APS Bank — SWIFT code / IBAN
A SWIFT code, bank code or IBAN can be shared safely to receive a transfer. Never share your login credentials or card codes.
How bank transfers work in Malta
Malta is part of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), so domestic and cross-border euro transfers within the SEPA zone use the same identifiers. The account is identified by its IBAN (International Bank Account Number), which is the only number you need to send or receive a SEPA payment.
Inside every Maltese IBAN sits the SWIFT/BIC code information and the local bank identifier. The first 4 letters after the check digits are the bank code (which match the first 4 letters of the bank's BIC), followed by a 5-digit sort code that identifies the branch. So a single IBAN already carries the bank, the branch and the account number together.
For SEPA payments the IBAN is enough; the BIC is usually derived automatically from the bank code embedded in the IBAN.
How to find your IBAN or SWIFT code
You can find your IBAN and BIC in several places:
- Online or mobile banking — log in and open your account details; the IBAN and SWIFT/BIC are shown on the account overview.
- Bank statement — both the IBAN and the BIC are printed at the top of paper and PDF statements.
- Your debit or bank card — some cards and welcome letters print the IBAN.
If you only know the bank, the BIC follows a predictable pattern: the 4-letter bank code plus the country code MT and a location suffix (for example VALLMTMT for Bank of Valletta).
Format and structure of a Maltese IBAN
A Maltese IBAN is 31 characters long — the longest IBAN in the European Union. It is built as follows:
- MT — the ISO country code (2 letters)
- 2 check digits — calculated with the ISO 13616 Mod-97 algorithm
- 4-letter bank code — identifies the bank (matches the first 4 letters of the BIC)
- 5-digit sort code — identifies the branch
- 18-character account number
Example: MT84 MALT 0110 0001 2345 MTLC AST0 01S. The Mod-97 check digits let any system validate the IBAN mathematically before a payment is sent. Source: Central Bank of Malta.
International transfers: BIC/SWIFT and IBAN
For payments from outside the SEPA zone you typically need both the IBAN and the BIC/SWIFT code of the receiving bank. The BIC (Bank Identifier Code) is 8 or 11 characters and identifies the bank internationally.
The link between the two is direct: the first 4 letters of the BIC are the bank code, and that same 4-letter bank code appears inside the IBAN right after the check digits. So if you know one, you can recognise the bank in the other. For most consumer transfers the IBAN plus BIC is all the sending bank requires.
Local notes and security
Malta is bilingual: both English and Maltese are official languages, but English dominates in banking, so most statements, online banking and bank communications are in English.
Security: your IBAN and BIC are public identifiers — they are designed to be shared so that someone can send money to you. It is perfectly safe to give them out to receive a payment, just as you would print them on an invoice.
What you must never share is your online-banking username and password, any one-time passcode or security code, your card PIN or the CVV on the back of your card. No legitimate bank or person needs those to pay you. Treat any request for login or card details as a scam.