SWIFT Payment Requirements | How To Stay Compliant in 2025

The global payments landscape is evolving, and with it comes one of the most significant changes in recent years: the mandatory shift from SWIFT’s legacy MT messaging format to the ISO 20022 standard.

As of November 2025, all international payment messages must include structured data—specifically the bank’s city and country—to comply with new SWIFT requirements.

For apexanalytix users, the good news is: you’re already covered.

What is SWIFT?

SWIFT (the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) is a global messaging network that banks and financial institutions use to securely send and receive information about financial transactions—most commonly for international wire transfers.

What’s Changing with SWIFT in 2025?

SWIFT is phasing out MT (Message Type) messages and adopting ISO 20022, a modern, XML-based format that captures richer, more structured payment data. This update impacts all institutions involved in cross-border payments, and failure to comply could result in payment delays or rejections.

Here’s what’s changing:

• Bank City & Country Required: Starting November 2025, all SWIFT transactions must include structured address information—specifically the bank’s city and country—to be processed.
• New Message Formats: Payment instructions, remittance information, and statement formats will now use ISO 20022 CAMT messages instead of MT formats.
• Address Structure: Hybrid postal addressing will be introduced, and by November 2026, fully unstructured addresses will no longer be supported.

Why This Matters

The shift to ISO 20022 isn’t just a compliance checkbox—it enables:

• More Transparency in cross-border transactions
• Fewer Payment Errors from incomplete or inconsistent data
• Faster Processing Times and better reconciliation

But it also means systems need to change, and quickly.

How apexalaytix Keeps You Ready—Automatically

Thanks to apex’s built-in capabilities, clients using the portal don’t need to worry about being caught off guard.

✅ Automatic Bank Address Lookup
When a SWIFT code is entered in apex’s supplier management portal, the system can automatically derive the corresponding bank’s address, including the required city and country. This ensures every transaction meets the upcoming SWIFT rules—without requiring clients to input extra data or manage new compliance burdens manually.

✅ Out-of-the-Box (OOB) Compliance
Even if you’re using out-of-the-box functionality, apex ensures that your international payments are aligned with the new ISO 20022 standards and that you’re ready before the 2025 deadline.

What’s Next?

We’ll be sharing more updates and best practices as the deadline approaches. For now, here’s what you can do:

• Stay informed about SWIFT and ISO 20022 deadlines
• Check your current workflows for SWIFT-related processes
• Leverage apex’s built-in tools to maintain compliance automatically

Final Thoughts

The global transition to ISO 20022 is a big shift—but it doesn’t have to be a burden. With apex, you can trust that your international payments are future-ready and compliant well before the 2025 deadline.

You may want to consider reviewing your current processes to ensure a smooth transition. To learn more or speak with someone on our team about how apex can help you stay compliant with evolving SWIFT requirements, reach out to us here.