SWIFT/BIC codes in United Kingdom: banks starting with Y

Bank SWIFT codes for United Kingdom

Our directory lists 4648 banks and other institutions in United Kingdom and 20757 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. A BIC shows the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank is meant to get an international payment.

Choose a bank below to see its head office code and its other codes. Below the list we explain how codes from United Kingdom are built, how to send money to United Kingdom at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

United Kingdom and the British Pound

Most accounts in United Kingdom are usually held in GBP. A payment in a foreign currency is converted into GBP.

Who converts the money matters. Check how much GBP arrives with several services before choosing one. Rates for GBP change all the time – some providers let you lock in a rate.

Banks in United Kingdom beginning with the letter :letter

This filter narrows the list down to banks in United Kingdom starting with :letter. The counts in the introduction still cover all banks in United Kingdom.

Many institutions are listed under their official name. The complete list is one click away if the letter filter does not help.

Verifying a SWIFT code from United Kingdom

The best place to find the correct BIC remains paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account page in online banking. If the code you have does not match the code listed here, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

We collect bank codes from public sources and check them from time to time. Institutions reorganise, close branches and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. Before any payment that matters, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is not a bank.

Be wary of invoices with a new account. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details by phone.

Which bank in United Kingdom has the most codes?

HSBC Bank PLC tops the list of United Kingdom banks in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. Its head office code is HBUKGB41XXX – the code most transfers need.

Banks differ in how many codes they register, so the count is not a ranking of size. Making a payment to HSBC Bank PLC? Go with HBUKGB41XXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

Tracking a payment to United Kingdom

There is no fixed delivery time for payments to United Kingdom: some land the same day or the next, others take several business days. Bank holidays in either country can add a day or more to the journey.

If the money seems late, the sender should contact their own bank for a trace. Specialist transfer services usually show tracking in their app.

The structure of a United Kingdom SWIFT/BIC code

Bank identifier codes follow one international format: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. First comes four letters for the bank, followed by a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

For banks in United Kingdom, letters five and six show the ISO country code of United Kingdom, which makes these codes easy to recognise. Codes with other letters in that position belong to another country.

When a code ends in XXX, it refers to the head office. For most transfers the head office code is fine unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

Incoming international payments in United Kingdom

To receive an international payment into a United Kingdom account, the sender needs not just the BIC. In practice that means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and, often, your postal address.

Look up the bank in the list on this page and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. Certain banks also ask for the name and address of your bank; it does no harm to include it.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Charges on incoming payments differ per bank. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

Bank or transfer service for United Kingdom?

What you pay for a payment to United Kingdom has more than one component. On top of the fee, intermediary banks may take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank often uses a rate below the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. A simple test: put the rate you get 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 with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists transfer services next to each other, showing what actually arrives in United Kingdom.

Euro payments to United Kingdom: is a BIC needed?

United Kingdom is part of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), where euro transfers follow common rules. For a regular euro transfer from another SEPA country, you normally only need the IBAN and the BIC is often filled in automatically.

A SWIFT code does matter when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. SEPA transfers normally land by the next business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. As long as no conversion is involved, a SEPA transfer is usually cheap.