What is the difference between a SWIFT code and a BIC?

They are the same thing. BIC (Business Identifier Code) is the ISO 9362 name for the code; SWIFT is the network that issues and routes them. Banks and forms use the terms interchangeably.

Why are some SWIFT codes 8 characters and others 11?

An 8-character code identifies a bank's head office. Adding a 3-character branch code makes it 11 and points to a specific branch. An 8-character code is treated as the primary office, often written with XXX appended to make 11.

What does each part of the code mean?

Characters 1-4 are the bank code (letters), 5-6 are the ISO 3166 country code, 7-8 are the location code, and 9-11 are the optional branch code. For example DEUTDEFF500 is Deutsche Bank, Germany, Frankfurt, branch 500.

How do I validate a SWIFT code's country?

Characters 5 and 6 must match a real ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code. If you paste a German bank code it must contain DE in positions 5-6. A mismatch means the code is malformed or for a different country.

Does a valid format guarantee the bank exists?

No. This tool checks structure only: length, allowed characters, and a valid country code. Confirming a working bank requires the official SWIFT directory, because well-formed codes can still be unassigned.

SWIFT/BIC Format by Country

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A SWIFT/BIC code is the international address of a bank. This tool shows the exact structure used by every country and validates any code you paste against the ISO 9362 rules, splitting it into its bank, country, location, and branch parts.

How it works

A BIC is 8 or 11 characters, drawn from this fixed layout:

D E U T D E F F 5 0 0
^^^^^ ^^^ ^^   ^^^
bank  ctry loc branch
1-4   5-6  7-8 9-11

Characters 1-4 — bank code: four letters identifying the institution.
Characters 5-6 — country code: the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country (DE, GB, US).
Characters 7-8 — location code: letters or digits for the city/region. A second character of 0 historically marked a test/non-production BIC, and 1 a passive participant.
Characters 9-11 — branch code (optional): three letters or digits for a specific branch. XXX denotes the primary office.

The validator enforces length 8 or 11, requires the first six characters to be letters, checks positions 5-6 against the country you selected, and confirms the remaining characters are alphanumeric.

Tips and examples

An 8-character code such as DEUTDEFF is the head office; the same bank’s branch 500 is DEUTDEFF500.
Banks often write the short form padded with XXX (DEUTDEFFXXX) so systems expecting 11 characters accept it.
The country code is the most common error on forms — a UK bank code must carry GB, not UK, because ISO 3166 uses GB for the United Kingdom.