we update periodically. Institutions merge, close branches and retire codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Use our data as a starting point, not as the final word: the bank details from the recipient come first. We are a comparison site and not part of any bank listed here.

Be wary of invoices containing changed bank details, especially when they come by email. Always confirm a change of bank details by phone, using a number you already had.

Italy and the Euro

Most accounts in Italy are typically held in EUR – the Euro. Money sent in a different currency will be exchanged into EUR, and whoever converts it chooses the rate.

Who converts the money makes a difference. Check how much EUR the recipient gets via different providers before choosing one. Rates for EUR move all the time – some providers let you lock in a rate.

Transfer times to Italy

There is no fixed answer for transfers to Italy: some land within a day. Payments made late in the day or just before weekends and holidays usually start a business day later.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each gpi transfer carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Keep the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms – you will need it if something goes wrong.

Sending money to Italy for less

The price of a payment to Italy has several parts. You pay the transfer fee, possibly charges from intermediary banks and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup.

The markup on the rate tends to be the largest part of the cost. Compare the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. Before your next transfer to Italy, it is worth comparing what arrives on GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

SEPA transfers to Italy

Within the SEPA zone, euro transfers to Italy follow common rules. The BIC field is often optional in that case.

You still need the BIC when sending non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. Euro payments within SEPA normally land by the next business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. As long as no conversion is involved, a SEPA transfer is usually cheap.

Which bank in Italy has the most codes?

Of all banks in Italy, Unicredit SPA has the largest number of SWIFT codes. The head office of Unicredit SPA uses UNCRITM1001.

How many codes a bank has says something about how it registers branches and services than about how big it is. Making a payment to Unicredit SPA? Go with UNCRITM1001 except when the recipient gives you a branch code.