Bank of Sierra Leone SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Bank of Sierra Leone

BSLESLFA and BSLESLFAXXX are the short and the long form of the same bank identifier, and both lead to Bank of Sierra Leone in Freetown. A SWIFT code tells every bank in the chain which institution should receive the money. In practice you mostly see the code on international invoices, in payment forms and in the bank details that Bank of Sierra Leone provides.

Below you will find the practical side: money coming in from abroad, sending money abroad and how to verify a SWIFT code before you hit send. The SWIFT code on its own cannot identify an individual account holder; that is what the IBAN or account number is for.

Before you send: check the Bank of Sierra Leone code

Ask the recipient to send you their bank details straight from their banking app. Compare it with BSLESLFA on this page.

An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a payment being sent back or extra fees for investigation. An error in the IBAN or account number can be more serious, because the money may be credited to someone else, so check that just as carefully.

Many banking apps check the format of an IBAN and sometimes look up the BIC automatically – that confirms the format, not the owner. Where available, a payee name check before sending adds an extra layer of safety. For a first payment, many people send a small test amount.

Incoming international payments to Bank of Sierra Leone

When you are waiting for a payment from another country, give the sender everything they need in one go. Share the account holder’s name, the IBAN or account number, the BIC BSLESLFAXXX and your address.

Certain sending banks want the address of Bank of Sierra Leone in Freetown. Double-check each detail before you share them.

An incoming payment does not always land for the full amount. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank. On invoices, you can agree who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.

Watch out for payment fraud

Stay wary when a contact suddenly asks you to send money to another account. The fact that BSLESLFA exists does not mean that a request mentioning it is legitimate.

Check new bank details through a separate channel, such as a phone number you already know, never via the email that asked for the change. Urgency and secrecy tend to be red flags. If money has already gone to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately.

Recipients can be targeted as well: one known trick is a buyer who pays too much followed by a request to refund the difference abroad. Do not act before the money has really arrived – ask Bank of Sierra Leone if something looks wrong.

Choosing between the 2 SWIFT codes of Bank of Sierra Leone

Our database contains 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Bank of Sierra Leone. Next to the head office code BSLESLFAXXX, there are codes for individual branches and departments.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: payments sent to BSLESLFAXXX reach Bank of Sierra Leone correctly. Just use a branch code when the account holder gives you that exact code, for example on a letter or invoice.

If you are not sure, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Branch codes are sometimes changed or retired over time, so do not rely on old paperwork.

8 or 11 characters: BSLESLFA versus BSLESLFAXXX

The layout of every SWIFT code never changes: four characters for the institution, a two-letter country code and two for the location, sometimes followed by a branch code. For Bank of Sierra Leone, that core is BSLESLFA.

The 11-character version adds a three-character extension that identify a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, they simply mean the head office, so BSLESLFAXXX and BSLESLFA are interchangeable.

Do not add spaces or dashes when you enter BSLESLFA; the code is always written in one block. Copying the code beats retyping it.

How up to date is this code?

This directory is based on publicly available sources and is updated regularly. It is possible that a code here is out of date, for example after a merger. Counts and locations are from our directory.

For any payment of any size, always check the BIC with Bank of Sierra Leone or with the recipient. GoldexPay has no connection to Bank of Sierra Leone, we only compare transfer services. Should you notice a mistake, we welcome a message.

Paying someone abroad from your Bank of Sierra Leone account

If you send money abroad from Bank of Sierra Leone, the visible fee is rarely all of the cost. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from correspondent banks in between and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate when the money is converted.

The real cost is often in the rate: many banks convert using an exchange rate with a margin built in. An easy check: set the bank’s rate next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For many currency pairs, a specialist provider turns out to be less expensive than a bank. GoldexPay compares transfer providers side by side so you can see the amount the recipient gets. You can still keep your account at Bank of Sierra Leone as the source of the money.

When will the money arrive at Bank of Sierra Leone?

There is no fixed answer: some arrive within a day, others take several business days. Weekends and public holidays in either country add extra days. Compliance checks on larger or unusual payments can also cause some delay, regardless of the details.

If the money is late, contact your bank about the tracking status and the transaction reference so they can trace it along the chain. Save the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

If a payment has not arrived after a few business days, the person who paid should contact the bank that sent it rather than Bank of Sierra Leone. On the receiving end, you can look at your account for a partial amount because fees can reduce the amount.