SWIFT/BIC codes in Tuvalu

Tuvalu: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

This directory covers 1 banks and financial institutions in Tuvalu. You will need a SWIFT/BIC code mostly when making payments across borders and for payments in a foreign currency.

Search for the bank you need below and click through to see all codes we have and what else a transfer requires. Further down you can read how codes from Tuvalu are built, how to send money there without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

About our data and how to check a code

Have the recipient copy the account details directly from their online banking. If the code you have differs from the code listed here, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

We gather bank codes from publicly available data and check them from time to time. Institutions merge, close branches and retire codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Before any payment of any size, check the code with the recipient’s bank. We are an independent comparison site.

Fraudsters often send fake invoices with new bank details. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a separate channel, using a number you already had.

Bank or transfer service for Tuvalu?

The price of a payment to Tuvalu has more than one component. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent banks may take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank usually uses a rate below the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. A simple test: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialised transfer providers often offer a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay lists these providers side by side so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient before you commit.

International payments to Tuvalu and the BIC

To pay into Tuvalu you almost always need a SWIFT/BIC code, because the country is outside the SEPA area. Without the BIC, most banks will not send the payment at all.

Not every country uses the IBAN – where there is none, the local account number is enough. Check with the recipient which details their bank requires for payments from abroad; banks often publish instructions for this. SWIFT payments sometimes go via one or more intermediary banks, each of which may deduct a fee.

National Bank of Tuvalu and its SWIFT codes

In our data, National Bank of Tuvalu has the most SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Tuvalu. Its head office code is NABTTVTVXXX – the code most transfers need.

Practice differs in how many codes they register. If not the recipient asks for a branch, NABTTVTVXXX is fine for a payment to National Bank of Tuvalu.

The Australian Dollar (AUD) and conversion costs

Most accounts in Tuvalu are typically held in AUD. Money sent in a different currency is exchanged into AUD.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount, since every bank sets its own rate. Often it is cheaper if you send AUD directly via a transfer service with a good rate. Rates for AUD change during the day, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

How SWIFT codes from Tuvalu are built

A SWIFT code is 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. It starts with four letters for the bank, followed by two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

You can spot a code from Tuvalu from letters five and six: they always show the ISO country code of Tuvalu. Codes with a different country code belong to another country, even if the bank name looks familiar.

The long version ends in a branch code – XXX stands for the head office. For most transfers the head office code is fine.

Incoming international payments in Tuvalu

When you expect a payment from another country in Tuvalu, give the sender a complete set of details. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and sometimes your postal address.

The code of your bank is in our list but always compare it with your own bank details. You can include the name and city of your bank as well.

Expect that the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers vary per bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. On invoices, state who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

How long does a transfer to Tuvalu take?

An international transfer to Tuvalu usually needs one to a few business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually go out a business day later.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each gpi transfer carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms.