SWIFT/BIC codes in Pakistan

Bank SWIFT codes for Pakistan

Here you will find codes for 78 institutions in Pakistan – 468 codes altogether. A SWIFT code tells the banks handling a transfer which institution should receive the money.

Each bank is listed with its own page showing its main code and, where available, branch codes. Further down we explain how a code from Pakistan is put together, how to send money there at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

What a transfer to Pakistan really costs

When you send money to Pakistan via a regular bank, the fee you see is rarely all of what you pay. There is the transfer fee, possibly charges from intermediary banks and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee. Compare the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate. The difference is your real cost.

Money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay lists transfer services side by side, showing what actually arrives in Pakistan.

When does money sent to Pakistan arrive?

How fast money reaches Pakistan is determined by a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Payments made after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays usually go out the next business day.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Keep your transfer receipt.

Most SWIFT codes in Pakistan: Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited

Among the 78 institutions we list, Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited has the most SWIFT/BIC codes in Pakistan. Its head office code is MPBLPKKAXXX.

A large number of codes usually reflects that the bank registers branches and departments separately – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. If not a branch code is given, the head office code MPBLPKKAXXX works for transfers to this bank.

International payments to Pakistan and the BIC

To pay into Pakistan you will usually need the BIC, because the country is outside the SEPA area. Without it, most banks cannot process the payment.

In some countries, accounts are identified by a local account number instead of an IBAN and sometimes a local routing or branch code. The recipient’s bank often has instructions for payments from abroad – follow them exactly. On the way to Pakistan, a payment may go through correspondent banks.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Pakistan

Ask the recipient to send you the account details straight from a recent statement. A wrong code may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges.

We collect bank codes from publicly available data and check our list from time to time. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes. For any payment of any size, check the code with the recipient. GoldexPay is not a bank and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Watch out for invoices containing changed bank details, especially when they come by email. A valid BIC tells you nothing about who owns the account – scammers use the codes of real banks.

Incoming international payments in Pakistan

For a transfer from abroad into a Pakistan account, the person paying you needs not just the BIC. That means: your full name as your bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and, often, your address.

Your bank’s code is in the list on this page but always compare it with your own bank details. It helps to add the name and city of your bank as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

Expect that the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Pakistan

SWIFT/BIC codes follow one international format: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. The first four letters identify the bank, characters five and six form the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

In every code from Pakistan, letters five and six are the two-letter ISO code of Pakistan, which makes these codes easy to recognise. When those two letters do not match Pakistan, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.