HFCOKENA11-character variant (head office):
HFCOKENAXXX| Bank code | Country | Location |
|---|---|---|
| HFCO | KE | NA |
| HFC | KE (Kenya) | Nairobi |
An 11-character variant like HFCOKENAXXX also indicates the head office — the trailing 'XXX' is the default. Codes ending in different sequences (e.g. 'HFCOKENA001') refer to specific branches.
HFC Bank Kenya is part of Housing Finance Group (HF Group), listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. HF Group traces its history to 1965 when it was founded as a building society specialising in mortgage lending. Today HFC operates as a universal bank with a continued specialisation in property and mortgage finance alongside retail and SME banking. The bank operates around 25 branches in Kenya. For diaspora senders supporting property purchases in Kenya, HFC's SWIFT code HFCOKENA is the routing identifier for inbound wires to the Standard Street head office in Nairobi; the 11-character form is HFCOKENAXXX. Bank-code prefix HFCO derives from "Housing Finance Company".
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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 HFC, your sending bank needs this code (HFCOKENA) to route the payment message through correspondent banks to HFC 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 HFCOKENA + 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 HFC, 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 HFCOKENAXXX), 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.
HFC Bank Kenya's SWIFT/BIC code is HFCOKENA. 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 HFC's code referenced under either name on different financial platforms.
Yes. For an international wire to reach your HFC account, the sender needs SWIFT code HFCOKENA AND your account number. Some sending banks also request the recipient bank's full address (HFC Centre, Rehema House, Standard Street, Nairobi).
Typically 1 to 5 business days. The timing depends on the intermediary (correspondent) banks between the sending bank and HFC. 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: HFC'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.