SWIFT & International
Bank Identifier Code
BIC stands for Bank Identifier Code, a standardized code defined by ISO 9362 that uniquely identifies a financial institution in international transactions. The terms BIC and SWIFT code are used interchangeably — they refer to the same 8- or 11-character identifier. SWIFT manages the BIC directory as the ISO 9362 Registration Authority.
A BIC follows the structure BBBBCCLLBBB: four letters for the institution code, two for the country, two for the location, and an optional three for the branch. For example, BNPAFRPP identifies BNP Paribas in Paris, France. An 8-character BIC (BIC8) always refers to the head office, while an 11-character BIC (BIC11) identifies a specific branch. The branch code XXX is equivalent to omitting the branch code entirely.
BICs are required for most international wire transfers and are often needed alongside an IBAN to route payments correctly. Within SEPA, the BIC is technically optional (IBAN-only routing is supported), but banks outside Europe still rely on it. You can validate any BIC with BankCheck to confirm the institution, country, and branch before sending a payment.
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