Handelsbanken SWIFT/BIC code

What HANDNOKK means for a payment to Handelsbanken

The 8-character code HANDNOKK and the full code HANDNOKKXXX refer to the same bank: Handelsbanken, with its head office in Oslo. The code has a single purpose: it makes sure that a cross-border transfer reaches the right bank. You will need it mainly for transfers between countries or a currency.

On this page you will find how the code means, when it matters and what else a transfer to or from Handelsbanken requires. Keep in mind that the BIC just identifies the bank, not the account: the IBAN or account number does that part.

Which of the 2 codes of Handelsbanken do you need?

Handelsbanken has 2 separate SWIFT/BIC codes across 1 cities. One of them is the head office code; the rest identify branches or departments, and sometimes specific services.

If nobody asks you for a branch code, use HANDNOKKXXX. A branch code only makes sense when the recipient’s bank specifically mentions it, which is more common for business accounts and specialised services.

Not sure which code to use? Ask the recipient. Codes for branches are more prone to change than the head office code.

Getting paid from abroad into a Handelsbanken account

For a transfer from abroad at Handelsbanken, the person paying you needs more than the SWIFT code. That means: your full name as registered with Handelsbanken, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code HANDNOKKXXX (or HANDNOKK) and, often, your address.

It helps to include the bank name and its city too. A mistake in the IBAN can be harder to fix than it looks; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

An incoming payment will not always land in full. Correspondent banks can take a fee, Handelsbanken may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin applies. For business payments, it is common to agree who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.

Why Handelsbanken has an 8- and an 11-character code

Each SWIFT/BIC code has an 8-character core: four letters for the bank, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. In this case, that core is HANDNOKK.

The 11-character version adds a three-character extension for a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, they simply mean the head office, which is why HANDNOKKXXX and HANDNOKK lead to the same place.

Type the code as one block, in capitals and without spaces. A single letter can send a payment to a different institution, so copy it carefully.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

One of the most common tricks goes like this: an email arrives with a message saying that a supplier now has a new bank account. The fact that HANDNOKK exists does not mean that a request mentioning it is legitimate; criminals use the codes of real banks too.

Verify changed bank details through a different channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract. Pressure and secrecy are warning signs – a real supplier can wait a day. When money has already gone to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately.

People receiving money are targeted too: a classic trick is an overpayment and then sends a request to send back the difference abroad. Wait until the money is actually in your account.

Tracking a transfer to or from Handelsbanken

An international transfer usually takes anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually start the next business day. Extra checks on larger or unusual payments may also add some delay.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR. Keep the payment confirmation.

The bank that sent the money can start an official trace – the recipient’s bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. As a recipient, it helps to check your statements to see a partial amount, since fees may have been deducted.

Sending NOK to Handelsbanken

The national currency of Norway is the Norwegian Krone (NOK). If you send another currency, the amount has to be converted at some point: by your bank, an intermediary or Handelsbanken itself. Each conversion costs something, even when no fee is shown.

Who does the conversion has an effect on the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. Transferring the amount already in NOK usually prevents an extra conversion.

The NOK rate fluctuates constantly. On larger amounts, a seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Sending money abroad from Handelsbanken

What you pay for a payment abroad has several parts. Besides a fixed fee, banks in between can deduct a fee, and when the money changes currency, the bank usually uses a rate below the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin is often the largest item even though it is not listed as a fee. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a bank – mostly thanks to the rate. GoldexPay compares what recipients receive with different services. You can still use your account at Handelsbanken to fund the transfer; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

Is HANDNOKK still correct? How to check

Have the recipient send you their account details straight from their online banking. Check that code against HANDNOKK here and ask if anything does not match.

Errors in the SWIFT code are costly rather than disastrous. A mistake in the IBAN or account number can be more serious, so check that just as carefully.

A format check by your bank merely confirms that the IBAN exists – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. Some banks now compare the payee name against the account. A small test payment can be worth it for large sums despite the extra fee.

A note on our data

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and check them regularly. It can happen that information on this page is no longer current. Counts and locations are from our directory and are not confirmed by Handelsbanken.

Treat this page as a starting point, not as the last word – the bank details from the recipient are leading. GoldexPay has no connection to Handelsbanken; we are a comparison site for money transfers. Should you notice a mistake, we welcome a message.

Do you need HANDNOKK for a SEPA transfer?

Norway is a member of the SEPA area, the zone for uniform euro payments. When you send euros within SEPA, you normally only need the IBAN and the BIC is often filled in automatically.

Outside the euro and for senders outside SEPA, HANDNOKKXXX or HANDNOKK remains part of the payment details. If a payment form asks for the BIC regardless, adding HANDNOKK does no harm.

Instant euro transfers are widely supported across SEPA; check with Handelsbanken whether it applies to your account. Provided the payment stays in euros, a SEPA transfer is inexpensive.