SWIFT/BIC codes in Switzerland: banks starting with E

Switzerland: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

In Switzerland we have 1904 SWIFT/BIC codes. You need a SWIFT/BIC code mostly for payments across borders and for payments in a foreign currency.

Each bank has its own page showing its main code and if there are any, branch codes. The sections below covers the structure of the codes, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing before a payment.

The structure of a Switzerland SWIFT/BIC code

Each SWIFT/BIC code has eight or eleven characters in a fixed order. The first four letters stand for the bank, characters five and six form the country code and the next two mark the location.

No matter which bank, all Switzerland codes have the same fifth and sixth letters. When those two letters do not match Switzerland, you are looking at a bank in another country.

The optional last three characters identify a specific branch; XXX means the head office. Use a branch code only when the recipient’s bank asks for it; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

About our data and how to check a code

Ask the recipient to send you the account details straight from a recent statement. If the code you have does not match the code listed here, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

The directory on GoldexPay is based on publicly available sources and is updated regularly. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes. Before a payment of any size, confirm the BIC with the recipient. GoldexPay is not a bank and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Watch out for invoices with changed bank details. Always confirm a change of bank details by phone.

Sending CHF to Switzerland

Switzerland pays in the Swiss Franc, with the currency code CHF. When you pay another currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount. In many cases it is cheaper if you send CHF directly via a provider that converts near the mid-market rate. Exchange rates move during the day, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

Filter: banks in Switzerland with :letter

The letter filter limits the list down to banks in Switzerland starting with :letter to make searching quicker. The figures for Switzerland on this page apply to all 697 banks and not only this letter.

Cannot find the bank? Its official name might begin with another word, for example the full legal name rather than a brand name. The full overview for Switzerland remains one click away if the letter filter does not help.

SEPA transfers to Switzerland

Because Switzerland is part of the SEPA zone, a euro transfer to a bank in Switzerland normally requires just the IBAN. Many banks no longer ask for the BIC for these payments.

You still need a SWIFT code for non-euro payments or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Instant euro transfers are widely supported within SEPA – check whether your bank supports them. Fees are generally low provided everything stays in euros; the conversion is where it gets expensive.

What a sender needs to pay you in Switzerland

If you are waiting for money from abroad on an account in Switzerland, give the sender everything they need in one go. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address.

The code of your bank is in the list on this page. Some banks may also want the name and address of your bank; it does no harm to include it.

Expect that the amount credited is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

Bank or transfer service for Switzerland?

The price of a transfer to Switzerland is made up of several parts – not only the fee you see. Besides the fee, correspondent banks may deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank usually uses a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. A simple test: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For many routes, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the exchange rate. Before your next transfer to Switzerland, it is worth comparing the total cost via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

How long does a transfer to Switzerland take?

There is no fixed answer for transfers to Switzerland: some arrive within a day. Public holidays in Switzerland or in the sending country can add extra days to the journey.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Each payment carries a unique reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Save your transfer receipt.

The largest SWIFT network in Switzerland: Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft

Of the 697 banks we list for Switzerland, Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft is listed with the largest number of SWIFT codes. The head office of Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft uses RAIFCH22XXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

How many codes a bank has says something about how it organises its payments than about how big it is. Paying someone at Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft? Use RAIFCH22XXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.