BIC (Business Identifier Code / SWIFT Code)
A BIC (Business Identifier Code), commonly called a SWIFT code, is the international standard (ISO 9362) for identifying financial institutions in cross-border payments. It is 8 or 11 characters long. Search 8,000+ BIC codes →
Details
The structure is: 4-letter bank code + 2-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code + 2-character location code + optional 3-character branch code. An 8-character BIC identifies the bank's head office; 11 characters identify a specific branch. The bank code is usually a mnemonic of the institution's name — CHAS for Chase, DEUT for Deutsche Bank, HSBC for HSBC.
Examples: CHASUS33 (JPMorgan Chase, New York) is an 8-character head-office BIC. DEUTDEFF500 is an 11-character branch BIC for Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt. HSBCGB2LXXX is Barclays HSBC London primary office in 11-character form. If you have an 8-character BIC and need 11, simply append XXX — the codes are equivalent.
BICs route SWIFT MT and ISO 20022 messages between banks. They appear in multiple fields of an MT103 message: field 52A (ordering institution — your bank), field 56A (intermediary bank), and field 57A (beneficiary bank — the recipient's bank). Every intermediary correspondent bank in the chain is identified by its BIC in the message header.
The BIC is not the same as a domestic routing number. In the US, the ABA routing number identifies a bank for domestic ACH or Fedwire — but for international SWIFT wires the BIC is required. Similarly, the UK Sort Code (e.g. 20-00-00) routes Faster Payments and CHAPS domestically, but international SWIFT wires need the BIC. When sending to the US, ask for the bank's SWIFT BIC (e.g. WFBIUS6S for Wells Fargo) as well as the ABA if the receiving bank needs it for internal routing.
BICs are not bank account numbers. A BIC identifies the bank; to identify the specific account you also need either an IBAN (in Europe and the Middle East), or a local account number plus routing code elsewhere (ABA + account in the US, Sort Code + account in the UK, etc.). See the compare page /compare/bic-vs-iban for a full side-by-side.
The complete register of active BICs is maintained by S.W.I.F.T. SC under the ISO 9362 Registration Authority mandate. Ohmyfin's /swift-codes directory is free to search and includes BIC, bank name, city, country and the SWIFT network status. Over 11,000 institutions are registered, though not all are active SWIFT messaging members — some are registered only for directory purposes.
Key facts
- 8 characters = head office; 11 characters = specific branch (XXX = head office in 11-char)
- Format: BANK (4) + COUNTRY (2) + LOCATION (2) + BRANCH (3, optional)
- ISO 9362 international standard, maintained by S.W.I.F.T. SC
- Used to route SWIFT MT and ISO 20022 messages between banks
- Not the same as ABA routing number (US) or Sort Code (UK)
- Ohmyfin /swift-codes directory covers 8,000+ live BICs
Frequently asked questions
BIC vs SWIFT code — are they different?
No — they are exactly the same thing. "SWIFT code" is the widely used colloquial name. "BIC" (Business Identifier Code) is the formal ISO 9362 name. Banks sometimes say "SWIFT/BIC" to make clear they mean both.
Where do I find a bank's BIC?
On the bank's website (usually under "international transfers"), on a bank statement, in Ohmyfin's BIC directory at /swift-codes, or by calling the bank directly. For the beneficiary bank, ask the beneficiary to check their bank's website.
Is a BIC the same as a routing number?
No. A BIC identifies a bank on the international SWIFT network. ABA routing numbers (US) and Sort Codes (UK) identify banks on domestic payment systems. For a SWIFT international wire, you need the BIC, not the ABA or Sort Code.
What if a BIC is only 8 characters but the form asks for 11?
An 8-character BIC is completely valid. If a form needs 11 characters, append XXX — CHASUS33 becomes CHASUS33XXX. Both forms are accepted by SWIFT and identify the same primary office.
How do I validate a BIC?
A valid BIC is 8 or 11 characters. Positions 1–4 are letters (bank code). Positions 5–6 are a valid ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (e.g. GB, US, DE). Positions 7–8 are alphanumeric (location). Positions 9–11 (optional) are alphanumeric (branch; XXX means primary). Ohmyfin's /swift-codes confirms whether a BIC is currently registered.
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