SWIFT/BIC codes in Libya

Bank SWIFT codes for Libya

Here you will find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 25 banks in Libya. You need a SWIFT/BIC code mostly for international transfers, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Search for the recipient’s bank in the list and open its page to see the full list of codes and what else a transfer requires. The sections below covers the structure of the codes, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Libya

The best place to find the right code is a document from the bank itself. If the code you have does not match our list, stop and ask.

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check our list regularly. Institutions merge, change names and change codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Treat this list as a reference. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site for money transfers, not a bank.

Be wary of invoices containing a new account, especially when they come by email. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a separate channel on a number you know.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Libya

Bank identifier codes use the same format worldwide: 8 characters plus an optional three-character extension. The first four letters identify the bank, characters five and six are the country code and the next two mark the location.

Whatever the bank, every code from Libya have the same country code in positions five and six. If those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank in another country – worth double-checking.

The long version adds three characters for a branch. Use a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

How long does a transfer to Libya take?

There is no fixed answer for transfers to Libya: many arrive within a day. Bank holidays in Libya or in the sending country can add a day or more to the journey.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact the sending bank for a trace – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Money transfer services often provide a status online so you can follow the payment.

Jumhouria Bank and its SWIFT codes

Among the 25 institutions we list, Jumhouria Bank holds the most SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Libya. The head office uses JAMBLYLTXXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

A large number of codes usually means that the bank registers branches and departments separately. Making a payment to Jumhouria Bank? Use JAMBLYLTXXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

Sending money to Libya for less

The price of a transfer to Libya has more than one component. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank often uses a rate below the actual market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. Compare the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites.

Specialist money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate. Before you send money to Libya, take a minute comparing what arrives via GoldexPay.

What a sender needs to pay you in Libya

When you expect a payment from another country in Libya, give the sender all details at once. In practice that means: your full name as your bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and, often, your postal address.

The code of your bank is in our list, yet the version on your own statement or in your banking app is leading. It helps to add your bank’s name and city because some forms have separate fields for it.

Expect that the incoming amount is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate comes on top. On invoices, agree who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

SWIFT transfers to Libya

For Libya you will almost always need the BIC, because the country is outside the SEPA area. Without the BIC, most banks will not send the transfer at all.

In some countries, accounts are identified by a domestic account number instead of an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. The recipient’s bank usually has a list of required details for payments from abroad. International transfers can pass through correspondent banks.