SWIFT/BIC codes in North Macedonia

Bank SWIFT codes for North Macedonia

This overview covers 36 banks and other institutions in North Macedonia and 48 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. Each code points to a bank or a specific branch or department, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Every bank has its own page with the head office code and, where available, branch codes. The sections below covers how the codes work, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing before you send money.

Tracking a payment to North Macedonia

There is no fixed answer for transfers to North Macedonia: many arrive within a day, others take several business days. Transfers sent late in the day or just before weekends and holidays usually start a business day later.

If a transfer seems delayed, ask the sender to contact their own bank and ask for the status or the UETR. Specialist transfer services usually provide tracking online, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

Komercijalna Banka Ad Skopje and its SWIFT codes

Komercijalna Banka Ad Skopje leads the list for North Macedonia in SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office of Komercijalna Banka Ad Skopje uses KOBSMK2XXXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

How many codes a bank has tells you something about how it organises its payments than about its size. If not a branch code is given, KOBSMK2XXXX is fine for transfers to this bank.

How reliable is this list?

The best place to find the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank. A wrong code can cause delays, a returned payment or additional charges, so compare it with the list on this page.

This list draws on publicly available sources and is updated regularly. Still, banks merge or change codes and our data may lag behind. Use our data as a starting point, not as the final word. We are a comparison site for money transfers, not a bank.

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

The structure of a North Macedonia SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC codes follow the same format worldwide: 8 characters plus an optional three-character extension. Characters one to four stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

You can recognise a bank code from North Macedonia by the fifth and sixth characters – those always form the country code of North Macedonia. A code with other letters in that position come from another country – a quick way to catch mistakes.

The optional last three characters stand for a branch or department; XXX means the head office. Use a branch code just if the recipient’s bank asks for it – otherwise stick with the head office.

The cheapest way to send money to North Macedonia

A bank transfer to North Macedonia often costs rather more than you think. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes fees from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup if the money is converted.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate. A simple test: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For a lot of routes, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the rate. Before you send money to North Macedonia, take a minute to compare the total cost via GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

SWIFT transfers to North Macedonia

North Macedonia is not part of the SEPA area, the European zone for uniform euro payments. International transfers to North Macedonia usually go through the SWIFT network.

In some countries, the account is identified by a local account number rather than an IBAN. The receiving bank usually provides a list of required details for payments from abroad. Before it arrives, a transfer can go through correspondent banks that take a fee.

Receiving money in North Macedonia from abroad

If you are waiting for a payment from another country in North Macedonia, send the payer all details at once. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

Find the bank in the list above and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. It helps to include the name and city of your bank as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. On invoices, state who bears the costs.