SWIFT/BIC codes in Spain: banks starting with W

SWIFT/BIC codes in Spain

On this page you find codes for 581 banks in Spain. Every code identifies an institution or one of its branches, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Choose the bank below to view the head office code and any branch codes, plus practical notes for sending and receiving money. Below the list we explain how codes from Spain are built, how to send money there at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

Tracking a payment to Spain

There is no single answer for payments to Spain: many arrive the same day or the next. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays often go out a business day later.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each gpi transfer carries a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Specialist transfer services often provide a status online so you can follow the payment.

Paying in EUR: what conversion costs you

Spain pays in the Euro, with the currency code EUR. Money sent in a different currency is exchanged into EUR on its way to the recipient.

Which bank converts the money makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Check what EUR the recipient gets with 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

A sender in another country needs several details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and usually your postal address.

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

The amount you receive is often lower than the amount sent. Charges on incoming payments differ from bank to bank; check the price list of your bank. On invoices, state who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

What a transfer to Spain really costs

The price of a payment to Spain has more than one component. There is a transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate if the money is converted.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest part of the cost, even though it is not listed as a fee. An easy check: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Money transfer services frequently use rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before you send money to Spain, take a minute to compare what arrives on GoldexPay.

What the letters in a Spain BIC mean

Bank identifier codes use the same format worldwide: eight characters. The first four letters identify the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

You can spot a code from Spain from the fifth and sixth characters. If those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank in another country – worth double-checking.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the main office and the short version works just as well. Choose a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

SEPA transfers to Spain

Spain belongs to the SEPA area. For a regular euro transfer from another SEPA country, you normally only need the IBAN and the BIC is often filled in automatically.

You will still need a SWIFT code for non-euro payments or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Euro payments within SEPA usually arrive by the next business day. Fees are generally low as long as everything stays in euros; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

BNP Paribas Securities Services, Spain and its SWIFT codes

Of the 581 banks in Spain, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Spain is listed with the largest number of SWIFT codes. The head office of BNP Paribas Securities Services, Spain uses PARBESMHXXX and that code covers most payments.

A large number of codes usually reflects separate codes for branches, departments or services, not necessarily that the bank is the biggest in the country. Unless the recipient asks for a branch, PARBESMHXXX is fine for transfers to this bank.

Banks in Spain beginning with the letter :letter

Here you see a filtered list: just banks in Spain whose name begins with :letter. The figures for Spain mentioned here cover every bank we list.

Many institutions are listed under their official name, which may start with words like Bank or Banco, so the letter can differ from what you expect. The complete list is one click away when the letter filter does not help.

How reliable is this list?

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. If the code you have differs from our list, do not guess.

The directory on GoldexPay is compiled from publicly available sources and is updated regularly. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes and our data may lag behind. Treat this list as a reference rather than the last word. We are an independent comparison site and not part of any bank listed here.

Watch out for payment requests containing a new account, especially when they come by email. Before paying, confirm changed details by phone.