BARCKENX11-character variant (head office):
BARCKENXXXX| Bank code | Country | Location |
|---|---|---|
| BARC | KE | NX |
| Absa Kenya | KE (Kenya) | Nairobi |
An 11-character variant like BARCKENXXXX also indicates the head office — the trailing 'XXX' is the default. Codes ending in different sequences (e.g. 'BARCKENX001') refer to specific branches.
Absa Bank Kenya is the Kenyan operation of Absa Group, the South African banking group spun out of Barclays in 2018. The Kenya operation traces its history to 1916 under Barclays and remains one of the country's tier-1 commercial banks with around 80 branches. Following the global Barclays-to-Absa rebrand, Kenya retains the legacy SWIFT prefix BARC in its code BARCKENX — the same pattern as Absa Ghana's BARCGHAC. Senders need to use the current Absa branding when speaking with their banks but the BARC SWIFT prefix remains the active routing identifier. Long form: BARCKENXXXX. The bank is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
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SWIFT and BIC are two names for the same identifier: an 8 or 11-character code standardised by ISO 9362 that identifies a bank in the SWIFT payment network. For a wire to Absa Kenya, your sending bank needs this code (BARCKENX) to route the payment message through correspondent banks to Absa Bank Kenya in Nairobi.
An IBAN, by contrast, identifies a specific bank account — not the institution. IBANs are mandatory in the European Economic Area, the UK, most of the Middle East, and several African countries (but Kenya does not use IBANs universally). For most wires to Kenya, you will supply SWIFT code BARCKENX + the recipient's account number, not an IBAN.
UK sort codes (6 digits) and US routing numbers (9 digits) are domestic-only equivalents — they do not work for international wires. If a US-based sender wants to wire to Absa Kenya, they need the SWIFT code, not the US routing number of the correspondent bank (although their bank may use the routing number internally to route their side of the wire).
One final technical detail on the 11-character form: the last three characters identify a specific branch. When they read 'XXX' (as in BARCKENXXXX), they conventionally designate the head office itself. Most international wires use either the 8-character form or the 11-character form with XXX; unless your recipient explicitly tells you otherwise, that is the right choice.
Absa Bank Kenya's SWIFT/BIC code is BARCKENX. This 8-character code identifies the bank's Nairobi head office for international wire transfers.
Yes. SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) and BIC (Business Identifier Code) are two names for the same 8 or 11-character identifier standardised by ISO 9362. You will see Absa Kenya's code referenced under either name on different financial platforms.
Yes. For an international wire to reach your Absa Kenya account, the sender needs SWIFT code BARCKENX AND your account number. Some sending banks also request the recipient bank's full address (Absa Headquarters, Waiyaki Way, Westlands, Nairobi).
Typically 1 to 5 business days. The timing depends on the intermediary (correspondent) banks between the sending bank and Absa Kenya. Wires from major global banks (HSBC, Barclays, JPMorgan, Citi) usually clear fastest.
For smaller amounts to Kenya, operators such as Wise, LemFi, Sendwave, and TapTap Send typically offer a rate closer to mid-market and lower fees than a classic SWIFT bank wire. See our Kenya inbound corridor comparison for side-by-side pricing.
Source: Absa Kenya's official website + Wise SWIFT directory. Last verified: 2026-06-04. SWIFT codes change rarely but always confirm with your bank before initiating a transfer. Educational only — not financial advice.