Changes to international payments in 2026 - extension of the transition period for using unstructured beneficiary address data
On 27 August 2026, SWIFT announced that it is postponing the implementation of changes originally planned for November 2026. The new implementation date is expected to be announced in mid-December 2026.
As a result, other clearing and settlement system operators (SEPA, TARGET and SORBNET) have decided to continue accepting unstructured beneficiary address data after 14 November 2026 without any changes.
What does this mean?
After 14 November 2026, we will continue to:
accept beneficiary addresses provided in an unstructured format,
support file formats other than XML,
processing MT101 messages without any changes.
We are ready to support the pain.001.001.09 format for the Transfer Order service. We can already begin migration to the ISO 20022 standard if your bank is also ready to send Transfer Order messages in this format.
At the same time, we recommend that you switch to communication formats compliant with the ISO 20022 standard as soon as possible for all payment types and provide the beneficiary’s country and city in international payments.
If you are already using structured beneficiary address data, no action is required.
We will keep you informed about payment-related changes and any new implementation dates.
Detailed information: