Qatar National Bank SWIFT/BIC code

QNBAQAQA – the SWIFT/BIC code of Qatar National Bank

QNBAQAQA and QNBAQAQAXXX are two ways of writing the same bank identifier, and both point to Qatar National Bank in Doha. A BIC has a single purpose: it ensures that an international payment ends up at the right bank. In practice you mostly see it on international invoices, in your banking app and in the bank details that Qatar National Bank provides.

On this page you can read how the code is put together, when it matters and what else you need for a transfer to or from Qatar National Bank. The SWIFT code on its own cannot identify an individual account holder; that is what the account number or IBAN .

Before you send: check the Qatar National Bank code

Have the recipient send you their bank details directly from their online banking. Compare that code against QNBAQAQA on this page and ask if anything does not match.

If the code is wrong, the payment might get stuck, bounce back or end up costing more, and tracing it can take weeks. Remember the IBAN: an error there is more difficult to correct than a wrong BIC.

A format check in your banking app only tells you that the IBAN is valid – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. If your bank offers it, a name check before sending adds extra certainty. For a first payment, some people send a small amount first and wait for confirmation.

Why Qatar National Bank has an 8- and an 11-character code

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: four letters for the bank, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. The result is QNBAQAQA, the short form of the code.

XXX at the end of QNBAQAQAXXX does not stand for a missing value or an error: it indicates the main office of Qatar National Bank. Some banking apps insist on 11 characters, in which case you can enter XXX after QNBAQAQA.

Enter the code as one block, in upper case and without spaces. A wrong letter can send the money to a different institution.

Which of the 6 codes of Qatar National Bank do you need?

With 6 codes, Qatar National Bank belongs to the banks that use separate codes for branches and departments. The head office code is QNBAQAQAXXX.

Usually you do not need to pick a branch: payments sent to QNBAQAQAXXX are routed within Qatar National Bank without problems. Only use a branch code when the recipient explicitly asks for it.

The best way is to take the code directly from the account holder’s statement. Codes for branches are more likely to change than QNBAQAQAXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.

Receiving money from abroad at Qatar National Bank

If you are waiting for a payment from another country, give the sender everything they need in one go. Give them your name as the bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the BIC QNBAQAQAXXX and your address.

Some banks want the address of Qatar National Bank in Doha; it does no harm to include it. Double-check every detail before you share them – a sender rarely spots a mistake in someone else’s details.

What lands in your account is often lower than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank; check the price list of Qatar National Bank. For business payments, you can agree who bears the costs.

Watch out for payment fraud

Fraudsters regularly send payment requests containing new bank details. A valid SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account – scammers simply use real codes.

Before paying, verify changed bank details by phone. Be suspicious of urgent requests, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. Acted too fast? Contact your bank without delay and have them start a recall.

Recipients can be targeted as well: one known trick is an overpayment followed by a request to send back the difference abroad. Do not act before the money is actually in your account – ask Qatar National Bank if something looks wrong.

How up to date is this code?

The codes on this page come from public sources which we refresh regularly. Institutions merge, change names and retire codes. Figures such as the number of codes come from our directory and may differ from what Qatar National Bank publishes.

Treat our data as a reference, rather than as the last word – the bank details from the recipient are leading. GoldexPay has no connection to Qatar National Bank, we only compare transfer services. If you notice something that is out of date, we appreciate a message.

Paying someone abroad from your Qatar National Bank account

An international bank payment can cost more than the fee suggests. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can take a cut, and if currencies are converted, the bank often uses a rate that is less favourable than the actual market rate.

The markup on the rate is often the largest item, and it is easy to miss. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites.

Money transfer services frequently use rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists transfer providers next to each other so you can see what actually arrives. You can still keep your account at Qatar National Bank as the source of the money; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

Tracking a transfer to or from Qatar National Bank

An international transfer typically takes anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Transfers sent late in the day or on a weekend or public holiday usually go out the next business day. Compliance checks on larger or unusual payments may also cause some delay.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Each payment carries a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Keep the payment confirmation; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

A missing payment has to be investigated from the sending side. Ask the sender for the payment receipt including the reference; that often settles the question quickly.