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What is a SWIFT Code?
SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) code, also known as BIC (Bank Identifier Code), is an 8-11 character code used to identify banks and financial institutions globally. This code is essential for international wire transfers and cross-border transactions.
SWIFT Code Format
A SWIFT code consists of 8 or 11 characters: the first 4 letters represent the bank code, the next 2 letters represent the country code, the following 2 characters represent the location code, and the optional last 3 characters represent the branch code.
Why is SWIFT Code Important?
Every cross-border payment — a salary from an overseas employer, an NRI relative's remittance, an export invoice — travels through the SWIFT network, and the code is what tells that network exactly which bank, in which country, at which office should receive the money. Unlike a domestic transfer, an international wire may pass through one or more correspondent banks on the way, so a wrong or outdated code doesn't just delay the payment, it can strand it mid-route where recovering it takes weeks of tracing. Our guide to how international transfers actually move walks through the full journey of a wire from a sender abroad to an Indian account.
For transfers within India you need the branch's IFSC code instead, and you can check the value of an incoming foreign payment with the currency converter.
What an International Transfer Actually Needs
The sender's bank will ask for: the beneficiary's full name and address as per the account, the account number, the bank's SWIFT/BIC code, and often the branch address. Many Indian banks route inward remittances through a specific (often head-office) SWIFT code plus your branch's IFSC — confirm the exact combination with your bank before sharing details, as an 8-character head-office code is frequently the right one even when a branch-specific code exists.
Costs to Expect
An international wire typically loses value at three points: the sender's bank fee, intermediary (correspondent) bank charges of $10–30 that are deducted mid-route, and the exchange-rate margin applied when converting to rupees. For regular or smaller transfers, dedicated remittance services often beat traditional wires on total cost — our practical guide to sending money to India compares the channels rupee-for-rupee. Whatever you choose, compare the rupees that actually arrive, not the advertised fee.