SWIFT / BIC code lookup
Validate a SWIFT/BIC code and decode its bank, country, location and branch.
Runs 100% in your browser100% in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
How to look up a SWIFT/BIC code
- Enter a SWIFT/BIC. Type an 8- or 11-character code, e.g. DEUTDEFF.
- Validate and decode. We check the format and split it into its parts.
- Review. See the bank, country, location and branch codes.
What the eight (or eleven) characters mean
A SWIFT/BIC code identifies a bank on the international payment network, and it reads as four fields packed
together (ISO 9362): a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code, a
two-character location code, and an optional three-character branch code. So
an 8-character BIC points at a bank's head office and an 11-character one adds a specific branch. For example
DEUTDEFF breaks into DEUT (Deutsche Bank) + DE (Germany) +
FF (Frankfurt); append 500 and you've named a particular branch.
The signals hidden in the code
Two positions carry meaning worth reading. When no branch code is present (or it's XXX), the BIC
refers to the bank's head office. And the last character of the location code is a flag: a
1 marks a "passive" participant, while a 0 marks a test code that
must never be used for a live payment. This tool checks the code is the right length and format, splits it into
those components, and flags head-office-versus-branch and test codes so a test BIC doesn't slip into a real
transfer.
BIC and IBAN do different jobs
It's easy to confuse the two, but they answer different questions: the BIC routes to the bank, and the IBAN identifies the account within it. A correct payment usually needs both. Note that, like a US EIN, there's no single free public BIC directory — this is a structural decode of the code you enter (done locally, nothing transmitted), not a registry lookup, so a well-formed BIC still has to belong to the right bank. Check the account number in the same payment with the IBAN validator.
Frequently asked questions
- A Bank Identifier Code (BIC), also called a SWIFT code, identifies a bank in international transfers. It is 8 characters for a bank’s head office, or 11 to specify a branch.
- 4 letters for the bank, 2 letters for the ISO country, 2 characters for the location, and an optional 3-character branch code. This tool splits and explains each part.
- It validates the format and decodes the parts. A definitive bank-name lookup requires SWIFT’s official directory; we decode structure and country rather than guess a name.
- It refers to the bank’s primary (head) office. An 8-character BIC and a branch code of XXX both indicate the main office.
- No. The code is validated and decoded entirely in your browser, with no network calls.