SWIFT/BIC codes in Switzerland: banks starting with F

Switzerland: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

Here you will find codes for 697 institutions in Switzerland, 1904 codes in all. Every code identifies an institution or one of its branches, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Each bank is listed with its own page with the head office code and if there are any, branch codes. The sections below explain the structure of the codes, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes before you send money.

Banks in Switzerland starting with :letter

This list shows only the banks in Switzerland beginning with :letter. The totals mentioned here cover all 697 banks and not only this letter.

If a bank is missing here, try the full list – the registered name can differ from the name people use. Try the full list for Switzerland when you are not sure how the name is spelled.

Check the code before you pay

The best place to find the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank. An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a returned payment or additional charges – compare it with the code in our list.

We gather bank codes from publicly available data and check our list from time to time. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes and our data may lag behind. Treat our data as a starting point rather than the last word. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Fraudsters regularly use payment requests with changed bank details that look completely genuine. Before paying, verify changed details by phone, using a number you already had.

SEPA transfers to Switzerland

Since Switzerland is in the SEPA zone, a euro transfer to an account in Switzerland usually requires just an IBAN. Most banking apps no longer ask for the BIC for these payments.

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

What the letters in a Switzerland BIC mean

Every SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters, always in the same order. It starts with four letters for the bank, then two letters for the country and two characters for the location.

You can recognise a bank code from Switzerland by letters five and six. If those two letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank somewhere else.

When a code ends in XXX, it refers to the main office and the short version works just as well. Use a branch code just when the recipient explicitly gives you one.

The largest SWIFT network in Switzerland: Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft

Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft leads the list for Switzerland in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. Its head office code is RAIFCH22XXX – the code most transfers need.

How many codes a bank has tells you more about how it registers branches and services than about its size. Paying someone at Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft? Use RAIFCH22XXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

Receiving money in Switzerland from abroad

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for several details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

Find your bank in the list on this page to check its code, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. Some sending banks also want your bank’s address, so keep it at hand.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank; check the price list of your bank. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

How long does a transfer to Switzerland take?

There is no fixed answer for transfers to Switzerland: many arrive the same day or the next. Public holidays in Switzerland or in the sending country can add a day or more, because banks do not process payments on those days.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Save the payment confirmation.

Sending CHF to Switzerland

Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc (CHF). If you send money in a different currency, it has to be converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Which bank converts the payment matters. Often you pay less if you send CHF directly through a provider with a good rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. Rates for CHF change all the time, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

The cheapest way to send money to Switzerland

A bank transfer to Switzerland often costs more than the fee suggests. Besides a fixed fee, intermediary banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually uses a rate below the actual market rate.

The markup on the rate is often the largest cost item, even though it is not listed as a fee. Compare the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate. The difference is your real cost.

Specialised transfer providers frequently offer rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay compares these providers next to each other so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient.