SWIFT/BIC codes in Liechtenstein

SWIFT/BIC codes in Liechtenstein

This overview covers 25 banks and financial institutions in Liechtenstein. You will need such a code mainly when making international transfers and for payments in a foreign currency.

Select a bank from the list to view the head office code and any branch codes. Below the list you can read how a code from Liechtenstein is put together, how to send money to Liechtenstein at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

Tracking a payment to Liechtenstein

There is no fixed answer for payments to Liechtenstein: some arrive within a day, others take several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often go out a business day later.

If the money seems delayed, the sender should contact the sending bank; only the sending side can start an official trace. Save your transfer receipt; a bank needs it to start a trace.

Sending CHF to Liechtenstein

Most accounts in Liechtenstein are usually held in CHF, the local currency. When you pay another currency, it has to be converted at some point: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. Check how much CHF the recipient gets with several services before choosing one. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

What the letters in a Liechtenstein BIC mean

SWIFT/BIC codes follow the same format worldwide: 8 characters, sometimes followed by three more. Characters one to four stand for the bank, characters five and six form the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

In every code from Liechtenstein, letters five and six show the two-letter ISO code of Liechtenstein – that is the quickest way to spot one. When those two letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank in another country – worth double-checking.

The last three characters, if present, identify a branch or department; XXX means the head office. Choose a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one – otherwise stick with the head office.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Liechtenstein

Ask the recipient to copy the account details directly from their banking app. An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges.

The directory on GoldexPay is based on publicly available sources. Banks merge, close branches and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Before a payment that matters, check the BIC with the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Fraudsters often send payment requests with changed bank details. A valid BIC says nothing about whether a request is genuine: criminals use real codes too.

The largest SWIFT network in Liechtenstein: Lgt Bank AG

Lgt Bank AG tops our list of Liechtenstein banks in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. Its head office code is BLFLLI2XXXX.

A large number of codes usually means separate codes for branches, departments or services – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. Unless a branch code is given, BLFLLI2XXXX is fine for a payment to Lgt Bank AG.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Liechtenstein

A sender in another country needs several details about your account – incomplete details often cause delays. 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 usually your postal address.

Find the bank in the list above. Certain banks may also want the name and address of your bank; it does no harm to include it.

Expect that the amount credited is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank. For business payments, state who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

Sending money to Liechtenstein for less

What you pay for a transfer to Liechtenstein has more than one component, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. On top of the fee, intermediary banks can take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank often applies a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate – the bank builds a margin into its rate. An easy check: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialist money transfer services frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate. Before you send money to Liechtenstein, take a minute comparing the total cost on GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

SEPA transfers to Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein is part of the SEPA area, where euro transfers follow common rules. For a standard euro transfer within SEPA, you normally only need the IBAN.

A SWIFT code does matter when the currency is not euros and for transfers from outside SEPA. Instant payments in euros are increasingly available across SEPA. Provided no conversion is involved, the transfer tends to be inexpensive.