Akbank (Akbank Turkey) SWIFT — AKBKTRIS & Branch Codes

Akbank branch SWIFT codes (Turkey)

The table below lists representative Akbank branch BICs built from the AKBKTRIS base plus a 3-character branch suffix. Use the head-office code AKBKTRIS for personal wires; pick a branch code when the sending bank requires a specific branch or when you want faster internal routing inside Akbank's Turkish network.

⚠️ Branch codes follow the public AKBKTRIS + 3-char pattern. Exact branch identifiers change over time and differ by account — always confirm the specific branch BIC with the recipient's Akbank branch before sending funds.

Akbank AG Germany: the AKBKDEFF BIC

Akbank AG is Akbank's German subsidiary, headquartered in Frankfurt, and uses the separate SWIFT/BIC code AKBKDEFF. It is a full German bank, so it issues German IBANs (22 characters, starting with DE) and settles EUR payments over the SEPA network. This is the code to use when the beneficiary banks with Akbank AG rather than with Akbank in Turkey — for example, a Turkish-owned business operating in Germany, or a Chinese company that wants to pay a Turkish supplier in EUR through Akbank's German desk.

Routing a EUR payment to AKBKDEFF instead of AKBKTRIS usually means the funds travel over SEPA (cheap, same-day inside the eurozone) rather than over a traditional SWIFT correspondent chain, so it is the preferred path for EUR-denominated transfers into the Akbank group. Always confirm whether the beneficiary's account is with Akbank AG (Germany, AKBKDEFF, DE IBAN) or with Akbank Turkey (AKBKTRIS, TR IBAN) before sending.

How to send money to an Akbank account

1. Confirm whether the beneficiary's account is with Akbank in Turkey (BIC AKBKTRIS, TR IBAN) or with Akbank AG in Germany (BIC AKBKDEFF, DE IBAN).
2. Get the full 26-character Turkish IBAN (or 22-character German IBAN) from the recipient and validate it with the IBAN validator on this site.
3. Pick the right BIC: AKBKTRIS for a TRY or USD transfer into Turkey, a branch code if the sending bank requires it, or AKBKDEFF for a EUR transfer into Akbank AG.
4. Enter the BIC, the IBAN, and the recipient's full name and address on your bank's wire form, then double-check every field before submitting.
5. Keep the confirmation receipt and tell the recipient to expect the funds within the value date your bank quotes — usually 1–3 business days for SWIFT, same day for SEPA.

Turkish IBAN example for an Akbank transfer

Every Turkish IBAN is 26 characters and starts with TR. The five digits after the check digits are the bank code, which for Akbank is 00046. Here is a sample Turkish IBAN you can use to test a payment form before sending a real transfer:

Akbank payment checks for Turkey and Germany

Akbank is unusual because a beneficiary may give instructions for either the Turkish bank or Akbank AG in Germany. Before sending, ask which country issued the account's IBAN and which legal entity appears on the statement. A Turkish account has a 26-character TR IBAN and uses AKBKTRIS; an Akbank AG account has a German DE IBAN and uses AKBKDEFF. The shared Akbank name does not make these codes interchangeable.

1. Get the beneficiary's legal name, address, currency, and complete IBAN from a current bank document. Do not rely on a BIC copied from a previous invoice.
2. Select a SWIFT wire for Turkey or a SEPA payment for an eligible EUR payment to Germany. Enter AKBKTRIS for Akbank Turkey or AKBKDEFF for Akbank AG.
3. Use a confirmed branch suffix only when the Turkish receiving branch requires one. The IBAN normally routes the account internally, so the eight-character head-office code is often sufficient.
4. Check the currency, charge option, intermediary instructions, and purpose text. TRY and USD wires into Turkey can use different correspondent banks from EUR payments to Germany.
5. Compare the beneficiary name with the bank record, then save the transfer receipt and value date. A correct BIC cannot override a wrong IBAN or a failed name-screening check.
6. For a delayed or returned payment, ask the sending bank for a SWIFT trace or SEPA return reason before resending. Give the reference to the relevant Akbank Turkey or Akbank AG team.

Common Akbank SWIFT mistakes

Choosing the right Akbank route for a payment

The most important Akbank question is not whether a code looks familiar; it is where the beneficiary's account is legally held. A Turkish supplier may have an Akbank Turkey account even when its parent company operates in Germany. Conversely, a German beneficiary may use Akbank AG while speaking about the same Akbank brand. Read the country prefix on the IBAN and the country block in the BIC together. TR plus AKBKTRIS points to Turkey; DE plus AKBKDEFF points to Germany.

For a Turkish account, the five-digit bank code in the IBAN is 00046. The rest of the BBAN identifies the account and branch within Turkey. For Akbank AG, the German IBAN follows Germany's own format and clearing rules. A sender who enters a DE IBAN with a Turkish BIC, or a TR IBAN with AKBKDEFF, can create an automatic mismatch even when the beneficiary name is correct.

Currency is a useful clue but not a decision rule. EUR can be sent to a Turkish account over SWIFT, and a Turkish-owned business can hold a EUR account in Germany. Ask the beneficiary which legal entity receives the funds, which currency account should be credited, and whether the sending bank needs an intermediary. The recipient's current payment certificate is more reliable than a generic “Akbank international transfer” search result.

After submitting a payment, keep the BIC, IBAN, amount, currency, value date, and confirmation reference together. For SEPA, a return reason may identify an invalid IBAN, closed account, or beneficiary-name issue. For SWIFT, ask for the message trace and investigate any repair or correspondent hold. Contact Akbank Turkey or Akbank AG according to the entity in the beneficiary's instructions; sending the same query to the wrong entity can add another day to the investigation.

Finally, treat a last-minute change of bank details as a fraud signal. Verify a changedAKBKTRIS, AKBKDEFF, or branch suffix by calling a known contact and comparing a fresh bank certificate. Do not “test” a suspicious replacement with a small payment: it can still go to the wrong account and may make a later recall more difficult.

Akbank SWIFT code FAQ

What is the SWIFT code for Akbank?

The head-office SWIFT/BIC code for Akbank in Turkey is AKBKTRIS (11-character form AKBKTRISXXX), identifying the bank's head office in Istanbul. Use it as the receiver-bank BIC for an international wire to an Akbank account in Turkey. For a transfer to Akbank's German subsidiary, use AKBKDEFF instead (see below).

Is AKBKTRIS an 8- or 11-character SWIFT code?

AKBKTRIS is the 8-character primary (head-office) BIC. AKBKTRISXXX is the 11-character form, where XXX marks the primary office in Istanbul. A different 3-character suffix (e.g. 999 for the Istanbul headquarters branch) is a branch code — append it to the 8-character base to target a specific Akbank branch in Turkey.

What is the SWIFT code for Akbank AG in Germany?

Akbank's German subsidiary, Akbank AG in Frankfurt, uses the separate BIC AKBKDEFF. This is the code to use when you send money from a Chinese or other non-Turkish account to a beneficiary banking with Akbank's German branch — it routes through Germany's SEPA network instead of the Turkish SWIFT rail, which is usually cheaper and faster for EUR transfers.

Why does Akbank matter for China–Turkey and China–Germany payments?

Akbank is one of the few Turkish banks with a fully-licensed German subsidiary (Akbank AG, Frankfurt, BIC AKBKDEFF). That makes it a natural bridge for Chinese businesses paying Turkish suppliers in EUR: the sender wires EUR to Akbank AG via SEPA, and Akbank AG forwards to the Turkish Akbank account internally. This avoids a traditional SWIFT hop through a third-country correspondent and typically lands the funds faster and with lower fees than a direct TRY SWIFT to AKBKTRIS.

What IBAN do I use with an Akbank SWIFT code?

For a transfer to a Turkish Akbank account, use the recipient's 26-character Turkish IBAN, which starts with TR. The IBAN identifies the account at Akbank; the SWIFT/BIC (AKBKTRIS or a branch code) identifies Akbank as the bank. For a transfer to Akbank AG in Germany, use the recipient's 22-character German IBAN (DE...) together with AKBKDEFF. Validate the IBAN with the IBAN validator on this site before sending.