SWIFT/BIC codes in Switzerland: banks starting with L

SWIFT/BIC codes in Switzerland

This directory covers 697 banks and other institutions in Switzerland, with 1904 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. You need such a code mainly when making international transfers and for payments in a foreign currency.

Search for the bank you need below and click through to see the full list of codes. The rest of this page explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing before you send money.

Tracking a payment to Switzerland

How fast a payment reaches Switzerland depends on a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Public holidays in Switzerland or in the sending country can add extra days.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment carries a unique reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Money transfer services often show a status in their app, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

Euro payments to Switzerland: is a BIC needed?

Inside SEPA, euro payments to Switzerland follow the same rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. The BIC field is usually optional in that case.

You still need the BIC for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Instant euro transfers are increasingly available within SEPA. As long as no conversion is involved, a SEPA transfer tends to be cheap.

Which bank in Switzerland has the most codes?

Of the 697 banks we list for Switzerland, Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft has the most codes. The head office uses RAIFCH22XXX.

Many codes often means that the bank registers branches and departments separately. Making a payment to Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft? Go with RAIFCH22XXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

What a sender needs to pay you in Switzerland

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, the IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and your address.

Find your bank in the list above and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. It helps to add your bank’s name and city as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

What lands in your account is often lower than the amount sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees, especially for larger amounts.

The cheapest way to send money to Switzerland

When you transfer money to Switzerland through a regular bank, the stated fee is rarely all of the cost. On top of the fee, correspondent banks may take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank often uses a rate below the real market rate.

The markup on the rate tends to be the biggest part of the cost. An easy check: set the offered rate next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service is less expensive than a bank. Before you send money to Switzerland, it is worth to compare the total cost via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Banks in Switzerland starting with :letter

This filter limits the list down to banks in Switzerland starting with :letter, so you can find a bank faster. The figures for Switzerland on this page apply to all 697 banks and not only this letter.

Cannot find the bank? The registered name may begin with another word – think of the full legal name instead of the brand. Use the full list for Switzerland when you do not know how the name is spelled.

About our data and how to check a code

Have the recipient copy their bank details straight from a recent statement. When the code you were given does not match the code listed here, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes using public sources and check our list regularly. Institutions reorganise, close branches and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Before any payment of any size, check the code with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service and not part of any bank listed here.

Scammers often send fake invoices with changed bank details from what looks like a familiar address. A real SWIFT code says nothing about whether a request is genuine.

The structure of a Switzerland SWIFT/BIC code

Each SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters. First comes a four-letter bank code, then two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

Whatever the bank, every code from Switzerland share the same country code in positions five and six. When those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else – worth double-checking.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the main office. In most cases the head office code is fine unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

The Swiss Franc (CHF) and conversion costs

Switzerland pays in the Swiss Franc, code CHF. If you send money in a different currency, the amount has to be converted somewhere along the way: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Who does the conversion affects how much arrives. Check how much CHF arrives with several services before choosing one. On larger amounts, a seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.