Alfa-Bank SWIFT/BIC code

ALFARUMM – the SWIFT/BIC code of Alfa-Bank

ALFARUMM and ALFARUMMXXX are two spellings of the same bank identifier, and both point to Alfa-Bank in Moscow. A SWIFT code tells the banks handling a payment which institution is meant to get the money, much like a postcode for banks. In practice you usually see it on international invoices, in payment forms and in the bank details of Alfa-Bank customers.

On this page you will find what the code is put together, when it matters and what else you need for a transfer to or from Alfa-Bank. The SWIFT code alone cannot identify an individual account holder; for that you need the IBAN or account number is for.

Tracking a transfer to or from Alfa-Bank

A SWIFT payment typically takes anywhere from one to several business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country can add extra days to the journey. Sometimes a bank wants to know what the payment is for, which can hold things up.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each payment gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services usually provide tracking in their app so you can see how far the money is.

Only the sending bank can request a trace or a recall – the recipient’s bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. As a recipient, you can check your account to see a partial amount because fees can reduce the amount.

What the XXX in ALFARUMMXXX means

Each SWIFT/BIC code has the same eight core characters: four letters for the bank, two letters for the country and a two-character location code. Together, these eight characters make up ALFARUMM – the version you usually see online.

XXX at the end of ALFARUMMXXX does not stand for a placeholder or an error: it stands for the head office of Alfa-Bank. Certain payment forms insist on 11 characters, and then you can add XXX after ALFARUMM.

Leave out spaces when you enter ALFARUMM. Watch for O versus 0 and I versus 1, a common source of typos.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

Be alert when someone suddenly asks you to send money to a different account abroad. A valid SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account.

Never rely on contact details from the same email that announces the new account. Pressure and secrecy are warning signs; a genuine business can wait for you to check. If a payment was sent to a fraudster, call your bank right away: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

People receiving money can be targeted as well: one known trick is a buyer who pays too much and then sends a request to send back the difference. Wait until the money has really arrived and check with Alfa-Bank if anything seems off.

Incoming international payments to Alfa-Bank

A sender in another country needs a few details about your account, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. That means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code ALFARUMMXXX (or ALFARUMM) and, often, your postal address.

Their bank might also ask for the address of your bank, in which case the Moscow head office is the usual answer. A mistake in the IBAN is more trouble than it looks; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

An incoming payment does not always arrive in full. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank; check the price list of Alfa-Bank. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.

Paying someone abroad from your Alfa-Bank account

When you send money to another country from Alfa-Bank, the fee you see is rarely all of what you pay. There is the transfer fee, sometimes fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate.

The markup on the rate tends to be the biggest cost, and it is easy to miss. Compare their rate with the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites. The difference is your real conversion cost.

For many routes, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the rate. GoldexPay compares transfer providers next to each other so you can see what actually arrives for the same amount sent. Choosing a specialist does not mean closing your account at Alfa-Bank.

Choosing between the 8 SWIFT codes of Alfa-Bank

With 8 codes, Alfa-Bank belongs to the banks that register separate codes for parts of the organisation and departments. The main code remains ALFARUMMXXX.

Usually there is no need to pick a branch: transfers sent to ALFARUMMXXX are routed within Alfa-Bank without problems. When you receive a branch code, stick to it rather than replacing it for the head office code.

The best way is to copy the code directly from the recipient’s bank details. Codes can change over time, so a code from an old document is not always valid.

How to check ALFARUMM before you pay

The best place to find the correct BIC is paperwork issued by the bank like a bank statement or the account page in online banking. If the code you have differs from ALFARUMM or ALFARUMMXXX, do not guess.

With a wrong code, the transfer may get stuck, be returned or cost extra – sometimes after weeks of searching. Do not forget the IBAN: a mistake there can be more difficult to correct than a wrong code.

A format check in your banking app merely confirms that the code is valid, not that it is the right account. Where available, a payee name check on the recipient gives extra certainty. When you pay someone new, many people send a small test amount before sending the rest.

How up to date is this code?

The codes here come from publicly available data that we update regularly. It is possible that information here is out of date after a merger or reorganisation. The figures on this page reflect what is in our directory and not on information from Alfa-Bank itself.

For any payment that matters, confirm the code with the recipient’s bank or the recipient. We are a comparison site and not part of Alfa-Bank. If you notice a mistake, we welcome a message via the contact page.