SWIFT/BIC codes in Russia: banks starting with L

SWIFT/BIC codes in Russia

Here you will find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 785 banks in Russia, 1646 codes in all. A BIC shows the banks handling a transfer which institution should receive the money.

Choose a bank below to view its head office code and its other codes, plus practical notes for sending and receiving money. Further down you can read how a code from Russia is put together, how to send money there at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

Banks in Russia starting with :letter

This page only shows the banks in Russia beginning with :letter, sorted alphabetically. The totals mentioned above still refer to all banks in Russia.

Some banks appear under their official name, which may start with words like Bank or Banco. The complete list remains one click away if the letter filter does not help.

How reliable is this list?

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. If the code you have does not match our list, stop and ask: check with the recipient or the bank.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is compiled from publicly available sources. Still, banks merge or change codes. For a payment of any size, confirm the code with the recipient’s bank. We are an independent comparison service for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Be wary of invoices containing changed bank details, especially when they come by email. Always verify a change of bank details by phone on a number you know.

What a sender needs to pay you in Russia

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs several details from you, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. That means: your name as your bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and usually your postal address.

Look up your bank in the list above and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. Some banks also ask for your bank’s address; it does no harm to include it.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

The structure of a Russia SWIFT/BIC code

Every SWIFT/BIC code has eight or eleven characters. The first four letters identify the bank, characters five and six form the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

No matter which bank, every code from Russia have the same fifth and sixth letters, namely the ISO code of Russia. A code with other letters in that position belong to another country, even if the bank name looks familiar.

When a code ends in XXX, it refers to the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

Why a transfer to Russia needs a SWIFT code

To pay into Russia you will almost always need the BIC, because the country is outside the SEPA area. Without it, most banks cannot process the transfer.

Depending on the country, accounts are identified by a local account number instead of an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. The recipient’s bank often provides instructions for incoming international payments – follow them exactly. SWIFT payments can pass through correspondent banks.

Most SWIFT codes in Russia: JSC Rosselkhozbank

In our directory, JSC Rosselkhozbank has the most SWIFT/BIC codes in Russia. Its head office code is RUAGRUMMXXX – the code most transfers need.

Many codes usually reflects separate codes for branches, departments or services. If not the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code RUAGRUMMXXX works for a payment to JSC Rosselkhozbank.

Transfer times to Russia

There is no fixed delivery time for transfers to Russia: many land within a day, others take several business days. Bank holidays in either country can add a day or more to the journey.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact their own bank for a trace – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Specialist transfer services often provide a status online so you can follow the payment.

Sending money to Russia for less

An international bank payment to Russia can cost more than you think. Besides the fee, correspondent banks can take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank often uses a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee. An easy check: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider is cheaper than a bank. Before your next transfer to Russia, it is worth to compare what arrives via GoldexPay.