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The short answer
Polaris Bank's SWIFT/BIC code is PRDTNGLAXXX (eight-character form PRDTNGLA), for the head office at 3 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, per Wise's SWIFT directory. A sender abroad also needs your full account name, your 10-digit account number, and usually Polaris's correspondent bank details for the currency, which you should get from the bank.
If someone abroad is sending you money by international bank transfer, their bank will ask for a SWIFT code (also called a BIC). It identifies the receiving bank on the SWIFT network. Getting it right is necessary but not enough on its own: the payment also needs the right account, in the right currency, and often a route through a correspondent bank. This guide covers all of it for Polaris Bank.
The code
- SWIFT/BIC (11 characters)
- PRDTNGLAXXX
- SWIFT/BIC (8 characters)
- PRDTNGLA
- Bank name
- Polaris Bank Limited
- Address
- 3 Akin Adesola, Victoria Island, Lagos 101241
- Branch code
- XXX (head office)
Wise's directory lists one Polaris entry. It notes that not every branch has its own code and that senders can usually use the head-office code, which here means any Polaris account can be paid using PRDTNGLAXXX. If a form asks for 11 characters, use PRDTNGLAXXX; if it asks for 8, use PRDTNGLA.
What the sender needs from you
- Your account name exactly as the bank holds it. Mismatches are the commonest cause of returned payments.
- Your 10-digit account number. Polaris accounts use the 10-digit NUBAN format.
- The right account for the currency. Dollars, pounds or euros should go to a domiciliary account in that currency; see Polaris domiciliary accounts. Ask Polaris what happens if foreign currency is sent to a naira account.
- Bank name and address: Polaris Bank Limited, 3 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
- SWIFT code: PRDTNGLAXXX.
- Correspondent (intermediary) bank details for the currency, if the sender's bank asks.
Why correspondent banks matter
Most international payments to Nigeria pass through a correspondent bank in the currency's home country, where the Nigerian bank holds an account. Some senders' banks find the route automatically; others need it stated. Polaris's correspondent details are not published on the pages we opened, so ask the Yes Center (0700-7652747 or yescenter@polarisbanklimited.com) for its current receiving instructions for each currency before you share them. Do not copy correspondent details from a forum post; they change.
What about IBAN?
Wise notes that whether an IBAN is needed depends on the country. Nigerian accounts are identified by the account number with the SWIFT code. If a sender's form refuses to proceed without an IBAN, ask the sender's bank how to send to a Nigerian account, or ask Polaris for its instructions. Our explainer on IBAN, sort code, routing number and SWIFT sets out what each identifier does.
Costs and timing
SWIFT transfers can carry fees at three points: the sender's bank, any correspondent bank, and the receiving bank. Wise's page warns that a recipient's ability to receive the full amount "can depend on various factors". Polaris's own inward charges are not published on the pages we opened; ask before a large payment.
Worked example (illustrative)
A relative sends $1,000. Her bank charges a sending fee she pays separately. A correspondent bank deducts $20 in transit, and suppose the receiving bank charges $10. You receive $1,000 − $20 − $10 = $970. If the sender chooses to cover all charges (often called "OUR" on the form), you are more likely to receive the full amount, though some intermediaries still deduct. These figures are examples, not Polaris charges.
If the money has not arrived
- Ask the sender for the payment confirmation, often called an MT103 or SWIFT copy, with its reference.
- Check the details on it: your name, account number, PRDTNGLAXXX and the currency.
- Send the confirmation to the Yes Center and ask them to trace it.
- If it was returned, ask the sender's bank why, and fix the detail before resending.
Common mistakes that delay payments
- Using a branch name as the bank name. The beneficiary bank is Polaris Bank Limited; your branch does not need to appear.
- Sending dollars to a naira account number. Confirm which account should receive each currency.
- Shortened or reordered names. Give your name exactly as it appears on your statement.
- Copying a code from an old message. Check the code against a directory on the day, and ask Polaris if in doubt.
- Missing purpose of payment. Some sending banks require it; give a clear, truthful description such as "family support" or "invoice 104".
SWIFT is not the only route. For regular payments, compare it with local payment options in our guide to SWIFT vs local payment rails.
Keep the sender's payment confirmation and your own credit alert together. If you later need to show where the money came from, for a visa, a property purchase or a tax question, the two documents together are the clearest evidence.
Where Pryme fits
If the person paying you is in the UK, US or Europe, a Pryme account gives you local account details for GBP, USD and EUR, so they can pay you as a local transfer in their country rather than by SWIFT; the money stays in that currency until you choose to Swap. See multicurrency accounts.
Questions people ask
What is Polaris Bank SWIFT code?
PRDTNGLAXXX, or PRDTNGLA in eight-character form, for Polaris Bank Limited, 3 Akin Adesola, Victoria Island, Lagos, per Wise's SWIFT directory.
Does each Polaris branch have its own SWIFT code?
Wise lists only the head-office code (branch code XXX). Use PRDTNGLAXXX for any Polaris account.
Can I receive dollars in my Polaris naira account?
Ask Polaris first. Foreign currency normally goes to a domiciliary account in that currency; sending it to a naira account may mean conversion or a returned payment.
What does a sender abroad need to pay my Polaris account?
Your account name, 10-digit account number, bank name and address, SWIFT code PRDTNGLAXXX, and correspondent details for the currency, which Polaris provides.
Sources
- Wise: SWIFT code PRDTNGLAXXX, Polaris Bank Limited · accessed Oct 2026
- Polaris Bank: Smart Banking with *833# (page last modified 8 Sep 2023) · accessed Oct 2026
- Polaris Bank: Polaris Salary Advance (lists Yes Center contacts and VULTe) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.