SWIFT/BIC codes in Malaysia: banks starting with U

SWIFT/BIC codes in Malaysia

In Malaysia our database holds 413 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 321 banks. A BIC tells every bank in the chain exactly which bank should receive the money.

Choose a bank below to view the head office code and its other codes. Further down you can read how codes from Malaysia are built, how to send money there without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

Incoming international payments in Malaysia

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs several details from you. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Look up the bank in the list on this page and compare the code with your own bank details, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. You can include the name and city of your bank.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Correspondent banks can take a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

How SWIFT codes from Malaysia are built

A SWIFT code is 8 or 11 characters long and follows a fixed pattern. It starts with four letters for the bank, then two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

You can recognise a bank code from Malaysia by letters five and six: they always show the ISO country code of Malaysia. When those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else, so check again.

The long version adds a branch code. For most transfers the head office code is what you need, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

Filter: banks in Malaysia with :letter

You are looking at a selection: just banks in Malaysia with a name starting with :letter. The totals mentioned here cover all 321 banks.

If a bank does not appear under :letter, check the full list: banks are often registered under their full legal name. Use the full list for Malaysia when you do not know the exact name.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Malaysia

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient. When the code you were given does not match our list, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

This list is compiled from publicly available sources. Institutions merge, change names and change codes. For a payment of any size, confirm the code with the recipient. We are a comparison service for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Fraudsters regularly send fake invoices carrying new bank details from what looks like a familiar address. Always verify a change of bank details through a separate channel on a number you know.

Tracking a payment to Malaysia

There is no single delivery time for payments to Malaysia: some arrive within a day, others take several business days. Transfers sent late in the day or just before weekends and holidays usually go out the next business day.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact their own bank for a trace – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Keep the payment confirmation until the money has arrived – you will need it if something goes wrong.

The largest SWIFT network in Malaysia: United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Berhad

United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Berhad leads our list for Malaysia when it comes to SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses UOVBMYKLXXX – the code most transfers need.

Many codes usually reflects that the bank registers branches and departments separately – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. Paying someone at United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Berhad? Use UOVBMYKLXXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

What a transfer to Malaysia really costs

If you transfer money to Malaysia via a regular bank, the fee you see is rarely all of the cost. On top of the fee, correspondent banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually applies a rate below the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest cost item, even though it is not listed as a fee. An easy check: put the offered rate next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For many currency pairs, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a bank, mainly because of the rate. On GoldexPay we compare what recipients in Malaysia receive across services.

Why a transfer to Malaysia needs a SWIFT code

Malaysia is not part of the SEPA area. Payments from abroad normally travel through the SWIFT network.

Not every country uses the IBAN – where there is none, the local account number is enough. The recipient’s bank usually has a list of required details for payments from abroad. International transfers can pass through correspondent banks.