New to Spain and feeling overwhelmed by all the banking jargon? Especially when it comes to transfers, terms like IBAN, SWIFT/BIC Code, and Código de Entidad can be confusing. Don’t worry! We’ve put together a super helpful guide to clear things up. From now on, whether you’re receiving money from family back home or sending cash to a friend here, you’ll know exactly what to do!
First, Let’s Understand Some Key Concepts
Before we look at specific bank codes, let’s get a clear idea of what these terms mean:
- IBAN: This is your International Bank Account Number. It’s used for almost all transfers within the EU. A Spanish IBAN starts with ‘ES’ followed by 22 other characters. It’s unique to your account, like an ID card for your bank account.
- SWIFT/BIC: This is the bank’s “international ID,” used for wire transfers worldwide. If you need to receive money from a non-EU country, you’ll have to provide these Spanish bank codes. It’s typically an 8 or 11-character code.
- Código de Entidad: This is the domestic “entity code” for Spanish bank codes. It’s a 4-digit number that’s actually part of your IBAN. Counting from the left, it’s the four digits that come after the country code ‘ES’ and the two check digits. For example, CaixaBank’s code is 2100.
Quick Reference Table for Common Bank Codes
To make things easier, I’ve compiled a table with the SWIFT/BIC codes and entity codes for Spain’s major banks. You’ll likely be using CaixaBank, Santander, and BBVA most often, so it’s a good idea to bookmark this for future reference!
| Bank Name | Código de Entidad | SWIFT/BIC Code |
|---|
| CaixaBank | 2100 | CAIXESBBXXX |
| Banco Santander | 0049 | BSCHESMMXXX |
| BBVA | 0182 | BBVAESMMXXX |
| Banco Sabadell | 0081 | BSABESBBXXX |
| Bankinter | 0128 | BKBKESMMXXX |
| ING | 1465 | INGDESMMXXX |
| Kutxabank | 2095 | BASKES2BXXX |
| Unicaja Banco | 2103 | UCJAES2MXXX |
Important Note:
The SWIFT/BIC codes listed in the table are for the main branches. In some specific cases, individual branches might have more specific codes, but using the main branch code is usually sufficient as the banking system will handle it automatically. If you’re unsure, the safest bet is to log into your online banking or check your bank statement for the most accurate Spanish bank codes. I hope this guide helps you out, so you never have to worry about bank codes again! If you know the codes for other banks, feel free to share them in the comments below!
