SWIFT/BIC codes in United Arab Emirates

SWIFT/BIC codes in United Arab Emirates

This directory covers 227 banks and financial institutions in United Arab Emirates, with 438 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. A SWIFT code tells every bank in the chain exactly which bank should receive an international payment.

Search for the bank you need below and open its page to see all codes we have and the details a transfer needs. Further down you can read how a code from United Arab Emirates is put together, 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 send you their bank details straight from their online banking. An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a returned payment or additional charges.

We collect bank codes using public sources and update them regularly. Still, banks merge or change codes. Treat this list as a starting point, not as the final word: the bank details from the recipient come first. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site.

Fraudsters regularly use fake invoices with new bank details. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account – scammers use the codes of real banks.

Paying a bank in United Arab Emirates from abroad

To pay into United Arab Emirates you will almost always need the BIC – United Arab Emirates is not a SEPA country. Without it, your bank cannot send the transfer at all.

Depending on the country, accounts are identified by a domestic account number instead of an IBAN and sometimes a local routing or branch code. Ask the recipient exactly which details their bank needs for payments from abroad; banks often publish instructions for this. On the way to United Arab Emirates, a transfer can pass through intermediary banks that take a fee.

Sending AED to United Arab Emirates

Bank accounts in United Arab Emirates are typically held in AED – the United Arab Emirates Dirham. When you pay another 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 the final amount. In many cases it is cheaper to send AED straight away through a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate. Rates for AED change all the time – some providers let you lock in a rate.

What a transfer to United Arab Emirates really costs

What you pay for a transfer to United Arab Emirates has several parts – not only the fee you see. Besides the fee, intermediary banks may deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank usually uses a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. An easy check: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialised transfer providers often use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before you send money to United Arab Emirates, it is worth to compare the total cost via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Incoming international payments in United Arab Emirates

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs a few details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

Your bank’s code is in the list on this page but always compare it with your own bank details. Some sending banks may also ask for your bank’s address; it does no harm to include it.

Expect that the incoming amount is below what the sender paid. Charges on incoming payments differ per bank. On invoices, state how the fees are split.

The structure of a United Arab Emirates SWIFT/BIC code

Every SWIFT/BIC code has 8 or 11 characters, always in the same order. Characters one to four stand for the bank, characters five and six form the country code and the next two give the location.

In every code from United Arab Emirates, letters five and six show the ISO country code of United Arab Emirates, which makes these codes easy to recognise. If those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else.

The long version ends in three characters for a branch. In most cases the head office code is what you need unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

Which bank in United Arab Emirates has the most codes?

Among the 227 institutions we list, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC holds the most SWIFT/BIC codes in United Arab Emirates. The head office of First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC uses FGBMAEAAXXX and that code covers most payments.

How many codes a bank has tells you something about how it registers branches and services than about its size. Making a payment to First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC? Use FGBMAEAAXXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

Transfer times to United Arab Emirates

There is no single answer for transfers to United Arab Emirates: many arrive the same day or the next. Transfers sent late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday usually start a business day later.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact the sending bank – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Specialist transfer services often show a status in their app.