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International transfers
Check that a SWIFT/BIC code has the right structure and a real country code, and see what each part of it means.
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Try an example
The head-office codes of five large banks. Pick one to check it.
A Business Identifier Code, defined by ISO 9362 and usually called a SWIFT code, has four letters for the institution, two for its country, two letters or digits for its location, and optionally three more for a branch.
An eight-character code, or one ending in XXX, refers to the institution's head office. Some banks want the branch code and some do not; use exactly what the recipient's bank gives you.
If the second character of the location code is 0, the code is a test code and is not used for live payments. A 1 marks a passive participant, reached through another institution, and a 2 means the receiver pays for the message.
A BIC has no check digit, so a code with one wrong letter can still be well-formed. The register of which institution holds which code is maintained by SWIFT and is not published free, so this tool does not name the bank. Confirm the code with the recipient's bank.
See limitationsCorrect bank details are half of a good transfer. The other half is what it costs: the fee and the exchange-rate margin.
FAQ
Yes. BIC is the formal name in the ISO 9362 standard; SWIFT code is what most banks and people call it.
The directory that maps codes to institutions belongs to SWIFT and is a paid product. Naming a bank from a guess would be worse than not naming one, so only the structure is checked.
Use what the receiving bank gives you. Eight characters, or eleven ending in XXX, point at the head office. A specific branch code is only needed where the bank asks for it.
No. The check runs in your browser and nothing is stored or transmitted.
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