MT701 — Issue of a Documentary Credit (continuation)
The continuation of MT700 when a documentary credit is too long to fit one SWIFT message. Carries the rest of goods descriptions and documentary conditions.
Purpose
MT700 has a
maximum Block 4 size around 2,000 characters (10,000 max network-wise, but ~2,000
for the business body). When the goods description (:45A:) or required
documents list (:46A:) exceeds that, the credit is split: MT700 carries
structural tags (parties, amount, dates), and MT701 carries the verbose sections.
MT701 uses the B tag variants (:45B:, :46B:,
:47B:) which read as continuations of the MT700's :45A:,
:46A:, :47A:. The advising bank must reconstruct the full
credit by concatenating both messages before advising the beneficiary.
Tag structure
MT701 carries a strict subset of MT700 tags:
:27:Sequence of Total:2/2,3/3per message count.:20:Documentary Credit Number: identical to MT700 (reconciliation key).:45B:Description of Goods and/or Services — continuation of:45A:.:46B:Documents Required — continuation of:46A:.:47B:Additional Conditions — continuation of:47A:.
Key tags
| Tag | Name | Usage |
|---|---|---|
:27: | Sequence of Total | Position in the sequence: 2/2 typical. |
:20: | Documentary Credit Number | Same as the originating MT700. Primary reconciliation key. |
:45B: | Description of Goods/Services (cont.) | Free text, continuation of :45A:. |
:46B: | Documents Required (cont.) | Continuation of required documents. |
:47B: | Additional Conditions (cont.) | Continuation of additional conditions. |
Real-world example
Continuation of the ACME credit MT700, with the three-item detail (500/300/200 cartons), the full documentary list and strict conditions (English documents only, no multi-modal B/L, no B/L > 21 days):
{1:F01BNPAFRPPAXXX0000000000}{2:I701ICBKCNBJXXXXN}{3:{108:LC20260515001-2}}{4:
:27:2/2
:20:LC20260515001
:45B:- ITEM 1: 500 CARTONS ART. ACME-2026-187-A
- ITEM 2: 300 CARTONS ART. ACME-2026-187-B
- ITEM 3: 200 CARTONS ART. ACME-2026-187-C
TOTAL 1000 CARTONS COTTON T-SHIRTS
PRICE INCOTERMS 2020 CIF LYON
:46B:DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:
+ COMMERCIAL INVOICE IN 3 ORIGINALS SHOWING:
- INDIVIDUAL ITEM REFERENCES
- FCA INCOTERMS 2020 BREAKDOWN
- HS CODE 6109.10
+ FULL SET CLEAN ON BOARD OCEAN BILL OF LADING
ISSUED IN 3/3 ORIGINALS + 3 NON-NEGOTIABLE COPIES
MARKED FREIGHT PREPAID
NOTIFY PARTY: ACME SARL
+ PACKING LIST IN 3 COPIES SHOWING
GROSS AND NET WEIGHT PER CARTON
+ CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN ISSUED BY CCPIT CHINA
+ INSURANCE POLICY FOR 110 PCT INVOICE VALUE
COVERING ALL RISKS INSTITUTE CARGO CLAUSES A
+ INSPECTION CERTIFICATE BY SGS OR BUREAU VERITAS
+ BENEFICIARY CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
:47B:+ DOCUMENTS ISSUED IN ENGLISH ONLY
+ THIRD-PARTY DOCUMENTS NOT ACCEPTED
+ MULTI-MODAL B/L NOT ACCEPTED
+ STALE B/L (MORE THAN 21 DAYS) NOT ACCEPTABLE
-}:27:2/2— 2nd message of a 2-message sequence.:20:LC20260515001— same as the MT700.:45B:— per-item detail (which would not have fit in 2 kB).:46B:— exhaustive document list with sub-bullets (HS code, freight prepaid…).:47B:— non-standard additional conditions (English only, no multi-modal B/L).
Common pitfalls
- Divergent
:20:reference — the identifier must be strictly identical to the MT700's. Any difference breaks automatic reconciliation. - Inconsistent
:27:numbering —2/2must follow a1/2in the MT700. A2/3with no expected MT702 or MT703 is rejected. - Standalone issue — an MT701 without a preceding MT700 cannot be processed. Always send the full sequence.
- Reusing A and B tags — use
:45B:in MT701, not:45A:. The B variant signals "continuation". - Contradictory conditions —
:47B:in MT701 must be consistent with:47A:in MT700. A condition contradicting another creates legal ambiguity at document examination.