HSBC Bank PLC SWIFT/BIC code

BBDALULX – the SWIFT/BIC code of HSBC Bank PLC

BBDALULX and BBDALULXXXX are the short and the long form of the same bank identifier, and both point to HSBC Bank PLC in Luxembourg. A BIC has a single purpose: it makes sure that an international payment ends up at the right bank. You will need it mainly for payments that cross a border and payments in foreign currencies.

Below you will find the practical questions: receiving money at HSBC Bank PLC, sending money abroad and how to verify a SWIFT code before you hit send. The SWIFT code alone does not identify an individual account holder; that is what the account number or IBAN .

Tracking a transfer to or from HSBC Bank PLC

How quickly a transfer reaches HSBC Bank PLC is determined by a few things: the currency, the number of banks in between, cut-off times and differences in time zone. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country can add extra days. Sometimes a bank asks about the purpose of a payment before releasing it.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR. Keep your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

If a payment has not arrived after a few business days, the person who paid needs to start with their own bank. Request from the sender the payment receipt.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

Stay alert if someone unexpectedly asks you to pay into another account abroad. The fact that BBDALULX exists does not mean that the account is genuine – fraudsters use real bank codes as well.

Check new bank details via a different channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract, not by replying to the message. Be suspicious of time pressure, odd spelling or an email address that differs by one letter. When a payment has already gone to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

Fraud also target the receiver. Someone sends too much and wants you to return the extra to a new account. A payment confirmation from the sender proves nothing; only your own account shows what has arrived.

International transfers from HSBC Bank PLC: the real cost

If you send money abroad via HSBC Bank PLC, the fee you see is only part of what you pay. There is the fee for the transfer itself, possibly fees charged by intermediary banks in between and, above all, the exchange rate markup if the currency changes.

The real cost is often in the rate: the bank converts at a rate with a margin built in. An easy check: put the rate you get against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. GoldexPay compares what recipients receive across services, so you can pick the cheapest route. Using a transfer service does not mean leaving HSBC Bank PLC: you simply pay the service from your account.

Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

The local currency in Luxembourg is the Euro (EUR). Money sent in a different currency will be converted into EUR before it reaches the account. You rarely see a separate charge for the conversion – the cost sits in the rate.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. Often you pay less to send EUR directly through a transfer service with a good rate.

Exchange rates change during the day – some services let you fix a rate in advance. With bigger transfers, a small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

Is BBDALULX still correct? How to check

The best place to find the right code is a document from the bank itself, such as a statement or the account details in online banking. When the code you were given differs from BBDALULX or BBDALULXXXX, do not guess.

With a wrong code, the payment might get stuck, be returned or cost extra, and tracing it can take weeks. Remember the account number: a mistake there is harder to undo than a wrong code.

Most online banking apps check the structure of an IBAN and some suggest the matching BIC – that confirms the format, not the owner. If your bank offers it, a name check on the recipient adds an extra layer of safety. A small test payment can be a sensible step for large sums despite the extra fee.

Why HSBC Bank PLC has an 8- and an 11-character code

The layout of every SWIFT code never changes: a bank code of four letters, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code, sometimes followed by a branch code. The result is BBDALULX.

Many payment forms work with both lengths. If yours asks for eleven characters, enter BBDALULXXXX, otherwise BBDALULX is fine.

Type the code in one piece, in upper case and without spaces, exactly as shown here. Copying the code is safer than retyping it, because one wrong letter changes the bank.

About this information

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is compiled from publicly available sources and is updated regularly. Still, banks merge or retire codes and our data may lag behind. The number of codes on this page are based on our own data, not official figures from HSBC Bank PLC.

Treat our directory here as a helpful check, and let the details from the recipient or HSBC Bank PLC have the final say. GoldexPay is independent of HSBC Bank PLC. Found outdated information? Let us know through the contact page.

Which of the 2 codes of HSBC Bank PLC do you need?

Our database contains 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for HSBC Bank PLC in 1 cities. Next to the head office code BBDALULXXXX, you will find codes for regional offices and specialised units.

For most payments to a private or business account, the head office code BBDALULXXXX is what you need. Just use a branch code when the recipient explicitly asks for it, for example on an invoice or in their bank details.

The safest route is to take the code directly from the account holder’s statement. Codes for branches are more prone to be retired than BBDALULXXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.

Euro transfers to HSBC Bank PLC: is a BIC needed?

Inside SEPA, euro payments to an account in Luxembourg follow the same rules. A field for the BIC is usually optional or missing for those payments.

You will still need BBDALULXXXX for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. A few banks and apps also ask for the BIC; in that case, enter BBDALULX or BBDALULXXXX.

Instant euro transfers are widely supported across SEPA; check with HSBC Bank PLC whether it applies to your account. Provided the payment stays in euros, a SEPA transfer tends to be cheap; it is the conversion that costs money.

Getting paid from abroad into a HSBC Bank PLC account

For an international payment into your account at HSBC Bank PLC, the sender needs more than the SWIFT code. Share your name as the bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, SWIFT code BBDALULXXXX and your address, which some banks require.

It helps to add HSBC Bank PLC and Luxembourg as well. A typo in your account number is harder to fix than it looks; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

What lands in your account can be lower than the amount sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, HSBC Bank PLC may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. For business payments, you can agree how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.