Swift and EPC delay: the address migration still goes ahead
On 27 August 2026, Swift agreed to extend the structured-address migration for ISO 20022 payment messages, with a revised timetable expected by December 2026 at the latest. On 10 September 2026, the EPC in turn removed the 15 November 2026 date from its five SEPA rulebooks; its Payment Scheme Management Board is set to fix a new date in October 2026. The move to structured addresses is still planned.
Written by Struct20022 · updated September 23, 2026
What the delay means for you
Neither Swift nor the EPC has cancelled the migration. The EPC still recommends the fully structured format, and hybrid remains an accepted transition step in the flows that allow it.
You now have time to review supplier, employee and customer master data, fix addresses at the source and test with your bank before the next cut-off date.
What the migration requires
Address lines alone remain risky in the affected flows. Payment messages need at least TwnNm and Ctry in structured elements, with Ctry as an ISO 3166 alpha-2 country code. Swift is consulting the community on the revised timing.
Fully structured addresses are the recommended target. Hybrid addresses are a useful transition format when some details are still kept as address lines.
Who should act
Finance, treasury, payroll and accounting teams are affected whenever payment files contain supplier, employee or customer addresses.
The timetable
Compliance checklist
- 1List the systems that store postal addresses.
- 2Audit current pain.001 files and spreadsheets.
- 3Separate town, country, postal code, street and number where possible.
- 4Track the Swift and EPC/SEPA updates, then test exports with your bank against the applicable timetable.
Official sources
Related guides
Use the delay to review without rushing
Start with a free audit of your addresses: you see row by row what is ready and what needs a fix. Then request a quote if the volume calls for a contract.