Bank of London and The Middle East PLC SWIFT/BIC code

BLMEGB2L – the SWIFT/BIC code of Bank of London and The Middle East PLC

BLMEGB2L and BLMEGB2LXXX are the short and the long form of the same bank identifier, and both lead to Bank of London and The Middle East PLC in London. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses BIC codes to route international transfers to the correct bank. You will need it mainly when dealing with payments that cross a border or a currency.

We wrote this page to help anyone who pays into an account at Bank of London and The Middle East PLC. The SWIFT code alone cannot identify a personal account; for that you need the account number or IBAN is for.

How up to date is this code?

We gather bank codes using public sources and update our list from time to time. Institutions reorganise, close branches and change codes, and a directory never catches every change immediately. Counts and locations are from our directory.

For any payment that matters, check the code with the recipient’s bank or the recipient. GoldexPay is independent of Bank of London and The Middle East PLC; we are a comparison site for money transfers. If you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a message.

Head office or branch code at Bank of London and The Middle East PLC?

We have 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Bank of London and The Middle East PLC. Besides the head office code BLMEGB2LXXX, there are codes for individual branches and departments.

For most payments to a private or business account, the head office code BLMEGB2LXXX is what you need. Only use a branch code when the account holder gives you that exact code, for example on a letter or invoice.

Not sure which code to use? Ask the recipient, or look at a recent statement from Bank of London and The Middle East PLC. Codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise.

How long does an international transfer to Bank of London and The Middle East PLC take?

How quickly a payment arrives at Bank of London and The Middle East PLC is determined by several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Weekends and public holidays in either country can add extra days. Occasionally a bank asks about the purpose of a payment, which can hold things up.

When a payment takes longer than expected, contact your bank about the tracking status and the transaction reference so they can trace it along the chain. Specialist transfer services usually provide a status in their app showing where the money is.

A missing payment is traced by the sending bank on the basis of the transfer details. Request from the sender the payment receipt including the reference – it helps your own bank look for the money.

Watch out for payment fraud

One of the most common tricks works like this: you receive a request saying that a contact has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. A real SWIFT code says nothing about whether the request is genuine – scammers simply use real codes.

Never trust contact details from the same email that announces the change. Watch out for urgent requests, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. If a payment was sent to the wrong account, call your bank right away – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

Scams also target the receiver. Someone claims to have sent more than agreed and asks you to refund the difference. Wait until the money has really arrived – ask Bank of London and The Middle East PLC if something looks wrong.

SEPA payments and the Bank of London and The Middle East PLC BIC

United Kingdom belongs to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), where euro transfers follow common rules. When you send euros within SEPA, you normally only need the IBAN.

For anything other than euros and for senders outside SEPA, BLMEGB2LXXX or BLMEGB2L remains required. Some banks and apps still show a field for the BIC; in that case, enter BLMEGB2L.

Instant payments in euros have become increasingly supported within SEPA. Fees for SEPA payments tend to be low as long as everything stays in euros.

British Pound (GBP) and conversion costs

United Kingdom pays in the British Pound (GBP). When you pay money in a different currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, by Bank of London and The Middle East PLC or by a bank in between. Every conversion costs the amount, even when no fee is shown.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount. Sending the amount directly in GBP often avoids a second conversion – as long as your own rate is good.

Exchange rates change all the time – some services let you fix a rate in advance. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

What a transfer from Bank of London and The Middle East PLC abroad really costs

What you pay for a payment abroad has more than one component. There is the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes charges from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup when the money is converted.

That exchange rate margin is often the largest cost even though it is not listed as a fee. An easy check: put the bank’s rate against 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. Before your next transfer, it is worth to compare the total cost on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank. Choosing a specialist does not mean leaving Bank of London and The Middle East PLC.

Getting paid from abroad into a Bank of London and The Middle East PLC account

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs several details about your account, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. What they need is: the account holder’s name, IBAN or account number, BLMEGB2LXXX or BLMEGB2L and in many cases your postal address.

The sender’s bank might request the address of your bank; the head office in London is usually fine. A typo in your account number is more trouble than it looks, so copy the details from your online banking.

An incoming payment does not always arrive for the full amount. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs.

Verifying the SWIFT code of Bank of London and The Middle East PLC

The best place to find the correct BIC is a document from the bank itself like a bank statement or the account page in online banking. Check that code with BLMEGB2L on this page; if they differ, ask before you pay.

With a wrong code, the transfer might get stuck, bounce back or cost extra, and tracing it can take weeks. Remember the account number: a mistake there can be harder to undo than a wrong code.

An automatic check in your banking app merely tells you that the IBAN is valid – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. Some banks now compare the name against the account – do not ignore a mismatch warning. For a first payment, some people send a small test amount and wait for confirmation.

8 or 11 characters: BLMEGB2L versus BLMEGB2LXXX

A BIC is made up of fixed blocks: characters one to four identify the bank, the next two give the country and characters seven and eight indicate the location. Together, those parts form BLMEGB2L.

Most payment forms accept both lengths. If yours asks for eleven characters, enter BLMEGB2LXXX; if it wants eight, use BLMEGB2L.

Do not add spaces when you enter BLMEGB2L; the code is always written in one block. Pasting the code is safer than typing it by hand, because one wrong letter changes the bank.