SWIFT/BIC codes in Serbia

Finding a SWIFT code in Serbia

For Serbia we have 79 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 45 institutions. You will need such a code mainly when making international transfers, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Search for the recipient’s bank in the list and click through to see the full list of codes and the details a transfer needs. Below the list we explain how codes from Serbia are built, how to send money to Serbia at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

Transfer times to Serbia

There is no single delivery time for transfers to Serbia: some arrive within a day, others take several business days. Bank holidays in either country add extra days.

If the money is late, ask the sender to contact the sending bank for a trace – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Money transfer services often provide tracking online.

What the letters in a Serbia BIC mean

A BIC is either 8 or 11 characters long. The first four letters identify the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

For banks in Serbia, letters five and six show the ISO country code of Serbia, which makes these codes easy to recognise. When those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else, so check again.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the head office and the short version works just as well. Choose a branch code only if the recipient explicitly gives you one – otherwise stick with the head office.

Receiving money in Serbia from abroad

A sender in another country will ask for several details about your account, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and, often, your address.

Find your bank in the list above to check its code, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. It helps to add your bank’s name and city as well because some forms have separate fields for it.

What lands in your account is often less than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers vary per bank. On invoices, state how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

International payments to Serbia and the BIC

Serbia is outside the SEPA area. International transfers to Serbia normally go over the SWIFT network – which is why you need the BIC of the recipient’s bank.

Not every country uses the IBAN. Ask the recipient which details their bank needs for payments from abroad; banks often publish instructions for this. International transfers can pass through correspondent banks, each of which may deduct a fee.

Which bank in Serbia has the most codes?

Komercijalna Banka A.d. Beograd tops our list of Serbia banks when it comes to the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses KOBBRSBGXXX – the code most transfers need.

The number of codes says something about how it organises its payments than about how big it is. Paying someone at Komercijalna Banka A.d. Beograd? Use KOBBRSBGXXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

Check the code before you pay

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. When the code you were given differs from the code listed here, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is compiled from publicly available sources that we update periodically. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes. Use this list as a reference, not as the final word: the bank details from the recipient come first. We are an independent comparison service, not a bank.

Scammers regularly send payment requests with new bank details from what looks like a familiar address. Always confirm changed details through a separate channel on a number you know.

The cheapest way to send money to Serbia

The price of a transfer to Serbia has more than one component. On top of the fee, intermediary banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually uses a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest part of the cost because it is hidden in the rate. Compare the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites.

For many routes, a transfer service is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the rate. GoldexPay compares what recipients in Serbia receive with different providers.