SWIFT/BIC codes in Switzerland: banks starting with N

Bank SWIFT codes for Switzerland

For Switzerland our database holds 1904 SWIFT/BIC codes from 697 financial institutions. You will need a SWIFT/BIC code mainly for international transfers.

Search for the recipient’s bank below and click through for all codes we have and what else a transfer requires. Further down we explain how codes from Switzerland are built, how to send money to Switzerland without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

What a transfer to Switzerland really costs

If you send money to Switzerland through a regular bank, the fee you see is only part of the cost. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes fees from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites. The difference is your real cost.

Specialist money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay lists transfer services next to each other so you can see what actually arrives in Switzerland for the same amount sent.

Banks in Switzerland beginning with the letter :letter

This filter limits the list down to banks in Switzerland starting with :letter. The totals on this page cover all 697 banks.

If the bank you need is missing under :letter, try the full list – the registered name can differ from the name people use. The complete list is one click away if the letter filter does not help.

The largest SWIFT network in Switzerland: Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft

Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft leads the list of Switzerland banks when it comes to SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office of Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft has RAIFCH22XXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

How many codes a bank has says something about how it registers branches and services than about how big it is. Paying someone at Raiffeisen Schweiz Genossenschaft? Go with RAIFCH22XXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Switzerland

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient. If the code you have differs from the code listed here, stop and ask.

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from public sources and check them regularly. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes and our data may lag behind. For any payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and has no link to the banks in this list.

Watch out for payment requests containing changed bank details. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account.

SEPA transfers to Switzerland

Inside SEPA, euro payments to Switzerland use the same rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. A field for the BIC is often optional in that case.

You will still need the BIC when sending payments in other currencies or money from outside the SEPA area. SEPA transfers usually arrive within one business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. As long as no conversion is involved, the transfer tends to be inexpensive.

When does money sent to Switzerland arrive?

How fast money arrives in Switzerland is determined by several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Public holidays in Switzerland or in the sending country add extra days to the journey.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR. Money transfer services usually provide a status online.

How SWIFT codes from Switzerland are built

Every SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters, always in the same order. The first four letters identify the bank, characters five and six form the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

You can recognise a code from Switzerland from the fifth and sixth characters: they always show the ISO country code of Switzerland. Codes with a different country code belong to another country, even if the bank name looks familiar.

When a code ends in XXX, it refers to the main office. Choose a branch code only when the recipient explicitly gives you one; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

Receiving money in Switzerland from abroad

When you are waiting for money from abroad on an account in Switzerland, send the payer all details at once. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and, often, your postal address.

Your bank’s code is in our list. It helps to add the name and city of your bank as well because some forms have separate fields for it.

Expect that the amount credited is below what the sender paid. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

The Swiss Franc (CHF) and conversion costs

Most accounts in Switzerland are typically held in CHF. When you pay money in a different currency, it gets converted at some point: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Often you pay less to send CHF straight away through a provider with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. On larger amounts, a seemingly small difference in the rate adds up quickly.