BIC / SWIFT code checker
A BIC is built from four fixed blocks: bank, country, location, and an optional branch. There is no check digit — so what can be verified is the structure, not the existence of the institution.
8 or 11 characters. Spaces are ignored, lowercase is accepted.
How the check works
- 1
The four blocks are split
Four letters for the institution, two letters for the ISO 3166 country, two characters for the location, then three optional characters for the branch.
- 2
Character classes are checked
The first six characters must be letters; the last five may mix letters and digits. A digit among the first six is a misreading, not a BIC.
- 3
The eighth character is interpreted
A '0' marks a test BIC, a '1' a passive participant not connected to the network. An 'XXX' branch code designates the head office.
Why there is no check digit
A BIC is a code, not a number: it is not derived from anything, so there is nothing to recompute. That is the fundamental difference with an IBAN, whose two check digits catch a typo on their own.
As a result, a well-formed BIC can be entirely fictional. The only authority is the SWIFT directory, a paid subscription product — which is why no free tool confirms that a BIC is really assigned.
The BIC is usually optional in SEPA
Since 2016, a SEPA credit transfer inside the euro area requires the IBAN alone: the receiving bank is derived from it. The BIC remains necessary for transfers outside SEPA, and some banks still ask for it out of habit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BIC and SWIFT code?
None. 'SWIFT code' is the everyday name for what the ISO 9362 standard calls a BIC (Business Identifier Code), because SWIFT is the organisation that assigns them. Both terms designate the same eight or eleven characters.
Why do some BICs have 8 characters and others 11?
The last three characters are the branch code and are optional. An 8-character BIC implicitly designates the head office; adding 'XXX' makes it explicit and produces the same routing. Some banks publish a specific branch code for particular services.
Can I derive the BIC from an IBAN?
In some countries, technically yes — a German or Dutch IBAN embeds the bank code — but the mapping to a BIC requires a national directory that changes with every merger. Ask the account holder or the bank rather than deducing it.
The same check over API
This tool runs in your browser. To run the same check from your code, in bulk or server-side, the API answers in JSON.
Read the documentation