SWIFT/BIC codes in Taiwan: banks starting with L

SWIFT/BIC codes in Taiwan

This overview covers 369 banks and other institutions in Taiwan, with 1889 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. A BIC shows every bank in the chain which institution should receive an international payment.

Choose a bank from the list to view the head office code and its other codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. The rest of this page explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes before you send money.

Incoming international payments in Taiwan

For an international payment in Taiwan, the person paying you has to have more than the SWIFT code. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and sometimes your address.

The code of your bank is in the list on this page. Some banks also want your bank’s address.

What lands in your account is often lower than what was sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin applies. For business payments, agree how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

Transfer times to Taiwan

How fast money arrives in Taiwan is determined by a few things: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Transfers sent late in the day or on a weekend or public holiday usually go out a business day later.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each payment carries a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Specialist transfer services usually show a status online so you can follow the payment.

Which bank in Taiwan has the most codes?

Among the 369 institutions we list, Hua Nan Commercial Bank, LTD. has the most SWIFT/BIC codes in Taiwan. The head office of Hua Nan Commercial Bank, LTD. uses HNBKTWTPXXX and that code covers most payments.

Practice differs in how many codes they register. Paying someone at Hua Nan Commercial Bank, LTD.? Use HNBKTWTPXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Why a transfer to Taiwan needs a SWIFT code

To pay into Taiwan you will almost always need a SWIFT/BIC code – Taiwan is not a SEPA country. Without it, most banks cannot send the transfer at all.

Depending on the country, accounts are identified by a local account number rather than an IBAN. The receiving bank usually has a list of required details for payments from abroad, and it is worth following them to the letter. International transfers sometimes go via one or more intermediary banks, each of which may deduct a fee.

The cheapest way to send money to Taiwan

An international bank payment to Taiwan often costs more than you think. Besides the fee, correspondent banks can deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank usually applies a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

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

Specialist money transfer services frequently use rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before your next transfer to Taiwan, take a minute comparing what arrives on GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

The structure of a Taiwan SWIFT/BIC code

A BIC is either 8 or 11 characters long and follows a fixed pattern. Characters one to four stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

No matter which bank, all Taiwan codes share the same fifth and sixth letters. If the country letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank somewhere else.

The last three characters, if present, identify a specific branch; XXX is used for the head office. Choose a branch code just if the recipient’s bank asks for it; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

How reliable is this list?

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. When the code you were given differs from our list, do not guess.

The directory on GoldexPay is compiled from public sources. Even so, banks merge or retire codes. For any payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Watch out for payment requests with a new account – a common fraud method. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a separate channel on a number you know.

Filter: banks in Taiwan with :letter

The letter filter narrows the list to banks in Taiwan starting with :letter, so you can find a bank faster. The figures for Taiwan mentioned here apply to every bank we list.

Bank not listed? The registered name might start with a different letter, for example the full legal name rather than a brand name. The full overview for Taiwan is one click away when the letter filter does not help.