SWIFT/BIC checker
Validate a SWIFT/BIC code's structure before you use it on a payment — length, country code and branch designation, checked in your browser.
Format check only, done in your browser — this is not a bank directory, and nothing you type is sent or stored.
How a BIC is put together
Take NWBKGB2LXXX: NWBK is the institution, GB the country, 2L the location, and XXX the head office. The structure is fixed by ISO 9362, which is what makes format checking possible — and it is why most failed codes fail the same three ways: wrong length, a digit where a letter must be, or a country pair that does not exist. All three are catchable before the payment is sent, which is cheaper than after.
What format checking cannot do is tell you the code belongs to the bank you think it does. We do not pretend otherwise: confirm the BIC against the beneficiary's own documents. For the rails themselves, our guide to what a SWIFT payment is covers fees, intermediaries and timing.
What is a SWIFT/BIC code?
A Business Identifier Code under ISO 9362: four letters identifying the institution, a two-letter country code, a two-character location code, and an optional three-character branch code. An 8-character BIC addresses the head office; 11 characters address a specific branch. "SWIFT code" and "BIC" are the same thing in everyday use.
What does XXX at the end of a BIC mean?
It explicitly designates the head office. NWBKGB2L and NWBKGB2LXXX route the same way — some systems simply require the 11-character form.
Does this tool confirm which bank owns a code?
No, and be wary of tools that imply they do without maintaining licensed directory data. This checker validates format and country only. Confirm the BIC against the beneficiary’s own bank documents — an invoice or account confirmation letter — not against a website.
Do Canadian banks have SWIFT codes?
Yes. Canada does not use IBANs, but Canadian banks have BICs for cross-border payments. Paying a Canadian beneficiary typically takes their BIC plus transit, institution and account numbers.
Why did my code fail with a "0" warning?
A zero in position 8 marks a test BIC — a code used in non-live environments. Payments addressed to test BICs do not reach a real bank.
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