SWIFT/BIC codes in Switzerland: banks starting with J

Switzerland: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

This directory contains 697 banks and financial institutions in Switzerland. You will need a SWIFT/BIC code mostly for payments across borders, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Every bank is listed with its own page with its main 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.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Switzerland

If you are waiting for money from abroad in Switzerland, send the payer a complete set of details. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address.

Your bank’s code is in the list on this page. Some banks also want your bank’s address, so keep it at hand.

The amount you receive can be lower than the amount sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin comes on top. Agree with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.

Most SWIFT codes in Switzerland: Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft

Of all banks in Switzerland, Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft is listed with the most SWIFT codes. Its head office code is RAIFCH22XXX.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes – a high count is not a measure of size. Making a payment to Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft? Use RAIFCH22XXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Switzerland

Every SWIFT/BIC code has eight or eleven characters, always in the same order. It starts with four letters for the bank, followed by a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

No matter which bank, every code from Switzerland have the same country code in positions five and six. Codes with other letters in that position come from another country.

An 11-character code adds a branch code – XXX stands for the head office. Choose a branch code only if the recipient explicitly gives you one.

Transfer times to Switzerland

There is no fixed answer for transfers to Switzerland: many land within a day, others take several business days. Transfers sent late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday often start the next business day.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Specialist transfer services often provide tracking online.

Sending money to Switzerland for less

The price of a payment to Switzerland has several parts. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup.

That exchange rate margin is often the largest part of the cost, even though it is not listed as a fee. A simple test: set the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before you send money to Switzerland, take a minute comparing the total cost on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Euro payments to Switzerland: is a BIC needed?

Because Switzerland is in SEPA, a euro payment to a bank in Switzerland usually only needs an IBAN. Most banking apps do not require the BIC in that case.

A SWIFT code still come into play when the currency is not euros. Instant euro transfers have become widely supported across SEPA – check whether your bank supports them. Costs stay low provided everything stays in euros.

Banks in Switzerland starting with :letter

Here you see a selection: just banks in Switzerland whose name begins with :letter. The counts in the introduction always refer to all banks in Switzerland.

If a bank is missing here, check another letter: banks are often registered under their full legal name. The complete list remains one click away when the letter filter does not help.

About our data and how to check a code

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. If the code you have differs from our list, do not guess: check with the recipient or the bank.

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check them from time to time. Even so, banks merge or change codes and our data may lag behind. Before any payment that matters, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site.

Be wary of invoices with a new account – a common fraud method. Before paying, verify a change of bank details by phone.

Sending CHF to Switzerland

The local currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF). A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into CHF before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Which bank converts the payment matters: every bank has its own margin. In many cases it is cheaper to send CHF directly via a transfer service with a good rate. On larger amounts, even a small gap in the rate adds up quickly.