SWIFT/BIC codes in Spain: banks starting with E

SWIFT/BIC codes in Spain

This overview lists 581 banks and other institutions in Spain, with 933 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. A BIC tells the banks handling a transfer which institution is meant to get an international payment.

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

Recognising a SWIFT code from Spain

Bank identifier codes use the same format worldwide: 8 characters plus an optional three-character extension. Characters one to four stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

For banks in Spain, letters five and six are the ISO country code of Spain. Codes with other letters in that position come from a bank abroad.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the head office, and the 8-character version leads to the same place. Choose a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one – otherwise stick with the head office.

Sending EUR to Spain

The national currency in Spain is the Euro (EUR). When you pay money in a different currency, it gets converted somewhere along the way: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. In many cases you pay less if you send EUR directly through a provider with a good rate. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

What a sender needs to pay you in Spain

If you are waiting for money from abroad on an account in Spain, send the payer everything they need in one go. In practice that means: your name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and usually your address.

Find your bank in the list on this page to check its code. Some sending banks also ask for your bank’s address, so keep it at hand.

The amount you receive is often lower than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments differ from bank to bank. On invoices, agree how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

How long does a transfer to Spain take?

How quickly a payment reaches Spain depends on several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Public holidays in Spain or in the sending country can add extra days, because banks do not process payments on those days.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact their own bank for a trace. Money transfer services usually show a status in their app so you can follow the payment.

The largest SWIFT network in Spain: BNP Paribas Securities Services, Spain

BNP Paribas Securities Services, Spain tops our list of Spain banks in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses PARBESMHXXX.

How many codes a bank has says something about how it organises its payments than about how big it is. Unless the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code PARBESMHXXX works for a payment to BNP Paribas Securities Services, Spain.

SWIFT codes in Spain: banks under :letter

The letter filter limits the list down to banks from Spain that begin with :letter. The totals mentioned above always cover the whole country.

Some banks appear under their official name, which may start with words like Bank or Banco, so the letter can differ from what you expect. The full overview for Spain remains one click away when the letter filter does not help.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Spain

The best place to find the right code is a document from the bank itself. If the code you have differs from our list, stop and ask: check with the recipient or the bank.

We collect bank codes from public sources and update them regularly. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes. For any payment of any size, check the code with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Watch out for payment requests with a new account. Always confirm changed details by phone, using a number you already had.

Euro payments to Spain: is a BIC needed?

Since Spain is in SEPA, a euro payment to a bank in Spain normally only needs an IBAN. Most banking apps do not require the BIC for these payments.

You still need the BIC for non-euro payments or transfers from countries outside SEPA. SEPA transfers usually arrive by the next business day. Costs stay low as long as everything stays in euros; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

Sending money to Spain for less

The price of a transfer to Spain has several parts – not only the fee you see. On top of the fee, correspondent banks can deduct a charge and, if currencies are converted, the bank often applies a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

The markup on the rate is often the biggest part of the cost, even though it is not listed as a fee. Compare the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites.

Specialised transfer providers often use a rate near the mid-market rate. Before you send money to Spain, it is worth to compare the total cost via GoldexPay.