SWIFT/BIC codes in Luxembourg: banks starting with Q

SWIFT/BIC codes in Luxembourg

In Luxembourg our database holds 1051 SWIFT/BIC codes from 494 financial institutions. Each code points to an institution or a specific branch or department, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Pick a bank from the list to view its head office code and any branch codes, plus practical notes for sending and receiving money. The sections below explain the structure of the codes, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing.

The largest SWIFT network in Luxembourg: BNP Paribas Securities Services

BNP Paribas Securities Services leads the list for Luxembourg in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses PARBLU21XXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes, so the count is not a ranking of size. Making a payment to BNP Paribas Securities Services? Use PARBLU21XXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

Tracking a payment to Luxembourg

An international transfer to Luxembourg usually takes one to a few business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Public holidays in Luxembourg or in the sending country add a day or more to the journey.

If a transfer seems delayed, ask the sender to contact their own bank for a trace – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Money transfer services often provide a status online, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

What a transfer to Luxembourg really costs

An international bank payment to Luxembourg can cost more than the fee suggests. On top of a fixed fee, intermediary banks can deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank usually uses a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

The markup on the rate is often the largest cost item because it is hidden in the rate. Check the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites. The difference is your real cost.

For many routes, a specialist provider is cheaper than a bank, mainly because of the rate. On GoldexPay you can compare what recipients in Luxembourg receive with different services, so you can pick the cheapest route.

Sending EUR to Luxembourg

Luxembourg uses the Euro, code EUR. Money sent in a different currency is exchanged into EUR, and whoever converts it chooses the rate.

Who does the conversion has an effect on the final amount. Often you pay less to send EUR directly via a transfer service with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. Rates for EUR change during the day.

Euro payments to Luxembourg: is a BIC needed?

Within the SEPA zone, euro transfers to Luxembourg use the same rules. A field for the BIC is often optional in that case.

The BIC does come into play when the currency is not euros and for transfers from outside SEPA. Instant payments in euros are increasingly available across SEPA, though not every bank offers them for every account. Provided the payment stays in euros, the transfer tends to be inexpensive.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Luxembourg

When you expect money from abroad in Luxembourg, send the payer a complete set of details. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

Look up the bank in the list above and compare the code with your own bank details. You can add your bank’s name and city because some forms have separate fields for it.

Expect that the amount credited is below what the sender paid. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank. For business payments, state who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

Check the code before you pay

The most reliable place for the correct BIC remains a document from the bank itself. A wrong code may lead to delays, a payment being sent back or extra fees.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes from public sources and check our list from time to time. Banks merge, close branches and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. For a payment of any size, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. We are an independent comparison site.

Watch out for invoices with changed bank details. Before paying, verify changed details through a separate channel.

SWIFT codes in Luxembourg: banks under :letter

This list shows only banks in Luxembourg beginning with :letter in alphabetical order. The figures for Luxembourg mentioned here apply to every bank we list, not just the ones under :letter.

If the bank you need does not appear here, try another letter – the registered name can differ from the name people use. Use the full list for Luxembourg if you are not sure how the name is spelled.

How SWIFT codes from Luxembourg are built

Each SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters. The first four letters identify the bank, the fifth and sixth characters are the country code and the next two give the location.

You can recognise a bank code from Luxembourg from letters five and six: they always show the ISO country code of Luxembourg. A code with other letters in that position come from a bank abroad.

The optional last three characters stand for a specific branch; XXX means the head office. For most transfers the head office code is what you need.