SEB Bank SWIFT/BIC code

SEBPRU2P – the SWIFT/BIC code of SEB Bank

SEBPRU2P and SEBPRU2PXXX are the short and the long form of the same bank identifier, and both lead to SEB Bank in St. Petersburg. The code does one job: it makes sure that a cross-border transfer ends up at the right bank. In practice you mostly come across it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and in the bank details that SEB Bank provides.

On this page you can read how the code is put together, when it matters and which other details you need for a transfer to or from SEB Bank. A SWIFT code identifies a bank or branch, not a specific account; the IBAN or account number does that.

Getting paid from abroad into a SEB Bank account

A sender in another country will ask for several details from you, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. In practice that means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC SEBPRU2PXXX and sometimes your postal address.

Their bank may request the address of your bank; the head office in St. Petersburg is usually fine. Double-check each detail before you share them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

The amount you receive can be less than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank. On invoices, you can state how the fees are split.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

The codes here are taken from publicly available data that we update regularly. Banks merge, close branches and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. The number of codes we show reflect our own data and not on information from SEB Bank itself.

Treat our directory here as a helpful check and rely on the recipient or SEB Bank for the final confirmation. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers and not part of SEB Bank. Spotted outdated information? Let us know through the contact page.

How to check SEBPRU2P before you pay

Have the recipient send you their bank details directly from a recent statement. If the code you have differs from SEBPRU2P or SEBPRU2PXXX, stop and ask – contact the recipient or SEB Bank.

If the code is wrong, the payment may get stuck, bounce back or cost extra. Remember the IBAN: a mistake there is harder to undo than a wrong code.

Most online banking apps check the structure of an IBAN and sometimes look up the BIC automatically – that confirms the format, not the owner. More and more banks compare the name against the account before you confirm. A small test payment can be a sensible step for large sums.

What the XXX in SEBPRU2PXXX means

Each SWIFT/BIC code starts with an 8-character core: four letters for the bank, two letters for the country and a two-character location code. Together, these eight characters make up SEBPRU2P.

The long version adds a three-character extension that identify a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, they simply mean the head office.

In practice the code is typed in capitals, without spaces or dashes. A wrong letter can send the money to another bank, so check it twice.

What a transfer from SEB Bank abroad really costs

A bank transfer abroad costs more than the fee suggests. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can deduct a fee, and if currencies are converted, the bank often applies a rate that is less favourable than the actual market rate.

Banks rarely list the margin on the rate as a cost. Check their rate with the mid-market rate; the gap is what conversion costs you.

Money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists transfer providers side by side so you can see the amount the recipient gets before you commit. You can always use your account at SEB Bank to fund the transfer.

Tracking a transfer to or from SEB Bank

How fast a payment arrives at SEB Bank is determined by a few things: the currency, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and differences in time zone. Weekends and public holidays in the sending or receiving country can add extra days. Sometimes a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment before releasing it.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services often provide a status online so you can see how far the money is.

A missing payment is traced by the sending bank. As a recipient, it helps to check your account to see a partial amount, since fees may have been deducted.

Choosing between the 3 SWIFT codes of SEB Bank

SEB Bank uses 3 separate SWIFT/BIC codes. One of them is the head office code, SEBPRU2PXXX; the others belong to branches or departments.

Usually there is no need to look up a branch: payments sent to SEBPRU2PXXX are routed within SEB Bank without problems. When you receive a specific code, use it as it is rather than swapping it with the head office code.

The safest route is to take the code straight from the account holder’s bank details. Branch codes can change when banks reorganise.

Changed bank details? Be careful

One of the most common tricks works like this: an email arrives with a request saying that a contact now has a new bank account and asking you to pay there from now on. That SEBPRU2P is a real code is no guarantee that a request mentioning it is legitimate.

Check new payment details through a separate channel, never via the email that asked for the change. Be suspicious of time pressure, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. If money was sent to the wrong account, call your bank right away.

Scams also target the receiver. Someone sends too much and asks you to return the extra. A screenshot of a transfer is no proof.