SWIFT/BIC codes in Spain: banks starting with X

Spain: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

In Spain our database holds 933 SWIFT/BIC codes from 581 financial institutions. You need a SWIFT/BIC code mainly for international transfers, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Pick the bank below to see the head office code and any branch codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. The rest of this page explain how the codes work, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing before you send money.

How SWIFT codes from Spain are built

Bank identifier codes use one international format: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. First comes four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

For banks in Spain, letters five and six show the ISO country code of Spain, which makes these codes easy to recognise. If the country letters do not match Spain, you are looking at a bank in another country, so check again.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. In most cases the head office code is what you need, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

SEPA transfers to Spain

Since Spain is in SEPA, a euro transfer to an account in Spain usually requires just the IBAN. Many banks do not require the BIC in that case.

You will still need a SWIFT code when sending non-euro payments or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Euro payments within SEPA usually arrive within one business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Costs stay low provided everything stays in euros; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

How reliable is this list?

Ask the recipient to copy the account details directly from a recent statement. An incorrect BIC can cause a delay, a returned payment or extra fees – compare it with the code in our list.

We gather bank codes from public sources and update our list from time to time. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes and our data may lag behind. Before any payment of any size, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers.

Watch out for payment requests with changed bank details. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account: criminals use real codes too.

Banks in Spain starting with :letter

Here you see a selection: only banks in Spain whose name begins with :letter. The totals mentioned above still refer to the whole country.

Many institutions are listed under their official name, which may start with words like Bank or Banco. The full overview for Spain is available if the letter filter does not help.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Spain

A sender in another country will ask for a few details from you. That means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and usually your address.

Find the bank in the list above and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. Some banks also want your bank’s address, so keep it at hand.

Expect that the amount credited is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin applies. On invoices, agree who bears the costs.

How long does a transfer to Spain take?

How fast money reaches Spain depends on several factors: the currency, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often go out a business day later.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi. Each payment gets a unique reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived; a bank needs it to start a trace.

BNP Paribas Securities Services, Spain and its SWIFT codes

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

The number of codes says more about how it registers branches and services than about its size. Making a payment to BNP Paribas Securities Services, Spain? Use PARBESMHXXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

What a transfer to Spain really costs

An international bank payment to Spain often costs more than the fee suggests. There is a transfer fee, possibly fees from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup when currencies differ.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Compare the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate.

Specialist money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists these providers next to each other so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient before you commit.

Paying in EUR: what conversion costs you

Most accounts in Spain are usually held in EUR. When you pay another currency, the amount gets converted at some point: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. In many cases you pay less if you send EUR directly through a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. Rates for EUR change during the day, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.