SWIFT/BIC codes in Zambia

Bank SWIFT codes for Zambia

Our directory lists 36 banks and other institutions in Zambia. A BIC tells every bank in the chain which institution should receive the money.

Each bank has its own page with the head office code and if there are any, branch codes. Below the list we explain how a code from Zambia is put together, how to send money there at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

How SWIFT codes from Zambia are built

Bank identifier codes use the same format worldwide: 8 characters. The first four letters identify the bank, the fifth and sixth characters are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

You can spot a code from Zambia by letters five and six. If those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else, so check again.

The optional last three characters stand for a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. For most transfers the head office code is fine.

Transfer times to Zambia

There is no fixed answer for payments to Zambia: some land within a day. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays usually go out a business day later.

If the money seems delayed, the sender should contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR. Specialist transfer services often provide a status online so you can follow the payment.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Zambia

To receive an international payment into a Zambia account, the person paying you needs not just the SWIFT code. Give them the account holder’s name, the IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

Find the bank in the list on this page. You can add your bank’s name and city as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

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. For business payments, agree who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

The cheapest way to send money to Zambia

If you send money to Zambia with a regular bank, the fee you see is rarely all of the cost. Besides the fee, correspondent banks can take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank often uses a rate below the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate. Check the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites. The difference is your real cost.

Specialist money transfer services often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before you send money to Zambia, take a minute comparing the total cost on GoldexPay.

SWIFT transfers to Zambia

Zambia is not part of the SEPA area. International transfers to Zambia usually go over the SWIFT network – which is why you need the BIC of the recipient’s bank.

Depending on the country, the account is identified by a local account number instead of an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. Ask the recipient which details their bank needs for payments from abroad – many banks give clear instructions for this. Before it arrives, a payment can pass through correspondent banks.

The largest SWIFT network in Zambia: National Savings and Credit Bank of Zambia

Of the 36 banks in Zambia, National Savings and Credit Bank of Zambia has the most codes. The head office uses NSCBZML1XXX – the code most transfers need.

How many codes a bank has says more about how it registers branches and services than about its size. Making a payment to National Savings and Credit Bank of Zambia? Use NSCBZML1XXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

About our data and how to check a code

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. A wrong code may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges – compare it with the code in our list.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check our list from time to time. Still, banks merge or change codes and our data may lag behind. Treat this list as a reference rather than the last word; the recipient’s bank details are leading. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Be wary of invoices containing a new account, especially when they come by email. Always confirm changed details by phone on a number you know.