How do I check if a SWIFT code is valid?

A valid SWIFT/BIC has exactly 8 or 11 characters: 4 letters for the bank, 2 letters for the country (ISO 3166), 2 characters for the location, and an optional 3-character branch code. This checker validates the structure instantly in your browser and then looks the code up against 112,000+ registered BICs.

What happens if I use a wrong SWIFT code?

A structurally invalid code is rejected by the sending bank. A valid but wrong code can route the payment to the wrong institution, which usually means days of delay and return fees while the transfer is investigated and sent back.

Is a BIC the same as a SWIFT code?

Yes. BIC (Bank Identifier Code, ISO 9362) is the official name; SWIFT code is the everyday name. Banks and payment forms use the two terms interchangeably.

SWIFT Code Checker - Validate Any BIC Instantly (Free)

What this checker validates

Every SWIFT code follows the ISO 9362 pattern. The checker verifies each part and tells you exactly what is wrong when a code fails:

Position	Rule	Meaning
1-4	Letters only	Bank code, assigned by SWIFT
5-6	Letters only, real ISO country	Country where the bank entity sits
7-8	Letters or digits	Location code; a "0" second character means a test BIC, "1" means passive participant
9-11	Optional, letters or digits	Branch; "XXX" or omitted = head office

A code that passes the structure check is well-formed but not necessarily registered. The second step, the lookup against our directory of 112,000+ BICs from the official SWIFT-published data, confirms the code actually belongs to a bank. Search by bank name instead →

Common mistakes this catches

IBAN pasted instead of BIC: IBANs are 15-34 characters and start with a country code; a BIC is 8 or 11 and starts with the bank code. You usually need both for an international transfer.
Number/letter swaps: 0 for O and 1 for I in the bank or country part, which must be letters only.
Branch code confusion: sending to an 11-character branch BIC when the bank asked for the 8-character head-office code, or vice versa. Both are valid; they route differently.
Old codes: banks merge and BICs are retired. A structurally perfect code can still be dead, which is what the directory lookup is for.

Related tools

Look up a bank's code on the SWIFT code search, browse codes by country, validate an account number with the IBAN checker, or check a card number's issuer with the BIN checker.