SWIFT/BIC codes in Singapore: banks starting with O

Singapore: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

This directory contains 504 banks and financial institutions in Singapore, with 880 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. Each code points to an institution or one of its branches.

Look for the recipient’s bank below and open its page to see all codes we have and the details a transfer needs. Below the list we explain how a code from Singapore is put together, how to send money to Singapore at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

Filter: banks in Singapore with :letter

The letter filter limits the list to banks from Singapore that begin with :letter to make searching quicker. The totals on this page cover all 504 banks and not only this letter.

Cannot find the bank? The registered name might begin with another word – think of the full legal name instead of the brand. The complete list is available when the letter filter does not help.

About our data and how to check a code

Ask the recipient to copy the account details directly from their online banking. A wrong code can cause delays, a returned payment or extra fees, so compare it with the list on this page.

We collect bank codes from public sources and check our list from time to time. Banks merge, change names and retire codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Before a payment that matters, check the code with the recipient. We are an independent comparison site for money transfers.

Fraudsters often send fake invoices with changed bank details that look completely genuine. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine – scammers use the codes of real banks.

The largest SWIFT network in Singapore: BNP Paribas Securities Services SA

BNP Paribas Securities Services SA leads the list for Singapore in SWIFT/BIC codes. Its main office uses BPTSSGSGXXX and that code covers most payments.

Many codes often reflects that the bank registers branches and departments separately, not necessarily that the bank is the biggest in the country. If not a branch code is given, BPTSSGSGXXX is fine for a payment to BNP Paribas Securities Services SA.

What a sender needs to pay you in Singapore

When you are waiting for a payment from another country in Singapore, give the sender a complete set of details. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Look up 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.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers differ from bank to bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. Agree with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.

SWIFT transfers to Singapore

To pay into Singapore you usually need the BIC – Singapore is not a SEPA country. Without it, your bank will not process the transfer.

In some countries, accounts are identified by a domestic account number rather than an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. Check with the recipient which details their bank needs for incoming international payments; banks often publish instructions for this. SWIFT payments sometimes go via correspondent banks and fees can be taken along the way.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Singapore

A SWIFT code is either 8 or 11 characters long. Characters one to four stand for the bank, characters five and six are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

In every code from Singapore, letters five and six are the two-letter ISO code of Singapore, which makes these codes easy to recognise. Codes with a different country code come from a bank abroad – a quick way to catch mistakes.

The long version adds three characters for a branch – XXX stands for the head office. For most transfers the head office code is what you need unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

What a transfer to Singapore really costs

A bank transfer to Singapore can cost rather more than the fee suggests. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup if the money is converted.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee. An easy check: put the rate you get against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For many currency pairs, a specialist provider is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. On GoldexPay we compare the amount that arrives in Singapore with different providers, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot.

Singapore and the Singapore Dollar

Singapore uses the Singapore Dollar. A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into SGD before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who does the conversion affects how much arrives, as rates and margins differ per bank. In many cases it is cheaper if you send SGD directly through a provider that converts near the mid-market rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. With bigger transfers, even a small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Transfer times to Singapore

How quickly money reaches Singapore depends on a few things: the currency, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Public holidays in Singapore or in the sending country add a day or more to the journey.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Keep the payment confirmation until the money has arrived; a bank needs it to start a trace.