DBS and POSB’s SWIFT code is DBSSSGSG, and the fee only shows up once you send
A client asks for your DBS SWIFT code, or a supplier overseas wants it before they’ll invoice you. The code is DBSSSGSG, the same one whether you bank with DBS or POSB. The code itself isn’t what trips businesses up. It’s the fee DBS charges once you actually send a wire, and a near-identical code that belongs to the wrong DBS entity entirely.
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| DBS / POSB SWIFT code | DBSSSGSG (8 characters); DBSSSGSGXXX is the 11-character form |
| Is it the same for business accounts? | Yes, DBS and POSB use one code for both personal and business accounts |
| What DBS charges to send a wire out | 1/8% commission (min S$10, max S$120) + a S$20 cable fee via DBS IDEAL, plus whatever the receiving and intermediary banks deduct |
| What DBS charges to receive a wire | S$10 handling fee per transaction |
| Code to avoid | DBGHSGSG belongs to DBS Group Holdings, the parent company, not your bank account |
SWIFT codes and fees verified against DBS’s own pages, October 2026. Bank fee schedules change; confirm the current rate in DBS IDEAL before a large transfer.
The real cost of a DBS wire isn’t the commission DBS quotes you. It’s the cut that correspondent banks take along the way, on top of whatever margin DBS builds into the exchange rate. Both are worth understanding before you tell a supplier “just SWIFT it.”
Table of Contents
- What Is the DBS SWIFT Code?
- Is the DBS SWIFT Code the Same for All Branches?
- How to Find Your DBS SWIFT Code
- SWIFT Code vs Bank Code vs Branch Code vs Account Number
- Can You Transfer Money Overseas Using POSB or DBS?
- DBS SWIFT Codes Outside Singapore
- Common Mistakes With SWIFT Codes
- A Cheaper Way to Send Money Abroad
- FAQs
- DBS SWIFT Code Recap, and a Cheaper Way to Send
What Is the DBS SWIFT Code?
DBSSSGSG is DBS Bank’s SWIFT code, and it’s what you give anyone sending your business money from overseas. DBS’s own page lists the full set of details a sender needs: the code, “DBS Bank” as the beneficiary bank name, and the address of DBS Asia Central at 12 Marina Boulevard. No branch name or branch code is required alongside it.
SWIFT and BIC are two names for the same thing. SWIFT is the network; BIC, or Bank Identifier Code, is the technical term for what that network assigns each bank. If a form asks for either one, DBSSSGSG answers it.
Is the SWIFT Code 11 Digits?
No. A SWIFT code runs 8 or 11 characters, and it mixes letters with numbers rather than being purely numeric. DBS’s 8-character code is DBSSSGSG. DBSS identifies DBS Bank, the first SG is the country, and the second SG is the location.
The 11-character version, DBSSSGSGXXX, adds a 3-character branch code on the end. XXX simply means “head office”, the default you’ll see almost everywhere. Either length routes to the same bank, and most forms accept the 8-character version on its own.
Is the DBS SWIFT Code the Same for All Branches?
Yes, for sending money into a DBS or POSB account in Singapore. DBS’s own page tells senders they “do not need to provide a branch name / branch code”. DBSSSGSG alone gets the payment to the right account.
Third-party SWIFT lookup sites sometimes list branch-specific variants for individual DBS branches, which is where the confusion starts. Those codes exist in the global SWIFT registry, but DBS’s own guidance to customers is the head-office code. Use DBSSSGSG and skip hunting for a branch-specific one.
POSB is a DBS brand, not a separate bank, so it uses the identical code. A supplier can send to your POSB account with DBSSSGSG and DBS Bank as the beneficiary name, exactly as they would for a DBS account.
How to Find Your DBS SWIFT Code
You don’t need to search for it. DBSSSGSG applies to every DBS and POSB account, personal or business, so you can hand it to a client right now. Three ways to double-check it anyway:
- Check DBS IDEAL.
Log into your business banking portal and look under “Receive Funds” or “Overseas Transfer” — DBS lists the full inward-transfer instructions there, ready to copy and send to whoever’s paying you.
- Check the bank statement.
Your account statement or welcome letter from DBS carries the same code, since it’s fixed per bank, not per account.
- Go to DBS’s own page not a third-party finder.
DBS publishes the code and the full beneficiary details directly, which is the version worth trusting over an aggregator site.
SWIFT Code vs Bank Code vs Branch Code vs Account Number
A SWIFT code identifies the bank for an international payment. It isn’t the bank code or branch code Singapore uses for local transfers. Mixing the two up is the most common reason a payment gets rejected or delayed.
| Term | What it identifies | DBS example | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWIFT/BIC code | The bank, for international payments | DBSSSGSG | Overseas wires |
| Bank code | The bank, for local payments | 7171 | Local GIRO, FAST, PayNow |
| Branch code | A specific local branch | Varies per branch | Cheque clearing, some local transfers |
| Account number | Your specific account | Your own account number | Both local and overseas |
Singapore doesn’t use IBAN or a routing number, so don’t look for one. DBS states this outright on its own transfer page: no IBAN, no Routing Number, no Sort Code. If an overseas form has a field for either, leave it blank or write “N/A” and rely on the SWIFT code plus your account number instead.
Can You Transfer Money Overseas Using POSB or DBS?
Yes, through an outward telegraphic transfer. The fee comes in three parts. DBS’s own fee schedule for business accounts sets the first two. There’s a commission of 1/8% of the amount, minimum S$10 and capped at S$120. On top of that sits a cable charge: S$20 through DBS IDEAL, or S$35 over the counter.
The third part is the one DBS doesn’t control. The schedule itself warns that “fees imposed by Agent Banks and Overseas Banks” aren’t reflected in those numbers, and they get deducted somewhere in transit without being disclosed upfront.
To send money overseas from a DBS or POSB business account:
- Log into DBS IDEAL and select Overseas Transfer.
- Enter the recipient’s SWIFT code, name, and bank account details.
- Choose the currency and amount.
- Confirm the exchange rate DBS quotes, which includes its own margin on top of the wholesale rate.
- Submit, and expect the commission plus cable charge to come off on your end, with further deductions possible before the supplier receives it.
To receive money from overseas into a DBS or POSB account, give the sender your name as it appears on the account, your account number, DBSSSGSG, and DBS Bank’s name and address. DBS charges S$10 per inward transfer, deducted from the amount that lands, so the sum that clears is slightly less than what was sent.
If this is the first time your company has sent money abroad, what business remittance actually covers is the place to start before you pick a transfer method.
DBS SWIFT Codes Outside Singapore
If you’re paying or getting paid by a DBS entity in another country, the SWIFT code changes. Each one is a separately registered entity, not a branch using Singapore’s code.
Hong Kong shows why this matters. There are two different “DBS Hong Kong” entities, and they carry two different codes. DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited’s own page gives its SWIFT code as DHBKHKHH. A separate entity, DBS Bank Ltd’s Hong Kong branch, uses a different code again. Guessing between the two risks a rejected or misdirected payment, so check the exact entity name on your invoice or statement before sending.
One code worth knowing to avoid: DBGHSGSG belongs to DBS Group Holdings, the publicly listed parent company that sits above the bank. It isn’t a code your bank statement or DBS IDEAL will ever ask you to use, and it doesn’t route to a customer account. If you spot it in a search result while looking for your own SWIFT code, it’s not the one you want.
For any other country, check directly with that DBS branch, or ask your supplier for the exact SWIFT code on their own invoice. Don’t assume Singapore’s code carries over.
Common Mistakes With SWIFT Codes
- Sending to the wrong DBS entity. DBS Singapore, DBS Hong Kong, and DBS Group Holdings all have different codes that look similar at a glance. Match the code to the country the account actually sits in.
- Adding a branch code that doesn’t exist. DBS doesn’t require one for inward transfers, so don’t invent one because a form has a field for it.
- Assuming Singapore uses IBAN. It doesn’t. Leave that field blank rather than guessing at a number.
- Trusting an aggregator site over DBS’s own page. Third-party finders are useful for looking up a foreign bank’s code, but for your own DBS account, the bank’s page is the one that can’t be out of date.
A Cheaper Way to Send Money Abroad
The numbers above are specific to DBS: 1/8% commission plus a S$20–35 cable charge, before correspondent banks take their own cut. Every bank wire charges some version of these same three fees. A multi-currency business account like YouBiz, sending in 20 currencies with no FX fees, is usually the cheaper route once a payment like this is going out regularly.
This doesn’t mean closing your DBS account. Keep DBS for local banking, and use YouBiz for the overseas supplier and payroll transfers where a wire’s fees add up fastest. Our guide to paying overseas suppliers from Singapore breaks down the full comparison, cards, PayPal, Alipay and escrow included, not just the bank wire.
FAQs
DBS and POSB’s SWIFT code is DBSSSGSG. The 11-character version, DBSSSGSGXXX, means the same thing and routes to the same head office.
No. POSB is a DBS brand, and both use DBSSSGSG for international transfers.
No. Singapore doesn’t use IBAN, routing numbers, or sort codes. A SWIFT code plus your account number is all an overseas sender needs.
For a business account sending money out, DBS charges 1/8% of the amount (minimum S$10, capped at S$120) plus a S$20 cable fee via DBS IDEAL, on top of whatever agent and correspondent banks deduct. Receiving a wire costs S$10, taken from the amount that arrives.
A SWIFT code identifies the bank for international payments. A bank code is a separate, shorter number used for local Singapore transfers like GIRO and FAST, and the two aren’t interchangeable.
A YouBiz business account moves money in 20 currencies with no FX fees to recipients in 150+ countries, which avoids the commission and cable charge a DBS wire adds on top of the exchange rate.
DBS SWIFT Code Recap, and a Cheaper Way to Send
DBSSSGSG isn’t going to change. You’ve now got it, along with the full beneficiary details to send to anyone who asks. What’s worth revisiting is how your business actually moves money overseas, since the code itself has never cost you anything — the wire fees are what add up.
YouBiz is one business account and corporate card built for that job. Send to 20 currencies at wholesale rates with no FX fee. Hold and get paid in 8 currencies, and spend with real 0% FX plus 1% cashback, all at S$0 a month. Sign up at you.co/biz in under 5 minutes via Singpass, with approval in 1–2 business days.
