Just arrived in Spain, got my bank card, and was ready to have my family send over some living expenses. But then, besides the card number, I was hit with a bunch of codes like IBAN and SWIFT/BIC and was instantly confused. I’m sure many of you have had the same experience, right? After doing some research, I’ve finally figured it all out. Today, I’m sharing what these daunting Spanish bank codes are all about, along with a list of common bank abbreviations to make transfers and payments with friends much easier!
What are IBAN and SWIFT/BIC?
Simply put, think of them as your bank account’s ‘ID number’ and ‘address’ for international transfers.
IBAN
This stands for ‘International Bank Account Number’ and is mainly used within Europe. For transfers within Spain or receiving money from other EU countries, providing your IBAN is usually enough. A Spanish IBAN starts with ES followed by 22 digits. The format is typically: ESXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The first four digits are the bank code, the next four are the branch code, followed by two check digits, and finally, your 10-digit personal account number. You can definitely find this in the documents your bank gave you when you opened the account, or in the bank’s app.
SWIFT/BIC
This is the ‘Bank Identifier Code,’ used worldwide. If you’re receiving money from a non-EU country like China or the United States, you’ll need to provide this Spanish bank code SWIFT/BIC code in addition to your IBAN. It uniquely identifies your receiving bank. The code is usually 8 or 11 characters long, for example, CaixaBank’s is CAIXESBBXXX.
Common Spanish Bank Codes and Abbreviations
When sending a Bizum or making a transfer to friends, saying the full bank name is too cumbersome, so everyone usually uses abbreviations. However, the abbreviations for some Spanish bank codes can be a bit confusing… Here’s a list of the most common ones, along with their SWIFT/BIC codes (including the Sabadell bank code) for your reference.
| Full Bank Name | Common Abbreviation | SWIFT/BIC Code |
|---|
| CaixaBank | La Caixa | CAIXESBBXXX |
| Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria | BBVA | BBVAESMMXXX |
| Banco Santander | Santander | BSCHESMMXXX |
| Banco de Sabadell | Sabadell | BSABESBBXXX |
| Bankinter | Bankinter | BKBKESMMXXX |
| ING Bank | ING | INGDESMMXXX |
Once you understand these, whether you’re receiving money from family back home or transferring funds to friends here, everything will be much clearer! No more headaches over a bunch of codes. If there are other bank codes you’re unsure about, feel free to leave a comment below, and we can add to the list together! Hope this helps everyone!
