SWIFT/BIC codes in Vatican City

Vatican City: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

On this page you find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 3 banks in Vatican City. A BIC tells the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank is meant to get the money.

Choose a bank from the list to see the head office code and its other codes. Below the list you can read how codes from Vatican City are built, how to send money to Vatican City at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

Sending EUR to Vatican City

Most accounts in Vatican City are typically held in EUR, the local currency. A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into EUR on its way to the recipient, and whoever converts it chooses the rate.

Where the conversion happens affects how much arrives. Often it is cheaper to send EUR directly through a provider that converts near the mid-market rate. Rates for EUR move during the day.

When does money sent to Vatican City arrive?

An international transfer to Vatican City typically needs anywhere from one to several business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Bank holidays in Vatican City or in the sending country add a day or more, because banks do not process payments on those days.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each payment carries a unique reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Specialist transfer services often provide a status online, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

The structure of a Vatican City SWIFT/BIC code

A SWIFT code is either 8 or 11 characters long. First comes four letters for the bank, then two letters for the country and two characters for the location.

You can recognise a code from Vatican City by the fifth and sixth characters – those always form the country code of Vatican City. When the country letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank in another country.

An 11-character code ends in three characters for a branch, where XXX means the head office. Choose a branch code only if the recipient’s bank asks for it; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

Bank or transfer service for Vatican City?

The price of a transfer to Vatican City is made up of several parts. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent banks may deduct a charge and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually applies a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Compare the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites.

For many routes, a specialist provider turns out to be less expensive than a bank. GoldexPay lists transfer services side by side, showing the amount that reaches the recipient before you commit.

Receiving money in Vatican City from abroad

If you expect a payment from another country on an account in Vatican City, give the sender everything they need in one go. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address.

Your bank’s code is in the list on this page but always compare it with your own bank details. It helps to add your bank’s name and city as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

The amount you receive can be lower than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate comes on top. For business payments, state how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

The largest SWIFT network in Vatican City: Amministrazione del Patrimonio Della Sede Apostolica

Amministrazione del Patrimonio Della Sede Apostolica leads the list of Vatican City banks when it comes to the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses APDEVAVAXXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

Many codes often reflects that the bank registers branches and departments separately. If not the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code APDEVAVAXXX works for a payment to Amministrazione del Patrimonio Della Sede Apostolica.

About our data and how to check a code

The most reliable source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details. If the code you have does not match our list, do not guess.

We collect bank codes from public sources and update our list from time to time. Banks reorganise, close branches and change codes. Treat this list as a reference rather than the last word. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Scammers often use fake invoices with new bank details. Always verify a change of bank details through a separate channel.

Euro payments to Vatican City: is a BIC needed?

Because Vatican City is part of the SEPA zone, a euro transfer to an account in Vatican City usually only needs an IBAN. Many banks no longer ask for the BIC in that case.

The BIC does come into play when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. Instant euro transfers have become widely supported within SEPA, though not every bank offers them for every account. As long as the payment stays in euros, the transfer tends to be cheap.