SWIFT/BIC codes in Spain: banks starting with F

SWIFT/BIC codes in Spain

This directory lists 581 banks and financial institutions in Spain. Each code identifies a bank or one of its branches and tells other banks where an international payment should go.

Pick a bank from the list to see its head office code and its other codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. The sections below covers how the codes work, the cost of transfers and how to avoid mistakes.

Transfer times to Spain

How quickly money arrives in Spain depends on a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Public holidays in either country can add extra days, because banks do not process payments on those days.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact their own bank for a trace – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Keep your transfer receipt until the money has arrived; a bank needs it to start a trace.

What the letters in a Spain BIC mean

A BIC is 8 or 11 characters long and follows a fixed pattern. First comes four letters for the bank, then two letters for the country and two characters for the location.

For banks in Spain, characters five and six show the ISO country code of Spain. If those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank in another country, so check again.

When a code ends in XXX, it refers to the head office, and the 8-character version leads to the same place. Use a branch code only if the recipient explicitly gives you one; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

How reliable is this list?

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details. When the code you were given differs from our list, stop and ask: check with the recipient or the bank.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is compiled from publicly available sources. Still, banks merge or retire codes, so information can be out of date. Use our data as a reference. GoldexPay is not a bank and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Scammers often use fake invoices carrying changed bank details. A valid BIC tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine – scammers use the codes of real banks.

SEPA transfers to Spain

Inside SEPA, euro transfers to Spain follow common rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. A field for the BIC is usually optional in that case.

You will still need the BIC for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Instant payments in euros are increasingly supported across SEPA. Fees are generally low provided everything stays in euros; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

SWIFT codes in Spain: banks under :letter

The letter filter narrows the list down to banks in Spain starting with :letter. The figures for Spain mentioned here cover all 581 banks.

Some banks are listed under their legal name, which may start with words like Bank or Banco, so the letter can differ from what you expect. The full overview for Spain is available when you cannot find the bank here.

Bank or transfer service for Spain?

A bank transfer to Spain often costs rather more than the fee suggests. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent banks can deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank often uses a rate below the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest cost item, even though it is not listed as a fee. An easy check: put the offered rate next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives in Spain with different services.

Paying in EUR: what conversion costs you

Bank accounts in Spain are usually held in EUR. When you pay another currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way.

Who does the conversion has an effect on the final amount. Compare how much EUR the recipient gets via different providers. On larger amounts, a seemingly small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Spain

When you are waiting for money from abroad in Spain, send the payer everything they need in one go. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

Look up the bank in the list above and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. You can include your bank’s name and city, since some payment forms ask for it.

What lands in your account can be lower than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank. Agree with the sender who pays which costs.

Which bank in Spain has the most codes?

Among the 581 institutions we list, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Spain has the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Spain. Its main office uses PARBESMHXXX and that code covers most payments.

How many codes a bank has tells you something about how it registers branches and services than about its size. Making a payment to BNP Paribas Securities Services, Spain? Go with PARBESMHXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.