Everything you need to find the right SWIFT/BIC code for your transfer. Search by bank or country to find the right branch code. Or, if you already have a code, you can use our checker tool to make sure it’s correct.
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What is a SWIFT/BIC code?
A SWIFT code — sometimes also called a BIC number — is a standard format for Business Identifier Codes (BIC). It’s used to identify banks and financial institutions globally. It says who and where they are — a sort of international bank code or ID.
These codes are used when transferring money between banks, in particular for international wire transfers or SEPA payments. Banks also use these codes to exchange messages between each other.
Example of a SWIFT code
AAAABank code
BBCountry code
CCLocation code
123Branch code
Format of a SWIFT/BIC number.
A SWIFT/BIC is an 8-11 character code that identifies your country, city, bank, and branch.
Bank code A-Z4 letters representing the bank. It usually looks like a shortened version of that bank's name.
Country code A-Z2 letters representing the country the bank is in.
Location code 0-9 A-Z2 characters made up of letters or numbers. It says where that bank's head office is.
Branch Code 0-9 A-Z3 digits specifying a particular branch. 'XXX' represents the bank’s head office.
When do you need a SWIFT/BIC code?
If you’re sending or receiving money internationally between banks, particularly international wire transfers or SEPA payments, you may be asked for a SWIFT code. SWIFT codes help banks to process transfers from abroad.
Where can I find my SWIFT/BIC code?
You can usually find your bank’s SWIFT/BIC code in your bank account statements. You also can use our SWIFT/BIC finder to get the right code for your transfer.
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Your questions, answered
A SWIFT code is a set of 8 or 11 digits that represents a bank branch. You’ll need to use one when sending money internationally. Find your SWIFT code here.
BIC stands for Bank Identifier Code. It's a set of digits that represents a bank branch for international payments on the SWIFT network. Find your BIC code here
SWIFT stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. It's a global network for processing payments between countries. BIC stands for Bank Identifier Code, which refers to the set of digits you can use to send international payments.In practice, many people use 'BIC' and 'SWIFT' interchangeably to describe the code for international payments. Find your BIC code here
SWIFT codes are not the same as IBANs, but they do a similar job.IBANs identify individual bank accounts for domestic and international payments. They're mostly used in Europe, but other countries around the world are starting to adopt the same system.SWIFT codes help to identify bank branches for international payments. They're used all over the world.
SWIFT codes are not the same as sort codes, but they do a similar job.Sort codes help to identify bank branches for payments within a country, while SWIFT codes help to identify bank branches for international payments. Find your BIC code here
SWIFT codes are different to routing numbers, but they do a similar job.Routing numbers help to identify banks by state in the US, making it easier to process domestic payments. SWIFT codes identify bank branches for international payments.
SWIFT codes identify bank branches for international payments. By doing this, they help banks to send your money to the right place.
It depends on the country you're sending money to. In the Eurozone, you'll always need an IBAN and a SWIFT/BIC code. Banks in the USA use SWIFT codes, but they don't use IBANs. It's the same in New Zealand too. More on IBAN numbers.
