Reference
SWIFT MT700 Field Reference
Every field of the SWIFT MT700 Issue of a Documentary Credit message, with mandatory/optional status, format specification and practitioner notes.
MT 700 - Issue of DCSWIFT Standards
Reviewed against UCP 600 · Incoterms 2020 · WCO HSLast reviewed July 2026
Filter by tag (27, 40A, 44C), field name, or any keyword in the practitioner note.
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| Tag | Field | Format | Req |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Sequence of Total Sequence number of a message and total number of messages. For a single-message LC: 1/1. | 1!n/1!n | M |
| 40A | Form of Documentary Credit IRREVOCABLE, IRREVOCABLE TRANSFERABLE, IRREVOCABLE STANDBY, etc. Governs enforceability. | 24x | M |
| 20 | Documentary Credit Number Unique reference from issuing bank. Quoted on every subsequent MT message and every presentation. | 16x | M |
| 23 | Reference to Pre-Advice Only if a pre-advice MT705 was previously issued. | 16x | O |
| 31C | Date of Issue If absent, date of the MT700 = date of issue. | 6!n (YYMMDD) | O |
| 40E | Applicable Rules UCP LATEST VERSION, EUCP LATEST VERSION, ISP LATEST VERSION, OTHR. UCP LATEST VERSION means UCP 600. | 30x | M |
| 31D | Date and Place of Expiry Expiry date + place. Presentation must reach place stated by this date. Critical field. | 6!n29x | M |
| 50 | Applicant Buyer's full name and address as it must appear on documents. Ensures Art. 18 invoice compliance. | 4*35x | M |
| 59 | Beneficiary Exporter's exact legal name and address. Discrepancies here are the most common LC rejection cause. | [/34x] 4*35x | M |
| 32B | Currency Code and Amount ISO 4217 currency + amount. Combines with 39A/39B to define tolerance. | 3!a15d | M |
| 39A | Percentage Credit Amount Tolerance e.g. 05/05 = +/-5%. Applies to both amount and quantity per UCP Art. 30(a). | 2!n/2!n | O |
| 39B | Maximum Credit Amount NOT EXCEEDING = 39B, use in place of 39A when only an upper cap applies. | 13x | O |
| 39C | Additional Amounts Covered e.g. insurance, freight, interest, up to a stated amount over 32B. | 4*35x | O |
| 41A/41D | Available With ... By ... 41A: BIC of nominated bank. 41D: name/address. 'BY': PAYMENT / DEF PAYMENT / ACCEPTANCE / NEGOTIATION / MIXED PYMT. | BIC or name + text | M |
| 42C | Drafts at ... 'AT SIGHT', 'AT 180 DAYS AFTER B/L DATE', etc. Not used for straight payment credits. | 3*35x | O |
| 42A/42D | Drawee Bank on which drafts are drawn. Usually the issuing bank. | BIC or name | O |
| 42M | Mixed Payment Details Only with 41x BY = MIXED PYMT. | 4*35x | O |
| 42P | Deferred Payment Details Only with 41x BY = DEF PAYMENT. States maturity formula, e.g. '90 DAYS FROM B/L DATE'. | 4*35x | O |
| 43P | Partial Shipments Default under UCP Art. 31 is ALLOWED; must be explicit if disallowed. | ALLOWED / NOT ALLOWED | M |
| 43T | Transhipment Under UCP Art. 20(c), banks accept B/L indicating transhipment if goods are containerised, even if credit prohibits. | ALLOWED / NOT ALLOWED / CONDITIONAL | M |
| 44A | Place of Taking in Charge / Dispatch / Loading For multimodal or FCA - origin location. | 65x | O |
| 44E | Port of Loading / Airport of Departure Ocean or air. | 65x | O |
| 44F | Port of Discharge / Airport of Destination Ocean or air. | 65x | O |
| 44B | Place of Final Destination / For Transportation to Final destination for multimodal. | 65x | O |
| 44C | Latest Date of Shipment On-board date on B/L must be on or before this. Not extended by Art. 29. | 6!n (YYMMDD) | O |
| 44D | Shipment Period Alternative to 44C - a period, not a fixed date. | 6*65x | O |
| 45A | Description of Goods and/or Services Free-text. Must correspond with commercial invoice (UCP Art. 18(c)). Include Incoterm and named place. | 100*65x | M |
| 46A | Documents Required The document list. Most disputes originate here - be specific about issuer, quantity, endorsement, and language. | 100*65x | M |
| 47A | Additional Conditions Any special conditions. Avoid non-documentary conditions - under UCP Art. 14(h) banks disregard them. | 100*65x | O |
| 71B | Charges ALL BANKING CHARGES OUTSIDE ISSUING BANK'S COUNTRY ARE FOR BENEFICIARY'S ACCOUNT - common wording. | 6*35x | O |
| 48 | Period for Presentation Days after shipment for presentation. If absent, defaults to 21 calendar days per UCP Art. 14(c). | 4x | O |
| 49 | Confirmation Instructions Instruction to advising bank on adding its confirmation. | CONFIRM / MAY ADD / WITHOUT | M |
| 53A | Reimbursing Bank If different from issuing bank. Triggers URR 725 for reimbursement. | BIC | O |
| 78 | Instructions to Paying / Accepting / Negotiating Bank Reimbursement mechanism, remittance instructions. | 12*65x | O |
| 72Z | Sender to Receiver Information Free-form bank-to-bank information. | 6*35x | O |
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Frequently asked questions
What is Field 47A on an MT700?
Additional Conditions. Free-text conditions the applicant/issuing bank impose beyond the standard fields - e.g. specific inspection certificates, third-party B/L endorsements, or presentation restrictions. 47A is examined under UCP 600 Art. 14 like any other condition.
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