How to Look Up SWIFT Codes for International Money Transfers (Domestic and Overseas Banks)
I often find myself sending foreign currency earned through affiliate marketing, even while residing overseas. As a result, I frequently need to enter SWIFT codes. Let’s explore how to look up SWIFT codes for international money transfers.
The necessity of checking the SWIFT code for international money transfers
In Korea, you just open your bank app, select the bank you want to transfer to, enter the amount, and you’re all set. One really great thing about domestic bank transfers here is that after you complete the transfer, doesn’t a final confirmation page appear showing the amount and the recipient’s name? The
bank app I use in New Zealand, where I live, doesn’t have that. So every time I make a transfer, I feel like I have to double-check the account number multiple times. Since the app itself doesn’t verify the recipient’s account details after you input them, I feel anxious every single time I make a transfer.
While domestic transfers are this simple, international transfers are a bit different. To send money overseas, you need something called a SWIFT code. Think of the
SWIFT code as a globally recognized, unique identifier for banks used in international transfers. While you never use it for domestic transfers, all Korean banks have one. This swift code is used when money is sent from overseas to a Korean bank.
For reference, swift stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. Before you look up swift codes for international transfers, here are the English names and swift codes for major Korean banks:
1. List of English names and SWIFT codes for major domestic banks
| Category | Bank English Name | SWIFT CODE (8 digits) |
| National Agricultural Cooperative Federation | NongHyup BANK | NACFKRSE |
| Shinhan Bank | SHINHAN BANK | SHBKKRSE |
| KEB Hana Bank | KEB HANA BANK | KOEXKRSE |
| Our Bank | WOORI BANK | HVBKKRSE |
| KB Kookmin Bank | Kookmin Bank | CZNBKRSE |
| Kakao Bank | KAKAOBANK CORP | KAKOKR22 |
| SC First Bank | STANDARD CHARTERED BANK KOREA LIMITED | SCBLKRSE |
| Gyeongnam Bank | KYONGNAM BANK | KYNAKR22 |
| Busan Bank | BUSAN BANK | PUSBKR2P |
| Daegu Bank | DAEGU BANK | DAEBKR22 |
| Gwangju Bank | KWANGJU BANK | KWABKRSE |
| Jeonbuk Bank | JEONBUK BANK | JEONKRSE |
2. SWIFT code
The image above shows the SWIFT code for Nonghyup Bank in Korea. A SWIFT code is composed of four main parts: Bank Code, Country Code, Location Code, and Branch Code. When making
international transfers, you may be asked to enter a SWIFT code, either 8 digits or 11 digits. The difference lies solely in whether or not you include the Branch Code. Generally, only the 8-digit SWIFT code is required more often.
The first four characters represent the bank code, followed by KR for Korea. The location code typically designates the location of the bank’s headquarters. For example, if the headquarters is in Seoul, SE is used. As shown in the
table above listing major domestic banks’ English names and SWIFT codes, Kakao Bank, Kyongnam Bank, Busan Bank, and Daegu Bank do not have SE at the end because their headquarters are located in Seongnam, Changwon, Busan, and Daegu, respectively.
Website for checking SWIFT codes for international money transfers
To make an international money transfer, you typically need the bank’s English name, SWIFT code, English bank location, account number, and information about the recipient.
[Information Required for Overseas Money Transfers]
The account number and payee will vary for each person, but the other three items can be easily found on websites that provide SWIFT code lookup for international transfers. The website I recommend is Bank.codes.
You can easily check not only major domestic bank information but also overseas bank SWIFT codes. For example, I wanted to check the SWIFT code for ANZ, a bank in New Zealand.
Actually, three location codes appeared, and I selected Auckland from among them. This is because I opened my account at the Auckland branch.
This SWIFT code is 11 digits long and includes the branch code. Each time you select a different location code from the three options, the branch code changes. You can also find the English bank address (address) required for international transfers above. To find the
SWIFT code for a domestic bank, select Korea as the country, enter the bank’s English name from the table above, and then select the location (city) to view the SWIFT code. For those wishing to look up SWIFT codes
for international transfers on the Bank.codes website, please use the link below.
Conclusion
Today we covered how to look up SWIFT codes for international money transfers—essential knowledge when earning foreign currency through online businesses. In fact, most banks have well-organized pages for their individual SWIFT codes.
With more people living abroad needing to transfer money to domestic banks these days, and Google AdSense earnings often being received through banks in the country of residence, knowing how to look up these SWIFT codes is definitely worth learning.
Finally, for those curious about WISE—the fastest, easiest, and lowest-fee way to transfer foreign currency earned through online businesses back to Korea—please refer to my previous post. When I ask many
foreigners living abroad about their preferred method, they consistently mention using WISE. Let’s explore together what exactly makes people choose WISE.
